After 160,000klm, I have finally experienced my first torn outer CV boots. There was no clicking noises on hard lock, so I figured I could get away with just replacing the outer boots.

After reading all these posts, I thought it might be a bit too time consuming and difficult to do this myself.
If something didn't work right, I may have had to try the inside out method and buy new parts (inside boots/grease); or have to buy a new hub puller and 12 point/36mm socket etc., and hope for the best.

So I decided to take a leap of faith in my independent mechanic and get him to do it, instead.
To be on the safe side, I copied Post No. 36 from "dville" of this thread on page 4, and gave it to the mechanic!

How lucky was that........he followed the instructions (he didn't have to remove the brakes or sensors, the 12 point 36mm bolt, the outside of the hub, the strut bolts, any ball joints or the inner CV joint). The whole procedure went perfectly, took about 1 hour for both sides of the car and cost only $80.00 plus parts!
He said that without those instructions, he would have done it the conventional and slower way.......probably would have added another 2 hours labour to the procedure, and maybe extra parts.

Here are those instructions for your information, below:

"Nothing to remove really....
1) unbolt the control arm (the straight arm) at the end closer to the engine.
2) swing out the whole assembly by hand and afix with something firmly
3) remove outer boot clamps and cut off the outer boot.
4) grab the drive axle firmly with vice grips and pry the shaft out of the CV joint against the force of the retaining C-clip. [Use a large pry bar and/or piece of timber to lever it out. If hard to shift, use some sharp blows to the shaft or CV joint, whilst prying]
5) wipe off grease, install new clamp, boot, clamp and C-clip.
6) while applying pressure to push axle back into CV joint, use a good sized screwdriver and poke at the C-clip until it snaps in.
7) Apply the grease from the packet and then tighten clamps.
8) put on the control arm (tie rod) and only tighten it once vehicle weight is on the front wheels."

Just give these instructions to your independent mechanic, and you should save $heaps, too!