By Pablora Parts LLC parts specialists · Updated September 8, 2026 · Part of CV axles
A rhythmic clicking when you turn, louder the tighter the turn, is a worn outer constant-velocity joint. Grease flung around the inside of the wheel is the torn boot that let the joint dry out. What the repair costs depends on whether the boot is caught in time, which side and drivetrain the vehicle has, and whether the shop replaces the joint or the whole axle.
Boot repair or whole axle
If the boot has just split and the joint is not clicking, cleaning and re-booting the joint with fresh grease saves the axle. Once the joint clicks, grit has worn the balls and races and the joint is finished. On most vehicles a complete replacement axle costs little more than the labor of a boot job, which is why shops replace the shaft rather than rebuild the joint.
What decides the cost
- The part. A new aftermarket axle for a common front-drive car is inexpensive; a remanufactured OEM axle, or an axle for an AWD or 4WD vehicle, costs more.
- The side. The long-side axle on some vehicles includes an intermediate shaft and support bearing, which adds to the part price.
- The drivetrain. Front-drive cars have two axles; AWD and 4WD vehicles have four, and 4WD trucks have front axles behind hubs that must come apart.
- Rust and access. Salt-belt vehicles with a seized hub nut or a stuck axle stub take longer.
Aftermarket or remanufactured OEM
New aftermarket axles are the usual choice and come with new joints and boots. On some Honda, Toyota and GM applications, cheap aftermarket shafts cause a vibration at speed because the joint geometry is slightly off; on those we recommend a remanufactured OEM shaft, which keeps the original joints and adds new boots. We say which applies to your vehicle.
Symptoms that are not the CV joint
A clunk when shifting into gear is a mount or a U-joint. A vibration that grows with speed on a rear-drive truck is the driveshaft. A hum that changes when you swerve is a wheel bearing. The CV joint is the click on turns; if that is not the symptom, look elsewhere first.
Tell us the side, the drivetrain and whether the joint is clicking. We quote the axle, new or remanufactured OEM, matched to the transmission from your VIN.
Questions we get about this
Weeks, not months. A joint that is clicking can separate under load, which leaves the vehicle unable to move and can damage the transmission seal.
Only the one that is clicking or has a torn boot. If both boots are torn, doing both saves labor.
Yes, for vehicles where re-booting makes sense, and we will tell you when it does not.