For sure, always use new boots and clamps. Speaking of clamps, can you guys please elaborate on the 2 dollar clamps from the auto parts store that you are referring to? We have a ton of extra front boots because BRP only sells the smaller front clamps with the 40.00 boot kit, and our learning curve on installing cv hardware was a long and wide one.
We only use Swepco 101 to grease the cv joints. Since we replace them every 1000 miles or less, and have never broken one, we have no protocol for visually inspecting the inner parts of the joints. BUT, I do have a "feel" method I use in between replacing the joints that works well for my piece of mind, if nothing else.. It is quite simply, the lash in the joint. I rock the car back and forth while it is in park. I can tell by how much the car rolls, the wear on the joints. I know. Coming from a scientific mind like mine, that's a pretty lame, cheesy way to inspect a component as dynamic as a cv joint.
Here's a cool trick that I learned back in Nam:
To stop the weeping or violation of the seal between the rubber boot and steel axle, simply cut off a small piece of a spray tube from a can of WD-40 or contact cleaner. Slide it in between the axle and rubber boot prior to tightening the band clamp. This will allow a path for the heated air to escape from inside of the rubber cv boot, so the pressure does not build up inside the cv joint, possibly causing a boot to rupture, or grease to leak out.
Okay, Truth be told, Adam from Airdam shared this with me on his V2R visit with us. It is good advice if you are running your cv's up to the maximum 31 degrees of deflection they could handle. Our cv's never get above 140 degrees. I assume it is because I limit the cv joint operating angles on the Monster Mav to 29 degrees. The fact that I widened our car to the max (+6" or so on each corner), and lined up the diff's with the outer cv's, is most likely why we have not experienced any woes in that area.