Removing and Installing

REMOVING
- Remove cover (arrows).
- Detach rear section of exhaust system.
- Remove heat shield above front silencer.
- Block rear axle and block wheel.






- If there are no markings, mark position of flange -A- relative to rear final drive -B- with paint.
- Loosen driveshaft mounting screws at rear final drive and at automatic transmission.
- Unbolt driveshaft and tie up.

WARNING! Tie up driveshaft only far enough as is necessary for removing final drive.






- Unbolt cover plate for left drive shaft (arrows).






- Unbolt differential lock vacuum element holding bracket from rear final drive (arrows).






- Release securing clip -1-.
- Press out vacuum element/selector fork connecting pin -2- upward.
- Pull parking brake cable -3- with rubber grommet out of holding bracket.






- Disconnect wiring harness for differential lock switch.
- Detach vacuum hoses from vacuum element: pay attention to colored markings.
- Disconnect right parking brake cable bracket from final drive (arrows).






- Disconnect left and right drive axles and tie up.






- Disconnect parking brake cables at body (arrows). Detach heat shield for this purpose.
- Support final drive with VAG 1383A. Insert small support from vehicle jack for this step.







Rear Hanger:
- Loosen bolt-a- and unscrew 3 bolts (arrows).






- Loosen bolt (arrow -A-).
- Remove bolt (arrow -B-) and carefully lower crossmember -I- on right side.






- Separate crossmember -I- from crossmember -II- (arrows).
- Separate crossmember -II- from final drive and guide over final drive flange.






- Carefully lower final drive.
a - Support from vehicle jack

WARNING! For safety reasons, two persons are required for lowering the final drive, and raising it again for installation.

INSTALLING
Installation is the reverse order of removal. Pay attention to the following points:






- Before final drive is bolted tight, bracket for right-side parking brake cable must be installed.






- Pay attention to colored markings on vacuum hoses.
* Yellow hose to connection -1-
* Blue hose to connection -2-






- When installing driveshaft, make sure that marking point on driveshaft flange -A- and final drive flange -B- are aligned.

Notes:
- To ensure that the imbalances of the rear driveshaft flange and rear final drive flange are eliminated, both flanges must be installed in such a way that the markings -A- and -B- are aligned as accurately as possible.
- No markings are provided in the area of the front driveshaft flange and front final drive.

Installing rear section of exhaust system: Refer to exhaust system, service and repair.

Tightening Torques
- Driveshaft to rear final drive: 55 Nm (41 ft lb)

Notes:
* Bolts are micro-encapsulated with locking compound.
* Always install new bolts.
* Clean threads in the flanged shafts, re-tap if necessary.

- Drive axle to rear final drive
M8 45Nm (33 ft lb)
M10 80 Nm (59 ft lb)
- Crossmember -I- to body: 45 Nm (33 ft lb)
- Crossmember -I- to crossmember -II-: 45 Nm (33 ft lb)
- Crossmember -II- to final drive: 45 Nm (33 ft lb)
- Vacuum element holding bracket to final drive: 25 Nm (18 ft lb)
- Left-side drive axle cover plate to final drive: 25 Nm (18 ft lb)
- Right-side parking brake cable bracket to final drive: 25 Nm (18 ft lb)