Vibration at around 55 mph and above.
Felt most strongly on driver's side.
Grease leaking from boot, and partially splayed on surrounding suspension components.
(The plan is to replace the driver's side axle, and possibly replace only the boot on passenger side [boot is split/torn but axle itself still looks salvageable, no vibrations felt from that side.])
Scion tC 05, 152,000 miles.
A bad CVJ doesn't usually exhibit itself as a vibration. A bad CVJ is usually found by hearing a clicking noise when turning sharply. It will usually be localized to one side or the other. Now, a blown boot on the CVJ could be indicative of a bad CVJ, or at a minimum it might be going bad. IF the boot hasn't been torn for too long, you can sometimes take it apart, clean it, repack with grease, then put a new boot on it. It takes a little bit of time, but far better than replacement if the joint isn't bad. However, if it's been that way for a while and you're just now noticing it, it dirt/grime has most likely contaminated the grease and has been causing wear on the joint, which means your only way to go is replacement.
As far as the imbalance could be one of several things, most likely from the tire/wheel. This would especially be so if the imbalance comes and goes. For instance, if the imbalance comes in at 45mph and goes away at 60mph. Since the CVJ is most likely bad and you plan on replacing it, I'd suggest you go ahead and do it first, but don't be surprised if the imbalance is still there.
