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I installed new ball joints tonight. One side went in great. But one of the ball joints, when I was putting it in with the press, the rubber grease boot got pinched and ripped a tiny bit. And some grease came out.

Is there anything I can do or do I have to pop it out and put a new one in?

I'm really bummed about this.

Just for kicks, here is what the new one looks like compared to the old one:

enter image description here

UPDATE: I ended up taking out the ball joint and installing a new one. Put me back an extra $50, but in the end I'd rather do that then do this over again in 6 months. Also for the record, this is a 2000 Ford Taurus. Thanks for all the help!

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  • Best advice I could give you is to put your Google-Fu into practice and see if you can find one or one like it. They are out there, but one to exactly fit yours? ... You didn't give us your vehicle information to help you figure it out.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Mar 4, 2015 at 22:15
  • Also, as you probably know, a boot tear is the predicessor of ball joint destruction, as it lets out the grease and lets in the dirt/grit.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Mar 4, 2015 at 22:16
  • This may help as well.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Mar 4, 2015 at 22:19

3 Answers 3

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Sadly, once the boot is torn, you can't really patch or repair them, as whatever repair you make will be weak and tear again quite rapidly.

Your only option is going to be to get a new boot.

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  • So can I get a new boot, or do I have to get a new ball joint? I'm looking at the way the boot is fit on the ball joint and it looks REALLY snug!
    – Trevor
    Mar 4, 2015 at 17:24
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Depending on the make and model maybe. Check on line at Dorman auto parts. They sell a large selection of oddball replacement parts. The other option is to use the old one from the original balljoint.

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    Did you see the original one in the picture? I don't think that's going to happen ;-)
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Mar 4, 2015 at 11:51
  • I didn't see a photo in the original post
    – mikes
    Mar 5, 2015 at 8:21
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Yeah, $50 bites but you made the right decision. Just did my 2003 Sable in the cold and dark of PA. It would be a lot of work to have to do it over. Talk about a Ball Joint Buster!

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