Rear Suspension

Drive Axle

Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required

• Torque wrench (V.A.G 1332)

• Torque wrench (V.A.G 1601)

• Socket, nominal size 12 mm (T10099)

• Hub puller (T10103)

• Adapter plate (T10103/1)

• Seating tool (T10206)

• Socket, nominal size 32 mm (T10209)

Removing


Before starting work, stabilizer bars must be coupled in vehicles with separable stabilizer bars. Otherwise, there is the danger of injury caused by unintentional coupling.

- Remove 12-point nut.

• Only loosen and tighten 12-point nut if vehicle stands on wheels (risk of accident!)

• Do not move vehicle when 12-point nut is loosened. Otherwise, wheel bearing may be damaged.

• If the vehicle must be moved with the drive axle removed, install the outer joint and tighten it to 150 Nm.

- Raise the vehicle and remove the wheel.

- Disconnect drive axle from rear final drive. Use (T10099) for loosening bolts.

- Remove the bolt - 1 - from the control arm - 2 -.





- If necessary, disconnect the connector - arrow 1 - for the damping adjustment valve.





- Remove the suspension strut bolt - arrow 2 -.

- Remove the coupling rod.

- Loosen the clamp on the stabilizer bar.

- Remove the tie rod from the wheel bearing housing.

- Disengage the parking brake cable at the subframe.

- Support the tie rod - 2 - on the suspension strut bolt - 1 -.





- Press the drive axle off the wheel hub using the (T10103) and the screws (T10103/2).





- Tilt the drive axle to the side - arrow - to remove the outer joint from the wheel bearing splines.





- Remove drive axle - direction of arrow -.

Installing


Before starting work, stabilizer bars must be coupled in vehicles with separable stabilizer bars. Otherwise, there is the danger of injury caused by unintentional coupling.

During start of production, there was a change from bonded to non-bonded driveshafts. If a bonded driveshaft is installed in the vehicle, the following three work steps must be performed additionally:

- Clean splines of outer joint and wheel hub of remaining locking fluid.

- Produce a metallic surface and degrease splines of outer joint and wheel hub.

- Apply locking compound (D 154 000 A1) onto splines of outer joint.

Rest of installation applies to both drive axles, note the following when installing:

- Before assembling, coat splines using assembly paste (G 052 109 A2)

- Insert outer joint as far as possible into wheel hub splines.

- Pull in drive axle until stop using (T10206).





- Remove (T10206).

- Press wheel bearing housing in - direction of arrow -.






Make sure to press only at wheel bearing housing. There is the danger of injury at the connection point of control arm and wheel bearing housing!

Control arm engages at wheel bearing housing.

Further installation is in the reverse sequence to removal.

Tightening Specifications