i had my car up today, and noticed that the front right axle bushing behind the tire is ripped or torn open. i was wondering how easy is it to replace at home for a beginner or would it be easier for me to take it to some and not have to deal with it, also what brands are good for the axle and how much am i looking at? any and all help would greatly be appreciated

 

I think you're talking about the "rubber" CV boot. I'm a purist so I replace the boot. After doing a few of them it takes me about an hour. If it's been torn a while and there's grit in there, you might want to buy a remanufactured half shaft. Don't know your skill level but it's not a huge job.

 

Replacing the boot is not a fun job, have you had to work with axle grease yet? Stuff is like glitter. Whatever you do, don't replace the axle with an aftermarket solid axle. Replace the boot or buy a remanufactured OEM axle from Raxles.

 

Don't go tell'n him the truth damnit!!

 

The last time we (me and future son-in-law) did a re-grease/boot change on my '96, I think we took all of 1/2 hour to do it. He works for Tesla and was a Porsche tech at two dealers, so we didn't waste any time. The grease won't be such a problem if you have plenty of old cloth or paper towels to wipe the parts clean, and wear "rubber" gloves. We also didn't pull the whole driveshaft, but just used the axle bolt to press the joint off the shaft. But I've done these enough times to know the procedure, and my California A4 has easy-to-remove pinch bolts. The OP might need to work his skills up before he is ready to tackle this job.

 

That's exactly how I do it. After you get the hub off the CV joint, scew that bit bolt back in, it will force the CV joint right off the clip that holds it on to the half shaft. Then there's the black grease....