Rear Axle, Removing and Installing

Rear axle, removing and installing

Removing

^ Vehicle must be standing on its wheels above vehicle lift





- Remove wheel trim.

On light alloy wheels use puller in vehicle tool kit to remove trim cap

- Raise vehicle.
- Extract brake fluid from reservoir
- Remove wheels.





- Remove cover (arrows).





- Unbolt heat shield cover (arrows indicate bolted connections) and push forward until parking brake cable adjuster becomes accessible.





- Loosen both cable adjusters as follows:
- Remove locking clip -D-.
- Screw in adjusting nut -C- up to stop.
- Push adjuster together.





- Remove locking plates -1- on left and right-sides, slightly loosen bolts -2- for cable retaining plate, and remove cables from axle beam.





- Disconnect brake lines at rear axle (arrow) on both sides.
- Pull ABS wheel speed sensors out of mounting holes on both sides.
- Detach ABS wheel speed sensor wiring from rear axle.
- On vehicles with headlight range control remove linkage from axle beam.

Note:
Use VAG 1383 gearbox lifter together with 1359/2 attachment for removing and installing the axle beam.





- Unbolt and remove suspension strut from axle beam.
- Remove bolts from guide bushings (items -3- and -5-) and remove axle beam.

Installing

- Install axle together with guide bushings into mounting brackets and install bolts handtight.
- Install suspension struts and hand-tighten suspension strut to axle beam bolts.
- Coat O-ring for ABS wheel speed sensor with brake cylinder paste.





- Push ABS wheel speed sensors into wheel bearing housings up to stop.
- Install locking plates for ABS wheel speed sensors.
- Route parking brake cables and attach to brake calipers.
- Connect brake lines.
- Adjust parking brake.
- Install heat shield.
- Bleed brakes.

CAUTION:
Vehicle must be standing on its wheels when tightening guide bushing to rear axle bolts. Otherwise bonded rubber bushings will be subjected to torsion resulting in shortened service life

- Tighten guide bushing bolts, (items -3- and -5-).

Tightening torque: 80 Nm (59 ft lb) + 1/4-turn (90°)

CAUTION:
Vehicle must be standing on its wheels when tightening suspension strut to rear axle bolts. Otherwise bonded rubber bushings will be subjected to torsion resulting in shortened service life

- Tighten suspension strut to axle beam bolts (items -6- and -8-).

Tightening torque: 50 Nm (37 ft lb) + 1/4-turn (90°)

- On vehicles with headlight range control, tighten bolted connection between headlight range control linkage to axle beam.

Tightening torque: 3 Nm +1/-0 Nm (27 in. lb +9/-0 in. lb)

- Install cover below rear axle.
- Check wheel alignment and adjust if necessary.