Always alot of discussion/opinion about CV boot repair vs complete axle replacement. Seems to boil down to what you can do yourself vs condition of CV joint vs mechanics time vs $$$. Certainly ALOT cheaper but messy and time consuming to just repack the CV joint and replace the outer boot. But that depends on the condition of the joint. Faster but more expensive to replace the axles although some folks have struggled getting the axles out of the tranny. I've seen "rebuilt" ones straight out of the box bind up and not rotate well and you really don't know what FCP Groton means when they say "exceeds Volvo specs". The boot material could just be thicker??? If you have the time and ability and the joints aren't noisey you can save maybe $300+ by doing the "boot thing". Some folks have struggled though freeing up stuck axle splines. Mine came out very easy and I was able to replace the outer boots with the axles still on the car but it's a little tough on your back. As with alot of repairs if you're trying to save money it's sometimes a roll of the dice so to speak. Good luck.....

Your mechanic may be correct, in that the joints are not badly scarred and can be cleaned and repacked. His amount of labor time to do this is probably justified, but ask him what he would charge to just replace the axles. Less labor time this way. That way he could clean and pack the old ones and give them to another customer??? Just not me :)

I would guess about 1&1/2 hours to replace both axles.

Klaus
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(V♂LV♂s 1975 164, 1995 854T, 1998 V70R)

Yup, repacking should work for awhile anyway.

Did that once on my old BMW. Lasted the life of the car. However, that was on a rear wheel drive car which probably stresses the CV joint less....

The repair of the existing axles would probably work all right for a while. I had a boot replaced on my son's Nissan, and it lasted for another year. Personnally, I would replace the axles, especially if I planned on keeping the car for a while yet. I recently replaced one axle with a new one from FCP. With new, you should be good to go for several more years without having to worry about when it is going to fail. I you DIY, it will even cost less. And of course, labor is what eats your lunch on that job.

Phantom