On the road again!

[brett@kodak.com (Brett VanSprewenburg)]

It's GREAT to be back.  I've had my 88 16v up on blocks in my garage for
more then 3 weeks, and I just got it back on the road this weekend.  Oh,
don't worry, I wasn't Scirocco-less. I was driving my 85 8v winter car.

Anyway, to make a long story only mildly shorter.  It all started with a
nastly thumping/vibration coming from the front end.  Diagnosis:  At
least 1 bad inner CV, possibly two.  Rememdy:  Call Mark at Adirondak, apply
money until the problem goes away.  Well, I figured that as long as I
have the axles out the car, might as well replace all 4 CV joints.  What
a hassle.  I can give the blow-by-blow to anyone who cares, but doing
CV joints is very messy and no fun at all. Ok, all 4 CV new joints are 
snugly back home on their drive shafts, but what's THIS I found while 
removing the axle shafts...1 broken front sway bar mount, two totally 
thrashed ball joints, and 1 inner CV full of tranny oil.  Ok, I can 
handle this. Honey, hand me my drill and goggles...several hours pass...
3 sweet new holes at the end of each of my control arms.  I think I may 
have cursed the cost-cutting knee-biter at VW many many times for putting 
in RIVETS!  What an a**hole.  New ball joints bought and installed.  New
sway bar clamps bought and installed.  Now, about that blown inner CV
joint tranny seal...won't I get a 'free' 80% differential kit when I buy
new seals?  Why yes I do! (or so I convinced myself and maybe one other
person in my family who shall remain nameless but it's not my 2 year old
son)  This was the reason why my car sat for so long.  After spending so
much on new CV joints, ball joints, clamps and tools to do the job (like
a 20lb vice, special hammers, lock ring pliers, CV boot clamp pliers) I
was tapped out for car cash.  Not to mention the fact that I had to buy
a new suit for my brother-in-laws wedding...GEEZ.  So at the first
opprutunity (finally!) I ordered the diff kit and some Redline MTL from
Mark.  The diff kit isn't that hard to install, if you've already got
the drive shafts lying several feet away from the transmission.  :-)
A real easy job if you take it slow, but don't forget the lock ring 
pliers, they're a necessity.  As soon as the car was down and the axle
nuts where TIGHT, I went out and flogged the car around town.  Yep.
Still like it a WHOLE bunch.  Except now the front end seems quite a
bit tighter and more responsive.  Well, DUH!  About the only thing
that didn't get replaced were the control arm bushings.  

Now, what do I think of the diff kit? It's hard to seperate from all the
other improvements, but I'm pretty damn sure I felt it this morning when
taking my favorite 'on-the-throttle' turn on the way to work.  My only
response was (out loud) 'Holy Crap!' as the car turned like I never 
remembered it doing before. It pulled though the turn like I was pinned
to a fulcrum chain at the apex.  Wow.  It may partly be the ball joints
working now, but not all of it.  This is your car.  This is your car
with new CV joints, a working 22mm sway bar, new ball joints, and a 
limited slip diff.  Any questions? :-)

==Brett
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