Driving to the shooting range today on a bumpy road I noticed a noise that sounded like I had something caught in the wheel, but then saw my inner CV boot clamp was missing on the small end and grease leaking out (passenger side). I don't see any tears and the axle feels solid - Does the whole CV need to be replaced or is this possible to fix without spending a ton of money? As the title says I have never had any CV issues so this is new ground for me.

* Only very light 4wd today to get up a snowy hill - noticed sound 10 min later

* I have no idea when/if the last time the CV's were replaced

* I have about 500-1000 miles of actual 4W driving since I have owned it

Im back at the cabin now, but is it ok to drive as-is in 2wd to my garage 75 miles away? (Highway driving) or should I definitely take it to my mechanic up here on the mountain? Thanks for any help.

You're totally fine man. You can go thousands of miles (literally) without issue. The cheapest fix is to reboot the CV, which imo is also the best since part store axles are lower quality in my experience. Rebooting takes a little bit more work, but it's nothing hard to do. A parts store CV is like $70. The more you drive, the more likely contaminants will get in and the parts won't be properly lubricated, but you shouldn't have any issues for a long time even if you don't fix it, so don't panic. If the clamp just came off you can probably just get a hose clamp and reclamp it and be totally fine too (assuming the boot isn't actually torn).

First time I tore a boot I was wheeling in Moab and totally freaked out and thought my axle was destroyed and I had to go home. I found out you can drive lots of miles and wheeling without any issue with a torn boot, so don't panic

agree with sniv, I have about 3000 miles on my DS ripped boot.

As stated earlier, it will be fine to drive on. That being said, I would recommend replacing it the first reasonable opportunity you get ($, time, etc) to try and preserve the integrity of the joint. Rebooting is easy, just takes some time to clean up the axles. When you get around to addressing the cv's, I would either:

1. Remove axle's, reboot and re-install axle's if you have an afternoon to spend doing this repair.
2. If you don't have time to spend rebooting, then buy new oem axles to install & keep your current oem axles to reboot when you have time. That way you have back ups and you can keep swapping them out as needed down the road.

Right on, thank you guys very much for the info - I was really worried about getting 15 miles back to the cabin so I'm very pleased I can get it to the garage at least - I seriously don't need anymore headaches than I'm already dealing with personally.

So after closer inspection, the clamp is still on there and the boot tore cleanly right at the clamp so it looked like it was just loose so it needs replacing. If it's a lot easier to replace the whole thing I'll probably do that and fix the other for backup as suggested. I've never done a CV before so I guess I'm in for some learning this weekend.

Again, much appreciated..

I've been driving on torn boots for 5 years now. I would say 50k miles.

Mine have been torn for two years now. Time to address it though as the drivers side has a squeal like a rotor that's rubbing on the squeal strips when brake pads need to be replaced (no, it's not the brakes either).

So what is the primary function of the CV boot? It obviously holds grease, but isn't it crucial to have a working boot to use 4WD?

Last question: It sounds like it's easier to just replace the whole CV rather than just the boot - can I get a real OE CV axle at a place like rockauto or don't mess around and get it from the dealer?

The function of the CV boot is to hold grease in, and keep crap out. Is it CRUCIAL to have a working boot? I don't know about that- but it's a good idea to have one. A whole lot of people are running around with torn boots and doing just fine. It's something that SHOULD be addressed, but your 4Runner isn't going to just fall apart from it.

Replacing the CV is indeed easier than rebooting it because you have to remove the axle either way. When I lifted my 4Runner the first time both of my boots tore immediately. I replaced them with Duralast (lifetime warranty) CVs from Autozone and ordered some new boots for the OEM CVs thinking I'd just use the Duralasts til they failed, then put the OEMs back on.

That was about three years ago. I now have two OEM CVs as spares, and my Duralasts are still going strong.

This is the write up i used to reboot.
Reboot cv

Part number for toyota boot kit: 0443835060
...tan grease goes in inner boot. I got it backwards when i rebooted mine bc for some reason the tan grease was in my outer boot on my oem axles that i replaced. So far everythings fine after 12k but i wouldnt suggest doing it backwards on purpose.

Part number for toyota cv axles right & left: 434303503084

Aftermarket cv's and boot kits should be fine. I just tend to go oem.

Unless you've swapped in manual lockout hubs those CVs are turning whether it's in 4WD or 2WD, so 4WD operation is not any different than non-4WD operation.

Oh good! So nice to see that I'm not the only lazy-ass who has run nearly 50k with a torn boot.

I just squirt some grease in from time to time when I'm doing other things down there. Damn near 50k and no clicky-clicky yet!

Haha love it. I also squeeze grease in the boot. Good stuff!!

Right, so basically it's turning on passive power from RWD, yea?

Then if you engage 4WD, the only difference is they are turning on their own power now from the front diff.

I found this OE rebuilt CV for $150 but can't seem to confirm this is the part for a 2000 Runner. Possible the reman part has a different PN that 434303503084 number? I need to order something ASAP- I can't stand the clickity-click noise.

Genuine Toyota 4Runner Tacoma 4WD New Right CV Drive Axles Shaft | eBay