Ball Joint: Service and Repair

Ball Joint

Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required

• Hub puller (3283)

• Ball joint puller (3287 A)

• Engine/transmission jack (V.A.G 1383 A )

• Angle measuring wrench (V.A.G 1756)

Removing

- Lift vehicle enough that the front axle is no longer burdened.

- Remove 12 point nut.

- Remove sound insulation pan - arrows -.





- Remove left sound insulation - arrows -.





With TDI Engine

- Remove charge air pipe between charge air cooler and turbocharger.

Continuation for All

- Remove right sound insulation panel.

- Mark installation position of ball joint bolts on control arm.

- Remove bolts - arrows -.





- Press out drive axle. Using tool as shown in illustration.





• Be sure there is sufficient room when pressing drive axle out.

- Pull out wheel bearing housing with ball joint from control arm.

- Swivel suspension strut outward and support e.g. using block of wood- 1 -, while pulling drive axle out of wheel bearing.





- Fasten drive axle to body with wire.

Drive axle must not hang down!

Otherwise inner joint is damaged by excessive bending.

- Remove nut from ball joint.

- Install ball joint puller (3287 A) as shown in illustration and press out ball joint.





CAUTION!
• Place engine/transmission jack (V.A.G 1383 A ) underneath (danger of accident if parts fall off when ejecting ball joint).

• To protect ball joint thread, leave nut on a few turns.

Installing

- Insert ball joint into wheel bearing housing.

- Install new self-locking nut, counter hold with internal Torx T40.





1 Internal Torx T40
2 Box wrench insert or open end wrench insert (Illustration V40-1323 below)
3 Torque wrench (V.A.G 1331 )

- Insert drive axle.

- Bolt ball joint with control arm with new bolts to old impression.

Always use new bolts.





1 Box wrench insert (commercial type, 18 mm)
2 Open end wrench insert (commercial type, 18 mm)

• Ensure that boot is not damaged or twisted.

- Install wheel and tighten => [ Wheel Bolt Tightening Specifications ] [1][2]Specifications.

- Tighten 12 point nut => [ Tightening Specifications ] Drive Axle with CV Joint and Triple Roller Joints AAR 2000 and AAR 2900.

Tightening specifications => [ Front Suspension Tightening Specifications ] Front Suspension.