You are correct in all your guesses. A little torque steer will usually present itself when the steering is getting loose with age. On the turbo models, it is the differential giving the right wheel more torque, and it can not be helped due to the design geometry.

As to the CV replacement, replace the entire axle. Quite easy to do and not very expensive unless you go OEM. Make sure you get a new tranny end seal, just in case the cheap axle is slightly smaller than spec. A few drops of ATF will come out of the box when you pull the axle, but not a big deal.
You have time to wait for warm weather with the CV. It takes a long time for dirt to give you any problems.

Klaus
--
Always willing to listen, just not able to take direction.