Yep the groove is less than 1/4" from the end of the splines...closer to 1/8" really. If that area is ground, time for a new axle.

On that note, I highly recommend a salvage CV. They are generally stronger than aftermarket CVs, and best of all you can just replace them from the inner joint outward instead of dropping the entire front axle assembly (a big job) to replace the whole CV axle from the diff outward.

Steve Carlson - 95 Trooper LS expo rig
Serenity now!