CV Joints "How Long Does Yours Last"

[JDBord]

I have a 93 Camry LE 4cyl it has 135,000 mi. I have changed out the half shaft on the passenger side 4 times.
Is there something wrong with this or is that normal.

[ProMan]

Doesn't seem normal to me. Did the boot went bad or the joint itself? The boots on original drive shaft should last about 130K. The re-man ones, depends on the quality, can last maybe up to 3 years.

[Brian R.]

You can extend the life of CV boots by spraying them all over with silicone lubricant every time you are under the car for an oil change.

[JDBord]

Thanks Brian
I will try that.
Yes, the outside CV boot. They tear appart. I know that I don't half-to change it until the joint starts giving me trouble, but i don't like to wait to long after I notice that it is torn.
I know that it flexes more than the inner but I thought they would last longer than that.
The one that is on their right now (reman)came from Carquest.

[Brian R.]

Some boots will last longer than others. I would buy a different brand of CV boot.

[300+]

130,000 for the boot is about right for the boots.
However, 4 times by then is not normal for any car.
Mine both went at about 170,000 miles the first time
and are just about cracking open now with an Autozone halfshaft 140,000 miles later and about 6 or 7 years.
I didn't see the first one when it started to crack. 170,000 is when I changed it.
It went 10,000 miles or more with noise.
I tried to get the most out of it since I caught it too late to save it.
I also have 2 GM cars around 200,000 miles on original shafts and boots.

Split boots are easy if you are going to go through boots every 30,000 miles as you seem to be doing.
Will save a lot of time and money on axles. $10 vs $80.

[300+]

One question. Since it is only that side, do you have an oil leak soaking the boot and allowing grit to get stuck in there?

[JDBord]

Originally Posted by 300+

One question. Since it is only that side, do you have an oil leak soaking the boot and allowing grit to get stuck in there?

No there is nothing leaking on it.
I bought the car in 93 with 11,000 miles on it. Two years later the outer boot had to be replaced. Three to four years after that it had to be replaced again( same side, passenger side). The mechanic charged me $50 "both times" to replace just the boot. The next time the boot tore I went to a local automotive repair shop ( Pepboys ) and they changed out the half-shaft. There wasn't anything wrong with the joint they said it's cheaper and easier to change out the half-shaft than removing the old one, disassembling the joint, cleaning it,reassembling it and installing it back into the car. I can understand that since the majority of the cost is labor. Last week, same thing changed half-shaft.
I am a careful driver, all my driving is on paved roads, I haven't run over anything, I just don't get it.
A neighbor of mine told me that his Camry has 75,000 miles on it and he hasn't had a problem with his.
So that is why I thought I would ask members of this forum about their Camry's so I could get an idea if this is normal or not,and this seems to be "not normal".
What I will have to do is watch it closely to see if I can find out why this is happening.
"Sorry for the long drawn-out post".

[typesix]

I spray silicone on the boots as Brian suggested and the joints failed before the boots. Passenger side axle replaced at 140k and driver side at 198k miles.

[JDBord]

Thanks guys, sounds great I will give it a try.
I forgot to mention that I do have a power steering leak but it is not dripping on the boot. I will explain more about that in my other post.

[Mike Gerber]

To the people who are spraying their boots with silicone: Are you actually using silicone or WD-40? WD-40 is not silicone. I have been spraying WD-40 on my boots for years. I saw this on a TV show many years ago. I was under the impression that silicone will brake down rubber. Anybody have any comments?

Mike

[ice745]

I thought it was the other way around. I am not too sure about it, but I thought silicone spray was safe, and WD-40 being Petroleum based could deteriorate the rubber. You would definately need to look into it tho, because I am not too sure myself.

[Brian R.]

I definitely use a silicone spray lubricant. WD40 is petroleum based and bad for rubber. I have been told that the boots are silicone rubber-based also and that is why the silicone lubricant is helpful.

[Brian R.]

I definitely use a silicone spray lubricant. WD40 is petroleum based and bad for rubber. I have been told that the boots are silicone rubber-based also and that is why the silicone lubricant is helpful. It would also explain why WD40 isn't really bad for them. Silicone rubber and natural rubber (like the bushings for the suspension) are very different.

Don't forget that the CV boots have to be petroleum-proof to keep the boots from being destroyed by the grease they hold.

[Mike Gerber]

Brian,

Is CV joint grease a petroleum based grease or a synthetic grease?

Mike