97A6Q CV Joint

[John Larson]

"Hello all,

My 97A6Q has a bad front cv boot. I just came from pepboys and they said the
cv axel was about $110 and labor was about $150. Does this seem reasonable?
My normal audi mechanic just wants to replace the boot for about $200. My
thought is the other side of the axel will go so why not replace the entire
thing. Should I be concearned about taking it to pepboys? They have to
special order the axel.

Thanks

Frank"

You get what you pay for, Frank.  It takes a good half hour, and probably
twice that for a dump like Pep Boys, to do the job.  Their labor quote is an
outrage.  Book time is under an hour if you R&R the whole axle, and any
knowledgeable mechanic with the manual knows you don't pull the axle for an
outer joint.  As a 30+ year German car wrench and shop owner, I would NEVER
install a "rebuilt" axle in a German car unless there were NO CV joints to
be had ANYWHERE.  You buy the boot kit, 40 bucks list, and you reboot it at
a good German car shop for about 3/4 hr labor.  Out the door with good OE
stuff that'll live for years if care is used while doing the job, and it
shouldn't cost much over a hundred bucks, retail.  The other joint is
unlikely to fail for years to come.  My wife's 95 A6 Avant has close to 200K
on it with only a couple of front outer boots, and my 1990 90 20v has close
to 300K on it with only 2 right front outer boots. How long has the boot
been broken?  Is the joint making noise?  What were you doing at Pep Boys in
the first place?  I wouldn't trust a shop where the manager is probably on a
first name basis with the state attorney general, and not because their
golfing buddies ...........................  HTH, John