Help! Is this normal for torn CV boot? (caution. graphic pic)
 

Been experiencing a bunch of problems from clunks to vibrations. So I took a pic of the suspension since I don't have a lift. Here's what I found. Is this normal for a torn CV boot? Is the car drivable? Thanks
http://a.imageshack.us/img828/669/img5094m.jpg

Once dirt and water gets into the joint the axel's days are numbered. If it's already making noise then you'll likely need to replace the axel instead of just the boot.

You should not drive car unless you have to. They all last about 40 - 50 k miles max so you need to watch for tear.
I noticed mine at about 45k miles when changed brakes and both were torn - shop replaced boot on one site and had to replace the whole axle on the other site. Actually to replace the whole axle was like only $60 more than to replace just the boot

I've been driving on this for over a week now. I noticed a lot of that gunky grease on my wheels about 9-10 days ago.... Should I just tell the dealer to replace the axle?

if it is still under warranty it should be covered by an sb that was floating around. if not i would clean it repack it and put on a new boot since its only been a week and there isn't to much crap on the road.

With the labor involved just to get to the boot, you might as well just replace the whole joint. Once anything but grease gets in there, it turns into a grit and just chews things up, eventually clunking and then you'll be starting all over again. It's the same amount of labor to replace the boot vs replacing the whole arm, so save yourself the trouble. It was a b!tch to do on my X5 as the axle didn't want to seperate, so I ended up having to remove the whole spindle and press it out.

it wasn't that hard when i did it and saved the money of having to buy the whole shaft. still running strong.

the joint is replacable separatly. the whole axle does not need to be replaced

So should I just replace the joint and not the axle when I replace the CV boot?

By the time you pay for the labor to either replace the boot and/or the single joint, you'll probably still be cheaper off to just replace the whole axle. Someone mentioned on another thread about an eBay store or some other shop that rebuilt them using stock parts and were far less than stock pricing and included a warranty.

I found the same problem with it [cv boot driver side] this morning @72.5K. Most of indy shops won't replace just CV boot but the entire axle. Reading some articles about DIY CV Boot replacment but still can't do it myself!
I called my auto repair friend he said he will replaces just CV Boot for me and charging $100 labor for each site [I checked passenger side and CV Boot doesn't look good even though it's still clean]. I have been told that not driving the X if I really need to. Calling BMW Part Dept: $85.00 for each side CV Boot kit including axle nuts.

So here are the options

CV Boot replacement:
A. Buying 2 outer CV Boot Kits for both sides = $170.00 + $200.00 labor = $370.00

Replace new axle:
B. Buying 2 OEM axles for both sides = $1100 at dealer. Bring the old axles back to the dealer that save you $100.00. Labor cost $150.00 for both sides. Totally I will pay at least $1150.

Therefore, i will take option A.

You better not buying cheap alxe $80.00 < $160 via ebay or some others store, your X will vibrates after you replace those aftermarket axles.

Considering my labor is free and I caught it early, I did a new boot for all of $12 on eBay. NEVER goto the stealership to purchase parts people. Service if you don't have or trust an indy in your area, but not parts.

I wish i can DIY. I don't have enough heavy duty tool to remove strut/ball joint etc.
$12 is great :) ebay's CB boot quality may be better than the BMW part. They produce bad quality CB boot.

Find yourself a nice indy or just shop that is competant and charges reasonable prices. Tearing control arm and other bushings are the biggest concern. Other than being kinda of a bitch of a job, I've done worse...try removing transmissions with a car that is only a couple of feet of the ground when all the lifts are full!

I got mine from autohausaz for $10 each. OEM or close to OEM stuff.

As I recall it is simply a circlip that holds the CV onto the shaft. Which means you only replace the outer CV, and not the shaft and two CVs.

I've not worked on X53s (although I bet killcrap has...)

Pricing wise, it looks like the WHOLE axle should run $400-500ish....shop well, DO NOT go to your local dealer unless they meet Tishher/GetBMWParts, etc, etc I did not look for a price on the CV joint alone.

There is a circlip that holds it on, but then you've still got to install to purchase the joint ($45), install the boot using a special tool for the clamps, and then reinstall the whole thing. For only 2x as much, you can just replace the whole axle assembly as one solid piece with a unit that has the same warranty as the $400-$500 unit that the dealership sells.

I'll admit I didn't spend a lot of time searching, but it looked like the axle was $500ish at the cheapest online place.

If you are going non-BMW parts (ie OEM or aftermarket) I'd cut that in half...

But again I havent shopped.

A