The CV boots are protective rubber boots that cover the flexible ends of the drive axles. The boot has a large end and a small end and looks sort of like an "accordian funnel". Each boot is attached to the axle with a metal band clamp on either end of the boot that presses the CV boot against the axle to keep it in place. Inside the boot the is a special grease that lubricates the CV joint. The CV boot prevents the grease from drying out and more importantly it keeps dirt and grit from getting in and mixing with the grease to form an abrasive paste that can quickly damage the CV joint. The CV boots flex as the CV joints flex, which fatigues the rubber. The outer CV joints flex more than the inner, since they flex as the car is steered, so the outer boots are more likely to tear. When the CV boot tears and the the tear is noticed quickly, the CV joint can be cleaned and repacked and the boot replaced. If the torn CV boot is not noticed in time and the joint is damaged, either the joint is replaced with a new one or the entire axle is replaced with a rebuilt unit. When CV boots are new, they are soft and supple and have no cracks. As they age the become harder and begin to crack. We classify CV boot condition in one of 4 ways: good, lightly cracked, heavily cracked, and torn. The outer CV boots can be seen by turing the steering wheel to the end of it's travel and looking at the center of the back side of the front wheels. We replace CV boots by removing the entire axle from the car and removing one or both of the CV joints from the axle. Once the joint is off, we remove the remenents of the old boot, clean the old grease out, install fresh grease and a new boot, reinstall the joint and clamp the new boot in place.