I took my car in todayto Les Schwab to get a free safety check. Technician said both CV axle boots are torn. He gave me an estimate Driver side and Passenger side CV axles. Hopefully you can read the scanned document. Quote is $660.49.

What is the worst that can happen if I don't get this done?
Can I do one side at a time?
Should I get another quote from another garage?
Thanks!

 

Have you confirmed the boots are torn?

The worst that can happen is the CV joint fails as in breaks then you have a broken axle.

What happens between now and then is typically the grease is thrown out of the joint by centrifugal force and dirt and water enter the joint. The joint then starts to wear out.

Typical symptoms of a worn joint are clicking (especially when making sharp turns at slow speeds), vibration, grinding noises, a clunk because the joint now has excess play. It takes a while for the joint to wear out and there are typically a host of symptoms before it breaks.

Are you short on cash? .

The price seems OK..

There are CV boots that can be installed without taking the axle off. These boots are split to slide over the joint and then are glued or bolted together. Long term results are hit or miss and can depend on the quality of the installing job. Would view split boots as a temporary fix. The other issue is the grease may have flown out and the debris/water already entered.

 

Thank you Joey for your response. I have printed out your response and I will ask the mechanic through email because he should have made some notes. He sent me that estimate through email and his name.

I'm not hearing those clicking noises you talked about.

I will look into this more. Yes, I am short on cash. But I can afford maybe $250