Audi Returns Home

["Jon" <jwilliam@cyberzone.net>]

Well, I got the car back from my mechanic, after just under $1200 
worth of repairs.  Included in this was some stuff that I had been 
meaning to have done but kept putting off.  When it became clear 
that the steering and front end stuff was going to cost a pretty 
penny and keep the car laid up for a while, I decided to bite the 
bullet and get everything done at once.

For those of you who enjoy commiserating, here's a breakdown:

Total for Labour was $776.00

R&R right front wheel bearing-replace strut bearing		$112
R&R L/S Front strut bearing							$92
R&R front control arm bushings						$88
R&R outer cv joint boots-remove stuck joint from
r/s axle shaft											$140
free up and lube rusted tie rod adjusters				$80
front end alignment										$60
R&R valve cover gasket								$48
R&R rear brake discs									$72
R&R rear wheel bearings								$40
 
Parts were $353

He removed and replaced a wheel bolt that Sears had managed to 
strip when rotating my tires.  He also worked free my rear calipers, 
which had been seized causing loud and incredibly embarrassing 
howling noises when lightly braking.  He said that I might notice 
some minor vibration when braking, as the front rotors were slightly 
warped.  Judging by the way the wheels were put on he 
recommended that keeping Sears away from the lug nuts with their 
AirGuns of Death™ would probably have prevented this.  Anyway, 
he said it was in no way detrimental to the effectiveness of the 
brakes.  

So I've got the front end done, the valve cover gasket done (finally) 
and the brakes are a-ok.  Projects for the spring/summer:  fix the 
cruise control, get new tires.