How bad is it to drive with my tie rod bushing like this?

[fi3ndx]

So I was checking my brakes and noticed that the front passenger tie rod bushing is... well looks like this.

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Wondering how bad it is to drive on it like this. Im taking to to a shop this Saturday for an engine mount replacement and I'm going to have them take a look at it then but is it safe to drive till then? Also I checked the rest of my bushings and some of them seem a little worn out. Any idea how much a shop might charge to replace them if I got one of those bushing kits?

 

[iceman510]

Is it loose? It should rotate but not move side to side or up and down. It does appear to be leaking the grease, and water entry will eventually corrode the ball joint and wear it out quickly. Thus it does need replacement, but check the movement to see how worn it is.

And that is referred to as a tie rod end, not really a bushing.

 

[misfit77]

My Jeep had something worse than that for years before I replaced it and it went through mud and water.

A busted boot will just result in a quicker failure. If you can't fix it, keep an eye on it.

 

[Tigerinstincts]

If you hear any squeaks/groans from that area when you turn the wheel, you can guarantee it will fail in the very near future but other than that just keep an eye on it. You could always buy a masterpro lower control arm from oreillys or from whatever auto parts store in your area as a replacement since masterpro comes with a lifetime warranty. Masterpro aren't always the best though since I've had to replace both my lower control arms once or twice a year, depending on my driving, but I get the replacement control arm for free because of that lifetime warranty!

 

[mitsubishikid]

Moog tie rod ends are better designed then the master-pro ones, both have lifetime warranty, so I'd spend a bit more for the piece of mind.

 

[PlanZero]

I bought mevotech inner and outer tie rod ends from rock auto for super cheap ($6 inner, $4 outer) and I was extremely impressed with the quality. Much better than the trw and deeza I had on before. BTW, this is an extremely easy repair. Also, you can buy a motor mount for $20 and install it in a few minutes. No offense, but it would be in your best interest to start learning to do these little repairs yourself or you will wind up paying your mechanic more than the car is worth!

 

[Tigerinstincts]

Whoops I was talking about the lower control arm with the ball joints and this is for your tie rod end...my bad. Yeah stick with moog tie rod ends especially if they have a lifetime warranty