Brand new chinese aftermarket axle less than 100.00. Easily available at places like napa auto parts and other chains. How long it will last is unknown. Some members have been installing them. I persomaly would as rebuilts scare me other than the ones from the mentioned specific rebuilder CNJ or whatever. Rebuilt calipers probably around for well under 200 apiece. Remember your mechanic has to eat too and will mark up parts. Sourcing auto parts at reasonable prices is a learnt art form. Well worth learning as well.

Good used parts from a salvage yard including an axle if they check out well are fine by me. These cars cater well to self repair. If you were able to do the work yourself .

It is not really all that difficult or get an experienced friend to help. You might get by for about 150.00 including brake pads. Many members on site might take a simular approach.

If you have to use proffesional services for everything that comes up on an older car it may not be cost effective to own it. Farming out all issues on fairly new cars just out of warranty or a lot newer than an older mercedes can be bad enough.

With tax he has quoted you perhaps around a thousand dollars for parts and labour. The ideal that you can achive for pratical purposes a 150.00 solution should make you think. It will always be a simular situation almost everytime you approach garages.

Yeah, you are right on there. Part of the problem is that I'm just getting going with this car so there is a bit of a learning curve. I don't mind paying someone who's good. I've learned my lesson on that. (I'm having my TDI motor rebuilt right now because of a botched timing belt job.) I guess I'll be chalking this up to a learning experience. It will be our only car for a few weeks starting Sat so it needed to get done and done right by this weekend. That being said, I will be tackling the speedo and dash lights myself. Luckily, I've found a place where people know the answers to my questions. Thanks for your help folks!

Oh by the way, I checked back and everything is new, not rebuilt. Not $150 but at least they are new parts hopefully put together well.

If all parts are new then the axel must be the chinese one that retails for a hundred or less. There are no others made. I am 99.99 percent certain of that. Except the oem mercedes factory ones that are well above in cost what you have been quoted. .

Sorry about your tdi. I have a volkswagon diesel block out in the garage a friend gave me with about 80k miles. A working mechanic he used to use changed the timing belt. Less than ten miles after the job went bad.

I will measure the piston deck height just in case a rod might have bent thanks to you. Light to medium valve marks on some of the pistons. The head is toast. I think about the only way this can happen is not retorquing a bolt during a belt change. Mechanics error? All I know it has got to really upset an owner. My friend opted for a low milage salvage yard engine. It was pretty expensive as used engines go. He had to pay the total bill. The mechanic got away with it.

I did a 300D (same as TD) half axle in 2004, Advanced Auto, new, lifetime warrantee, todays price, $69-$99.

Hanes manual.
2-3 hours.