I just purchased a used 98 Rodeo and brought it to the service station for a sticker and the mechanic called me out into the garage to point out that each cv boot had a tear in it and said without looking at the axles that it would probably need them both replaced because the boots were torn. Can the axles be cleaned greased and covered again...how can one tell if they need to be replaced

If the joints are not clicking, grinding, chirping (especially when you turn). The bearing races, balls & cages in the joints are not severely chewed up, they will be fine to just thouroughly clean, regrease & reboot. Do this ASAP, as the longer you drive w/ torn boots, the more damage you will do to them. New half shafts w/ joints are hard to find & will cost you a small fortune! G/luck
Joel

I was just told today that my CV boot was leaking and that both CV axles were split in two. Had no clue this had happened. No unusual sounds the past few days I had been driving. And one of those days was a trip from Austin to Houston. And you're right about the small fortune part $8xx at Meineke for parts and labor. 2.9 hours per axle.

ouch...

>runs outside to check boots<

Once I got back to Austin, a friend of our family who is a trusted mechanic for us told me I got robbed at that price. He could have done it for half that.

Was the ~$800 bill for just a boot replacement or did they replace both half shafts as well? If half shafts were replaced, that's a good price. This is a labor intensive job + half shafts are $$$.

Joel