Thanks for the responses. Yeah, the drive back from Chicago was awesome. My girlfriend came along to help with the driving, but I ended up driving the whole way, it was just too fun to stop.

It's probably a good idea to replace the entire half-shafts and joints. I don't know how long ago the boots tore or how much the joints have been contaminated and damaged already, so it's pretty likely at least one will need replacement eventually anyway.

Is it significantly harder to replace the whole axle than it is to replace the boot (from a DIY perspective)? It seems like when you've removed enough to replace the boot, you've done most of what you need to do to pull the entire half shaft/joint assembly and replace it.

Also, anyone have any experience with the different brands/prices for the half shafts? The $40 to $50 ones seem almost too good to be true, considering what a substantial part they are.