Anyone know who manufactures these special 12 point tools? Is there an alternative?

VW stores carry these in blister packs. Various manufacturers I would guess. Should only cost a few (under ten, I'm guessing) bucks.

You can find it at NAPA part # 08714M, if you tell the guy a Volks CV bolt tool, he should know it, if not then they might as well put a monkey behind the counter!

The socket type I bought was $23 with tax.
There is no alternative! After checking several local auto shops I finally flagged down 2 Tool trucks, and grabbed one from the second. Mac tools was the first one. Snap-on had it!
Torx do not work
pipe wrench do not work
vise grips do not work

Make sure the "socket" is free of grease, grim or the tool will slip and getted bunged up.

A local teener says If you're pulling the engine, find out which CV joint is bad and Saw through that axle, and find a new half shaft with a good CV since you have to replace it anyway.

8mm triple square...got mine at napa

and don't forget to put on new gaskets every time you take the CVs off ...

Andy

thx - will find one - am about to change rear wheel bearing - hub gets quite 'warm' after a short trip

Pelican tech article on wheel bearing removal looks like fun...

QUOTE (Dave Eddy @ Jun 17 2005, 06:39 PM)

The socket type I bought was $23 with tax. There is no alternative! After checking several local auto shops I finally flagged down 2 Tool trucks, and grabbed one from the second. Mac tools was the first one. Snap-on had it! Torx do not work pipe wrench do not work vise grips do not work Make sure the "socket" is free of grease, grim or the tool will slip and getted bunged up. A local teener says If you're pulling the engine, find out which CV joint is bad and Saw through that axle, and find a new half shaft with a good CV since you have to replace it anyway.

Snap On, is the way to go, when it does get stripped, grab a Snap On truck, they'll pop out the old one, hammer in a new one, for free, I don't think NAPA does that.

The real small pair of vise grips, do work, if you have a cv bolt, thats already stripped (PO) clamp it on, tap it with a hammer, comes right off.

Make sure all the cv bolt washers are there, they keep the bolts from coming loose.

And before you take the cv bolts out, take a little screw driver and clean out the bolt heads, and then spray them with some Brakleen, and final tip, before you take each bolt out, tap the socket into each bolt, it pushes out any crap you couldn't clean.