Ok.. here is the story. I took my car to the dealer to check out the "shaking during acceleration" which is covered by TSB 02-063. They said that both my CV joints (inner and outer) or messed. I suspect that it is just the inner joint, but they insist that its both. One dealership quoted me 810 dollars to replace and another dealership quoted me 1100.. Seems like a lot to me..
Has anyone ever replaced them? And if so, what am i looking at cost wise. I think the parts cost about 200 anywas, so is 800 all that bad?

 

I had one swapped out by the dealer and it was about 800 or so. I ended up doing the other side myself for alot cheaper. Purchased from a member here.

 

We sell the joints and boot kits here http://www.gofastlab.com/s2ki/home.php?cat=30 so that should give you an idea for parts costs. The labor involved is not insignificant so couple that with the retail price of parts and the dealership comes up with its price.

 

So how does one prevent the CV joints from crapping out? Should we lube them with oil during each oil change?

 

Find the thread for swaping the drive buckets. you won't have to buy any parts, and it will likely fix the problem....

 

The CV's are sealed with rubber boots to keep dirt and water away from the joint. Even though they are sealed, I don't recommend spraying high pressure water directly onto the CV boot itself. As long as the boots are not torn, dirt and water should not get in. The CV boots are packed full of grease when they are assembled. If dirt and water cannot get in, the grease can't get out. The CV's are not a serviceable part without extensive labor involved.

As long as you don't hit something your not supposed to hit, you don't have to do anything to the CV's. You may have to replace the spindle nut and re-torque (to a higher value) after applying a small amount of grease where the nut contacts the hub if you hear any clicking noise.

Otherwise, don't worry about the CV's

 

I replaced an outer CV joint on a friend's S2000, and it only took about an hour. I expect that the inner CV joint would have only taken an extra 30 minutes.

 

/\ Did it take an hour from start to finish, as in drivability?

 

One of the most important factors!

 

Thanks for the detailed response Racer.