Update: Spent Saturday feeling dejected, and mulled over the situation repeatedly. I decided to finish the job myself, and after little more than an hour Sunday I replaced the right front strut with no issues at all. The CV boot issue remains, so I sealed the crack with a bunch of bathroom caulk and duct tape, and dropped the car off at a Volvo shop Sunday night. I feel much better completing what i planned on. Now I'm waiting for a call this morning from the mechanic.
My appreciation and admiration for you knows no bounds at this point. That's my kind of guy, right there. Get the job done, hook or by crook.
Thats really encouraging to hear, since I was questioning my self worth as a human being by the end of the first day, lol.
Maybe I mentioned it in the first post on this subject, but I gave the mechanic a heads-up friday afternoon, so he was actually prepared to work on it Monday morning. I gave him a list of 4 items:
1) CV boots (I noticed cracking on the right axle boot too), and likely a rebuild.
2) Sway bar end links (I just could not get the nuts to budge, even with the old two-wrench cheater bar. Its funny watching youtube videos of people taking them off with an 8 inch box wrench and 4 inch allen key.)
3) Wheel alignment
4) Re-seal body seam on drivers side floor. This is because I have had my carpeting removed for almost 2 months due to a leaky sun roof drain, and my feet have rubbed some of the sealant off.
He was able to complete items 1 2 and 3 on Monday, and told me to just use some RTV silicone on the floor seam, which I did yesterday during lunch at work (fortunately we have a well stocked general shop here). Both axles were reconditioned and greased with new boots, end links replaced, and alignment completed. There is really only a toe adjustment for front and rear, however there is enough clearance in the upper strut mount holes to allow some camber adjustment. The mechanic uses an alignment shop down the block from him, and he spoke very highly of them. They were able to get camber, caster and toe within spec. All for $565. Since an alignment anywhere is about $100, I figure $465 isn't bad for "new" axles. Buying new non-Volvo axles would have cost about $700 (new Volvo axles are like $600 each..), and that's installing them myself.
All in, this weekend's repair adventures cost just shy of $1200. And I still have to do the timing belt...