snip---
""but do CVs fail catastrophically?�""
---unsnip

Yes, they do.  I had one blow out on me back in AZ.  The retaining 
ring that holds in the bearings broke into 3 pieces, everything came 
apart, and the only thing actually driving the van was the rubber boot.
Of course, as the boot got twisted up tight it threw grease all over 
the bottom of my van.  Luckily, I was only 3/4 miles from home, in 
a residential area, so the boot got me back to the driveway.

In a strange twist, I actually had a new half-shaft in the van, still in 
the box, under the back seat.  Imagine that.

Bill Marshall
85 GL Tiico "Pandora's Box"
Aurora, IL