The CV isn't hard, you just have to know how to do it. There is a snap ring on the end of the shaft that is similar to the one on the end of my impact wrench. It compresses. To get it off, you whack it with a hammer and it will come off the splines on the end of the shaft. Might be easier to get a new shaft. There is a tool that you use to compress the band to hold the boot on. Some of the boots I have priced are as much as a shaft. Go figure