Be sure that your CV boot kit includes a new circlip, axle bolt, etc., as some kits sold at auto stores do not. The circlip is what holds the outer CV joint to the axle, and they can not be reused. You can google "audi parts" to find parts online.
Also, you need to torque all of the bolts per the BentleyPublishers.com Audi shop manual CD.
You can get the 17mm allen socket from Harbor Freight.
You can get special Audi tools by googling "audi tools", www.samstagsales.com or www.zdmak.com .
The Audi tool 3207 is used to pop the outer CV joint off of the axle, per the Bentley instructions, however there are several other ways this could be done.
The bolts at the inner CV joint may be 10mm tripple square.

 

I thank you for the great and plentiful info, gentlemen.

Only one boot is broke, on the passenger side. So far, I greased it really good to get me through the winter, although I don't drive the car that much right now.
Since I don't have a garage, is hard to take matters in my own hands immediately. I have a good friend mechanic (an older gentleman - I'm in my 40s), who has a garage place and will help me change whatever I need to change. The problem is that he very seldom has free time, as he's a mayor of a small town and does also work for the local DOT district.

Planned to have done as soon as possible:
- Timing belt + drive belt + thermostat + expansion tank (it leaks badly at driving speed)
- New tires + full size spare (already bought a wheel)
- Transmission fluid change
- CV Halfshafts

 

I'm actually about to undertake this whole project. I found both cv shafts new from parts america (shipped to my door) for $170.00. Somehow I did manage to blow the joint itself so they aren't completely bullet proof, but on that same note I did know that they were in disrepair and let them ride for way longer than I should have. So, durable they are (if you correct the problem relatively early) and the fact that my a4 is a 1.8t might have something to do with the mild lack of "bulletproof-ness" of my CV shafts as they may be smaller than the shafts in larger displacement Audi.

Before I dive in; is there anything unusual about this project that anyone can tell me about? I assume that with the exception of the really strange 16 point hex bolts holding the shafts into the transmission housing that everything is pretty normal by comparison.

 

What about the complete cv axle with inner and outer joints being sold on ebay for about $100 each? anybody had any experience with these? I just lost the ***** (no pun intended) on my outer passenger side joint and the car is stranded, I think this is a job I can do but I've never done it, I'd rather just replace the whole axle if that's easier that doing the joint rebuild?

Thanks!
P.S- anybody know how to fix the warning light for the auto dipping headlights?

 

I bought from a local indy shop a whole assembly for $120.. and no core charge. It took 2 of us 2 hours and 2 beers to get the job done. That does not include the trips to Pep Boys when I needed a special bit (Torx, then 12 points).

 

All the threads here helped me do the job quick and easy- I have an allroad with A/T so the most annoying parts of the job I found were having to constantly get up and switch it to neutral so I could turn the axle and then to Park so I could loosen the 12pt triple square hex nuts that mount the axle to the the tranny. Also found it quite a nightmare to remove the control arms and remove the axle. Tip- if you take the heat shield off that is on the tranny just above where the axle mounts you will have a lot more wiggle room for installing the new axle- everything is pretty tight in there with those big air shocks in the way.

Anyways- thanks to all you who posted great advice!

 

Can a moderator/admin delete this azzwipe's SPAM, pls?
Tks

 

I am aware I am resurrecting a very old thread, but I was just brushing up on how to do this and I recall an important tip.

To get the outer part off, instead of a puller or the fancy tool, what I was able to use was the original axle bolt.
I used a grinder to make the end of the bolt into a cone shape, and it got the job done.

Something worth trying, as it's a freebie. I kept the ground bolt for future use :P

 

Since there seems to be a vast knowledge base here what would be the recommendation; replace the entire axle or just the boot on both sides.

This is for a 03 A6 with 129+K miles, not sure how long the boot (outer) has been torn but I do not hear or feel any strange sound or vibrations while driving.

I have read on previous threads that the CV joints are almost indestructible, called a local repair shop that work on European cars like VW and MB and he suggested that since the cost is almost the same to just replace the entire axle assembly $250 each?

Or since I found them for $78.94 each on Parts Geek just do it myself.
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/200..._assembly.html

 

I'd replace the entire axle. In my personal experience, I would say that the rumors of their indestructibility have been greatly exaggerated. If you drop the inboard ends of the lower two control arms, the job doesn't take that long and you don't have to even touch the pinch bolt. When I changed mine, I got rid of some annoying vibrations and noises that I don't think grease and a new boot would have cured. Just my two cents.