Im pretty sure my hub is bad... when i put the car on a lift i was able to wiggle the tire. It almost seemed like the tie rod was bad. Tie rod was not moving and had been replaced 2 months ago. When i make a right turn there is a vibration that seems to come from the left wheel. When i make a left turn there is no vibration. Car has new struts , tires alignement. The parts guy i use has always been honest with me..I asked.."If i have gone as far to remove the hub should i replace the axle too"? He told me...as much as he would like to sell me the part, unless the boot is cracked and there is no clicking from the axle i shouldnt replace it...He also told me GM corrected the problem that the early 90 cars had with the axles and that later model GM cars have much better axles.... I do believe him...my question is...how many miles can you get out of an axle on average?

How many miles do you have on your Regal GS? Checkout this link, it may help answer your question:

http://www.counterman.com/cm/cm110420.htm

The link Bob provided is great information. I have seen CV joints and shafts last well over 250K miles just depends on the circumstances. I had a Chrysler van with 162K when traded and the front shafts were solid as a rock. If you have a bad bearing or hub replace it. Don't waste the extra money on a new shaft if you don't need to.

By the way, hold on to that mechanic! Sounds like you found an honest one.