I found a nice 97 Audi with low miles for a good price, but the guy said it needs a new rear axle. I plan on calling the local salvage yard to see if can find one there. Should I find a whole axle assembly with housing and all or let the car go? Also, are all b5 axles interchangeable?

 

Buy a new axle and get one specifically for the year/model/drivetrain the car has.

 

They are cheap anyway.

 

imthedevil,you forgot about me bro,what's the scoop on those TCM's ,i am dieing to get my A4 B5 back on the road,i need quattro for all this snow,my 1997 vw Jetta GLS can't hang in this winter wonder land

 

any idea where i could find one? i called the local salvage shop and the only audi a4 they have hey arent willing to part out. i honestly havent got the slightest clue where to find one. i thought about finding a parts car on craigslist but i wouldnt know where to start taking the axle out.

CL link to car: http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/2180684029.html

 

What worries me is it's an Audi not audy it Quattro not cuatro. What else could be wrong with it >.< You can get an axle at a local place like NAPA or look at one of the many german online store found in the FAQs at the top of the b5 page.

 

I noticed all of the typos too haha. I'm interested in the car tho not the guys/girls education. I'll check out napa. On a sidenote, I really like that this site is mobile-friendly. They should make an app if they don't already have one.

 

The mobile thing is new. What I ment by the typos is if he doesn't know how to spell the make or model how is he capable of doing maintenance or making sure it's done on a car!

 

He told me what's wrong with it. I'm with you on that, but I'll copy and paste his message:
It runs and drivebel but needs the rer Axel changed a tune up some tlc

Not the brightest bulb in the shop, but that doesn't mean his car is no good.

 

Have it looked at by someone who knows Audis. We're working on an 01 1.8T right now - timing service, new clutch, and sorting out the rack. Getting into the job, the coolant was as brown as river water, it has a Fram oil filter, the prior mechanic added 75W gear oil to the power steering reservoir, and also put green coolant in on top of the G12.

The owner was aware of none of this. Don't trust someone who stands to profit if you buy it. Get an outside experienced opinion.