How do you know if your car's CV joint is bad?

Answer 1

Generall when your car's CV joints are gone you will hear a clunking noise coming from the front CV's usually when turning corners but may happen regularly when they are really bad. Generally what causes them to go is the boot is split which allows dirt in and destroys the joint. Stick your head under the car and if the boots around the joints are split....its time for new (or reconditioned) CV's
You will hear a clicking noise on turns

It is usually most noticeable when pulling out left or right from a stop sign. You will hear a clicking/clunking noise, increasing with the speed of the wheels and fading as the steering wheel returns to a centered position. This is made by the outer CV joints, as the most stresses are placed on them they tend to wear out faster.

If the flexible rubber boot around the CV joint is torn, and/or there is evidence of grease leakage present, they will rapidly wear without immediate maintenance.
I think you mean axle shaft joint. The usual symptom of a bad axle shaft joint is a crunching noise when turning corners.
apart from a visual check, leaking or split boots etc, the best way to get a CV joint to misbehave on demand is to drive on full locks from side to side. this puts the joint under maximum stress and will produce a knocking noise if faulty robb
1. Physically examine the rubber "boots" that cover the cv joints. If they are cracked or leaking grease and you haven't dealt with the problem IMMEDIATELY, the cv joints are probably bad.

2. When turning the wheel sharp, if the front end makes a clicking or banging noise when the vehicle moves you almost certainly have bad cv joints.
when you make right and left turns and a clicking noise is present or if when the car is jacked up the rubber boots on the cv joints are expose.
Clicking noises from the front wheel(s) while turning.

Also, inspect the CV joint rubber boots - if they're torn, you're almost guaranteed to have to ultimately replace the half-axel.

When my Taurus CV joint completely broke in half (because I didn't know about the symptomatic clicking noise!), it was in the parking lot of the repair shop! Good timing.
A (CV) Constant Velocity boot covers a precision power transfer joint. The broken "boot" allows contamination of the joint. Broken boot = early mechanical failure.