1999 Pontiac Grand Prix axle?

Hi:
First, your not a "clueless girl". My guess is someone is telling you things to confuse you.

First, on the front of you vehicle there are two axles, one on each side. The Axles run from the transmission to the wheel. There is a bearing in side the transmission that one side rides on and one close to the wheel in the hub assembly. Now the simple part. All front wheel drive vehicles hace CV joints. Each axle has an inner and an outer CV joint. The purpose if the joint is this. When you turn the vehicle and go over bumps, the axle needs to have a a point where it flexes or it would break. That is where the CV joint comes into play. It is able to accomidate the turns and bumps and still apply power to the wheel.

To make a long story short, you have CV joints. There are a total of 4. As far as the axle breaking, that is really odd unless you hit something that could have caused it. Also, it is unlikely that a bad wheel bearing broke the axle. If you can, take a picture of the problem and upload it for me to see. That way, I can tell you a little more.

I hope this helps. If you have other questions, let me know.

Joe