With a flat tire today I reluctantly took the car to a national repair shop and was profoundly disappointed with service. However, the mechanic was good and noted when he was finally given the go ahead to put two tires on the car that the "axel is bad and needs to be replaced". He told me that "you could just replace the boot, but it would cost almost as much as the whole axle." He showed me the grease he got all over his hands when grabbing the tires to replace them, and said this is how he knows they are bad. I thanked him, and left.

I did some looking around and for an S70, I am assuming he meant the axle shaft with boot... i.e. -->
http://www.ipdusa.com/version.asp?strPageH...D=374&V_ID=5266

However, I don't want to drop $300-400 to replace all those components, if perhaps there are fewer components needing a fix. Is there a way to determine what has gone bad with this assembly? He noted that there is "no grease left on the left side, you should replace it right away."

Any thoughts? Bullet points for checking component parts?

Also, a rubber squeaking is coming from the struts area in the mornings when things are cooler... no noises really during the rest of the day. I had an 850 which did this, but it got real bad. That car was retired for various reasons, and I never learned the lesson. I am assuming this is a failed spring seat? i.e.
http://www.ipdusa.com/ipd-Heavy-Duty-Upper...ing-Seat/fi-37/

Any thoughts on that one?