# 2012 Avalon base axle boot ripped your opinions on it

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [September 20, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365 "2018-09-20T22:35:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![usopen800\_142388](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c57346/32.png) [@usopen800\_142388](https://community.cartalk.com/u/usopen800_142388)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365/1 "2018-09-20T22:35:07Z")

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Hi, my axle looks ripped and lots of grease came out. When attempting to turn the axle

 ![20180913_105023](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/1/1aa04c3f795571e712843f4a43eb835fc4c17e62.jpeg) with the wheel lifted on jacks it moves the wheel around and seems solid.

Should I get a new axle or just replace the boot?

I attached a picture.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365/2 "2018-09-20T22:39:59Z")

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Replace the axle.

You don’t know how long the boot has been open. So you don’t know how long contaminates/debris got into the joint.

Nothing worse than to reboot an axle, then have the CV-joint start making noise later, and having do the job again to replace the axle.

Tester

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365/3 "2018-09-20T22:44:53Z")

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What @Tester said. That joint is fully exposed, no grease if I’m reading that picture correctly. I’d replace the axle, and check the other side.

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**Author:** ![usopen800\_142388](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c57346/32.png) [@usopen800\_142388](https://community.cartalk.com/u/usopen800_142388)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365/4 "2018-09-20T23:00:25Z")

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Yeah looks like the whole cv axle should be changed. Would it be safe to drive till I get it fixed?

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-avalon-base-axle-boot-ripped-your-opinions-on-it/125365/5 "2018-09-20T23:02:40Z")

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I usually tell customers to drive the vehicle until the CV-joint starts making noise, and then replace it.

So you can drive the vehicle until it’s fixed.

Tester