You ciuld, but why not just get a new axle, then pull your current one, reboot it, and save for a spare...
It'd be the same amount of work realistically, probably less cuz u can do the second axle on the bench and can get it very clean and replace the grease.

Could even do it with a jack in the drive and probably not spill any trans fluid.

And also, the same amount of money. Honestly a whole brand new axle might be like $5 more than a boot kit.

Nooo driver side very easy. Unbolt the 2 upper control arm bolts from inside the engine bay and pull down on the whole hub assembly. Pull the axle out of the hub first then out of the carrier bearing. You may have to force the hub assembly a bit but it works.

OK, well is it possible to just pop the axle out without even removing it from the hub side? I figured if the lower control arms were separated, the whole knuckle assembly and axle would have enough room to pop out. Also, I already got a new boot kit from rockauto for $12.

PlanZero said:

OK, well is it possible to just pop the axle out without even removing it from the hub side? I figured if the lower control arms were separated, the whole knuckle assembly and axle would have enough room to pop out. Also, I already got a new boot kit from rockauto for $12.

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Problem is the carrier bearing side needs quite a bit of movement to come out so the axle will most likely need to come out of the hub first.

OK, thanks oneslowdsm. I'm gonna try your method of just loosening the upper arm. Obviously you've done this. It doesn't put too much strain on the lower control arm ball joints? Also, for future reference, how much of a PITA is it to change the drivers side drive axle/ cv joints on an awd? According to the haynes/ Chilton manuals I have to remove the intermediate shaft as well, then separate them. Is this true? I've only done this on a fwd before.

Update for anyone who cares: this was extremely easy to fix. Here's how I did it:
1. Purchased dorman uni-fit neoprene boot kit ($12 from rock auto)
2. Removed splash shield for better access
3. Knocked upper control arm loose with mini sledge
4. Pulled apart remainder of boot, and pulled the whole spider out of the tulip.
5. Snipped off old clamps, removed base of old boot and trimmed the thick end off (as per instructions)
6. Turned new boot inside out, and stretched over tripod, one side at a time
7. Flipped boot inside out, packed joint with grease and reinstalled
8. I used regular hose clamps since I didn't have a banding tool.
9. Reattach splash shield and upper arm, using a block of wood above the arm and jacking from lower lateral arm so the ball joint didn't spin.

Update: the dorman boot is a piece of crap. I ordered an OEM style boot ($4 from rock), then did the same basic procedure except this time when I popped the joint out of the tulip I removed the circlip on the end and slid the spider off. Slid new boot on, then reattached the spider, then reassembled. I don't know why I didn't do this in the first place. Fits much better.

Note: this repair should only be done on recent CV boot tears. Make sure you clean the joint well before regreasing. If your boot has been ripped for awhile or if the joint is making noise replace the whole axle.

Which part number on rock auto? Sometimes getting the right part there is so confusing.

TSiAWD666 said:

Which part number on rock auto? Sometimes getting the right part there is so confusing.

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They have a beck/arnley 1032517 for $8 should be OK. I'm almost positive all inner boots are the same (fwd/awd) and it's also listed under non turbo eclipse. That's where I found the one I used (on an awd). However, I ordered two different ones that wound up being the wrong part, but rock auto gave me a refund without returning them. I'm 90% sure the b/a is the right one, appears to be, just make sure it looks right before ripping everything apart.

Also, I did this repair again recently on my fwd, and I popped the tie rod off (I have a handy ball joint separator- $20 well worth it) to free up some space. Just watch the strain on your brake line.