by 
The Curious Bag
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<h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: The Boot Protects The Joint
The purpose of a ball joint boot is to protect the ball joint. The boot is made of rubber and sealed to the ball joint with a metal ring. A ball joint can get ruined very quickly if the boot gets torn or damaged, since dirt and debris can now get into the ball joint. The boot also prevents the grease that lubricates the ball joint from coming out.
On the Other: The Joint Might Not Fail
Just because a ball joint has a torn boot does not mean that the joint is necessarily damaged or must be replaced. Depending upon the type of conditions the car is driven in, a ball joint with a torn boot could last many thousands of miles before failing from dirt and debris getting into it and lack of lubrication.
Bottom Line
Even though a torn boot might not cause damage to a ball joint, if a ball joint boot is torn, cracked or damaged enough to let in dirt and debris it should be replaced to prevent other issues with the steering and suspension.
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