Rear axle damage - replace?

[Ron Katona <ron3b@xxxxxxxx>]

As I further examined the situation with my rear sway bar, I found that
the bar apparently rubbed the rear axle for a short time after the mount
failed. There's a slight groove around the circumference of the right
rear half shaft. At first it looked quite bad, but there's so much gunk
built up on the axle that by the time I cleaned it to the surface, I
could barely see the groove. Still, it's there.

The 318ti not being a torque monster, should I worry about it? Should I
have it looked at? Should I replace it? I can say that the axle is
damaged, but how much is hard to tell. It looks superficial to the naked
eye. I'm thinking removal and non-destructive inspection would cost more
than replacement, so what's the general consensus on replacement? Is it
difficult? How much does one of these babies cost?
- -- 
Ron Katona

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