Shops see a little grease coming from a Front Drive Shaft (FDS), CV boot. They'll say it needs replacing. When often time it's merely a weep, and only few table snoops have come out. Often times, this is just from loose CV boot clamp. Which can just be re-clamping. Mostly, it's the inner CV small (outer) clamp.
FDS at 190K likely could use refresh. Unless wheel bearing service has been properly keep up, every 30K miles.
There are few inspection/test you can do. There is others, but these are first step and easy:
- Inspect for how much lost. Grease is slung around area. Stuff stick and hard to remove. So unless steam cleaned all likely still there.
- Look to see if from a hole or from between boot and metal surface boot clamps too.
- Drive making turns & 360 circles. Listen for clicking sound.
- While idling, foot on brake. Shift from R-N-D than D-N-R repeatedly. Do you hear clunk, clank, clunk. Likely hub flange and FDS outer axle splines worn. How worn we can get clue by watching rotation play. New FDS & hub flange have zero rotation play.
Awesome, thanks so much for the inspection/testing tips and vid. Super helpful! Gonna try this out when I get my car back.