I have a rear noise that I heard for the first time this morning. I jacked up the passenger rear where the noise seems to be coming from and put the car in neutral and turned the wheel. The noise seems to be coming from the CV joint on the rear axles or the rear differential. I noticed the CV boots are ripped on both sides. I was planning on doing the rear brakes soon.

Does it make sense to pull the axles when I pull the rotors?

If it is making this much noise, can I still pull both axles and replace (4) CV boots and grease and sill use them?

Does autozone rent the tool to expand the boot?

How do I confirm if it is the CV joints or the differential?

What is the risk of driving it home on the highway with the noise / Could the CV joint lock up and cause a lot of damage?

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85 300D Turbo