I have done a bunch of looking around on here and I cant seem to find the exact answer I need. I have a 2004 X and I am on my 3rd set of boots on my front cv axles and after sitting for a while, the front has a terrible popping and grinding sound from the bearing I'm assuming. I know the reason they are being torn is because I am lowered quite a bit. The question I have is, if I remove the axles completely for the time being and pull fuses to disable the awd, will I encounter any issues? I am not too educated on awd systems and if removing the axle will affect my overall stability, etc in the front end. Im currently looking into a new suspension setup to try and help with the boot tearing problem but any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

The front axles go INTO the front differential, you can't just leave them out because that exposes the inside of the diff.

I suggest buying a reputable brand of axles, try www.raxles.com they use high quality parts for everything including the dust boot and they last MUCH longer than el'cheapo's.

Or get lifetime warranty ones from Autozone/O'reillys so you can just take them back when the boot rips.