CV Boot repair? Please help

[AudiHolicS4]

Im interested in DIY for the CV boot repair ive checked the forums and it seems to be 2 ways of doing the fix. 1 taking the whole axle off and 2 just removing the cv joint and leaving the axle on. My ? is i dont want to have to take out the upp control arm pinch bolt out because when i changed my coils someone made the mistake of trying to take it off on driver side which ment a big mess so now the pass side boot is torn so if i just take off the cv joint does anything else have to be taken off as far as control arms or anything...also any special tools besides circlip pilers and the special tool for the clamps? thanks everybody

[Dr. Jekyll]

Im interested in DIY for the CV boot repair ive checked the forums and it seems to be 2 ways of doing the fix. 1 taking the whole axle off and 2 just removing the cv joint and leaving the axle on. My ? is i dont want to have to take out the upp control arm pinch bolt out because when i changed my coils someone made the mistake of trying to take it off on driver side which ment a big mess so now the pass side boot is torn so if i just take off the cv joint does anything else have to be taken off as far as control arms or anything...also any special tools besides circlip pilers and the special tool for the clamps? thanks everybody

I've always popped the pinch bolt out up the uprights to get the axle out of the upright. It might be possible to get it out without removing the pinch bolt, but I've never tried it. It just easier to move that upright down/out.

You'll also need a big breaker bar with a 3' pipe to put on the end. Those axle bolts are really torqued down. So you'll need that setup for loosening and tightening it back on (140 ft/lbs + 180 degrees). Oh and you'll need either a 24mm socket or a 17mm (or 19mm can't remember what the front is) allen key, depending on which version axle bolt you have.

[AudiHolicS4]

thanks but anybody got info on how to do it without taking the pinch bolt out or an easier way to get it out the last time i took it out it took about 4 hours so i just dont want to have to go through the PITA of taking it out

[Slow4]

thanks but anybody got info on how to do it without taking the pinch bolt out or an easier way to get it out the last time i took it out it took about 4 hours so i just dont want to have to go through the PITA of taking it out

I don't think theres ANY possible way to do it without removing the pinch bolt. I did mine this past week when I replaced my upper/lower control arms.

If you want to try this:

loosen the axel bolt, jack up the entire front end, turn whatever wheel so that the wheel faces out, unscrew the axel bolt from wheels, unscrew the bolts of the drive axel from the front differential, slide the drive axel down and attempt to pull out towards middle of the car.

[AudiHolicS4]

well i dont really need to take the whole axle out if it isnt nessecary im just looking to fix the outer boot which from what i read on the audidiy.com site at the bottom it says you dont really need to take the axle off but i was wondering if you still have to take the pinch bolt out just to get the boot off

[Slow4]

OOps.

I think I meant drive shaft. Replace my "axel" with "shaft"....

I read that little area too...it seems more complicated to me.

[lowered97a4]

i take off the lower bent one and turn the wheel all the way or even pop both lowers off from the upright then swing the axle out, without unbolting it from the trans

[AudiHolicS4]

sounds like that would work a lot better for me if anybody else has any more info on this it would be great thanks everybody