Richard - The joint is the flexible parts of the shaft. The boot is the rubber accordion shaped thing that seals the joint from dirt and grime. It also retains the lubricant for the joint. The boot is easy to replace, but you do need to be careful that you don't tear or cut it in the process. Mike -----Original Message----- From: RJRavalli@xxxx [mailto:RJRavalli@xxxx] Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 10:41 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Need C-V joint replacement? I was told earlier that my chirping sound from my passenger rear wheel is a C-V joint / boot. I know this is a dumb question but please bear with me- Are the joint and the boot the same thing?