I wasn't ready to replace the axle, I've only bought a replacement nut and some grease. When I actually saw the splines under some good light (after thorough cleaning) it all made sense. Now, I think this fix is probably good enough to keep the noise away. I think most of us will replace the axles and bearings before either get eaten up that much.
For now, I'm just happy with the noise gone. Next time I plan on getting axles out I might take care of it all.
EDIT:
It's also a very expensive repair if you want to do it right. Bearing is about $40 and you'll need a press or something like this http://www.harborfreight.com/fwd-front-wheel-bearing-adapters-66829.html, then the new OEM hub is about $122 online + whatever the cost of the driver side axle is. All this for just one side....
Those axles aren't cheap. I've been searching for a used one, but have had no luck. A new one is $300+ with discounts
