I replaced front inner boot today, lefthand side, not right as I
mistakenly wrote yesterday.

some notes:

-boot had been ripped for a while, but I couldn't stand it any more :)
-remove axle nut with van on ground (236 ft lbs)
-my sway bar is off
-upper ball joint needs to be removed, not the tapered part, but just
the 2 bolts holding it in upper control arm
-steering knuckle can then be tilted outboard to allow axle to be
removed
-inner cv joint bolts were hex, not triple square
-i used a c clamp on brake rotor to stop axle rotating as I removed
inner v bolts
-bolts had white paint splash on them. Wonder what that means.
-cv joint was in good shape, light wear, no pitting, balls ok
-cv joint marked with vw/audi logos and made in W.Germany. I wonder
if original equipment.
-you do need 2 rolls of paper towels :)
-used combo of brake cleaner and white gas bath to degrease (its what
I had around. white gas not safe)
-moly CV grease used, not german, NAPA brand. Looked the same as the
german (lobro, wurth?) stuff in blue tubes I have used in the past.
-I used a good used boot. I had cleaned and coated it with talc a
while back, felt like new.
-I didn't remove boot to examine outer joint. Probably should have.
But will be dropping front dif soon and I will then, both sides.
-I marked with centre punch and carbide scribe, the cv joint housing
and races so I could re-assemble exactly. I have never bothered to do
this in the past, but it  made me feel better.

one worrisome thing, after re-assembly and re-torqueing, more threads
show on axle than I recall seeing before r&r. more also than on the
untouched righthand side axle. I don't know how this can be. If i
have missed something I can't think of what it is. The outer cv seats
itself in on the wheel bearings, the nut pulls it tighter. wheel
turns fine. Maybe its nothing...

alistair
'86 syncro 7  passenger
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/
http://shufti.wordpress.com