i'm getting a quote from carmax (where we bought it), anyone know of some good/affordable vw repair shops in the gwinnett area? my other question is, it reall doesn't look that hard to replace, so should i just do it myself?
^ yeah that's the thing VWs are a lot like apple computers... very "closed". dunno if i need something special to do it, hopefully someone will chime in. I've got a hayes book for it, so i'll look in there to see if it mentions anything non standard.
Have fun changing the rear brake pads on that piece. Palmer VW in Marietta will hook you up. You can also call Atlanta Classic Cars in Duluth and talk to the parts manager, Yoyo. He knows everyone in the VW world. Tell him I sent ya.
there are usu..2 special tools you need.sometimes a 17 or 19 mm 6 point hex(or could be around a 17+/_ mm socket) to remove the nut on the end and a 8??mm 12 pt hex socket..Its varies from car to car but other than that a few metric sockets, a way to lift the car and a hammer..sorry I cannot be more specific-been a while since I have done a vw.
Those odd star sockets are called XZN sockets. If you own a VW/Audi and like to work on it, you'll need a set. For driveshafts, go to Raxles Don't bother buying the joints themselves; save yourself a whole load of bother and buy the complete driveshafts. The job isn't exactly easy - very much depends on your experience level. Look it up in the Haynes manual and make a judgment call.
If you've done an axle on any other car it's the same except for the six bolts on the inner joint. I always call them spline drive sockets but I don't think it's the actual name. I believe it is a size 8 or 10. I work on the germans at my shop. Also the tires plus in alpharretta has a tech named Todd that's VERY good w/euros.