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Recently started looking for a leak on my 2002 Eclipse... Found a boot around the arm that steers (I think) my car that has been compromised on the passenger front. How serious is this?

I think the leak I was looking for was oil, but I am unsure if it would be smart to go on my ~3000 mile road trip tomorrow with rubber boot leak on one side.

I hit a massive pothole about a month or 2 ago on that wheel.

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If the boot has been compromised, the grease that protects the joint and lubricates it will leak out, and foreign matter (grit, brake dust, etc) will get in - this will cause significant extra wear on the joint, and cause it to require replacement much sooner.

However, if you're going on a road trip tomorrow, there probably isn't time to replace it. I'd try to clean it up as best as possible, and re-grease the joint. If it's just a tear, you might be able to get a repair kit to stick it back together, or even wrap it in duct tape to help protect it (at least from debris)

A steering knuckle won't get as much wear as a CV joint would, so it ought to be OK for that distance - but you'll almost certainly have to replace the whole joint when you get back.

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