CV boot / axle replacement

[c4racer]

I have a split CV boot on my X5. I checked with a local indy shop and they normally just replace the entire axle rather than just the boot. They sell a Empi shaft for $250 and install is $215 which is just under 2 hours.

so I did some checking on-line and found I can get that same part for under $100 with shipping.

02 2002 BMW X5 Axle Assembly - Driveshaft & Axle - EMPI, FEQ, Front Right, Front Left, Rear - PartsGeek

Normally I just dig in my heels and do this stuff myself. Right now I am pretty busy with a motor swap on my wife's Mazda Protege5, so I was considering having a shop take care of it since the labor rate seemed reasonable. Also I may not have the right tool to separate the axle from the hub.

But I really don't feel too good about paying them $215 for the labor plus an extra $180 for the part. That is too much of a waste of good money for my taste.

Plus the shop is not convienent for me to get to and drop a car off.

So combining those two things, I guess I am talking myself into doing it myself.

Here is the axle the indy shop uses:
02 2002 BMW X5 Axle Assembly - Driveshaft & Axle - EMPI, FEQ, Front Right, Front Left, Rear - PartsGeek

That does seem much easier than dealing with a boot replacement, especially since the joint could fail at some point with over 100K miles on it.

Any thoughts?

Is the job that hard? If the shop is quoting under 2 hours of labor it can't be that bad.

What is the best way to separate the hub from the axle? Is there a tool I should go ahead and pick up while I'm at it?