Dear Tom and Ray:

My father and I enjoy your column. I have an '86 Honda Accord which evidently has cracked CV joint boots (one outer, one inner boot). At first, I was told it would be OK to drive the car this way until I heard them "makin' a God-awful noise." More recently, I was told by another mechanic that I should get the boots replaced right away or I could end up damaging my axle. What's the truth, and should I replace the boots now? -- Brent

Ray: Normally, the second guy would be right, Brent. But in your case, there are extenuating circumstances, so I'd stick with the first guy's advice. Just drive it until you hear them "makin' a God-awful noise."

Tom: You have two axles on the front of this car; one on each side. Each axle is a metal shaft with a CV (constant velocity) joint on each end.

Ray: And each joint is covered with a rubber boot to protect it from dirt, grime and roadkill. Normally, if a boot breaks, you want to replace the boot right away to protect the joint inside from getting dirty and being ruined, because the joint costs a lot more than the rubber boot.

Tom: But if the joint's already ruined (or as we suspect in your case, well on its way to being ruined), you might as well just drive it until it breaks. And the "God-awful" noise will give you months of warning before the car leaves you stranded.

Ray: Right. The problem is, if you replace the boots now, the joint might fail anyway in three months. And the labor involved in changing the boots is exactly the same as the labor involved in changing the joints. So you'll be paying twice for the same labor. And we know the joints ARE going to fail soon because they're a dozen years old, just like the rest of the car.

Tom: Besides, with a car this old, who knows what may happen between now and when the joint actually breaks? The engine could self-destruct. You could win the lottery and buy yourself a new Lexus. Or you could be abducted by aliens. And in any of those cases, you'll be glad you didn't spend the $200 on new CV boots, won't you?

In their pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" Tom and Ray break down the strategies for buying a car, so you can make the most of your money. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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