Doing the joint is a messy and dirty job so I would always go with a whole replacement shaft with all of the bits already on it, there are a couple of types and you will need a big socket for the wheel nut and a few long extensions to reach the torks/Allen bolts on the inside, best to have a good look prior to taking it apart to see what's involved, the wheel nut is very tight and you will need to support the end of the socket bar as you apply force so it keeps it at the right angle, are you doing the front or the back?

Stevie

 

Doing the joint is a messy and dirty job so I would always go with a whole replacement shaft with all of the bits already on it, there are a couple of types and you will need a big socket for the wheel nut and a few long extensions to reach the torks/Allen bolts on the inside, best to have a good look prior to taking it apart to see what's involved, the wheel nut is very tight and you will need to support the end of the socket bar as you apply force so it keeps it at the right angle, are you doing the front or the back?
There may be a how to in the appropriate section.

Stevie

 

I just bought 2 JR drive shafts on my S3 as the labour is probably more to take apart a drive shaft and change the cv joint. I am going to check S3 versus TT drive shafts as I still have my old s3 drive shafts and need a new boot on one of the TT. So might just do up the one in the shed and try and fit that one.

 

Doing the joint is a messy and dirty job so I would always go with a whole replacement shaft with all of the bits already on it, there are a couple of types and you will need a big socket for the wheel nut and a few long extensions to reach the torks/Allen bolts on the inside, best to have a good look prior to taking it apart to see what's involved, the wheel nut is very tight and you will need to support the end of the socket bar as you apply force so it keeps it at the right angle, are you doing the front or the back?

Stevie

Thanks for that. I'll be replacing the front passenger joint, but probably the whole shaft now.

 

I need to do one of mine (was just going to do the boot) but I couldn't get it out of the hub! I snapped my puller and it didn't look like it had moved a mm. I had heat on it and everything!

The rest of the job is a doddle though!

 

Definitely go for the new half shaft. When I first had my TT there wasn't any ticking noises, but APS found a spilt boot and replaced it. I also had a vibration under load, which I assumed was a propshaft rubber joint failing.

The vibration slowly got worse, until one day there was a bang, and at anything over 10 miles an hour the vibration was terrible.

Limped to APS, and they found that the half shaft had self destructed! So, go for the replaced half shaft.

 

I need to do one of mine (was just going to do the boot) but I couldn't get it out of the hub! I snapped my puller and it didn't look like it had moved a mm. I had heat on it and everything!

The rest of the job is a doddle though!

Mine was very tight, I hadn't got a suitable puller at the time so was using a drift to remove it, and I was quite surprised (and nervous) at how much force I had to use. Some of them are bonded in place I think, which of course makes them more difficult. I'm not sure why that would be necessary, I certainly didn't do anything to bond it again when I put it back together.

For the OP (who's probably done the job by now) it all depends on what parts prices you're getting, and whether you're paying someone to do it or not. I didn't find it particular difficult to do either boot (which involves removing and replacing each joint) once the shaft is off the car. You'll save a bit of time in not removing and replacing the joint from the shaft, so it depends on whether the saving in labour covers the extra cost of the complete driveshaft. Unless it gets damaged somehow, I can't see that the shaft would suffer wear damage so it's not like that bit *needs* to be replaced.