Just read the post about expensive front end repairs and wanted to make a suggestion. Lubricating a joint with a split boot is easy. Purchase a small fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand grease gun made to lubricate the roller nose bearing on a chain saw. Northern Hydraulic has them. Use it to inject grease between the top and bottom of the split boot. If you start when the boot starts splitting, besides lubrication, the new grease keeps the water and grit out and the joint will last longer then you will. I even poked a whole in an eighteen year old boot to give it some fresh grease the old stuff had to be dehydrated and worthless. If you pump in a little grease as part of your oil change routine, all knuckle joints should last longer than you want to own the car. Any comments?

Steve 3-240's in Charlotte, NC

I had a local mechanic use a pickle fork on one of my ball joints, tearing the boot in the process. I caught it in time (although months after the goon had done his work) and applied silicone caulk to the tear, smearing it into the cut and around it to provide a sort of bandage. Works great and is still intact.