Rear Final Drive, Removing and Installing

Rear final drive, removing and installing

Special tools, testers and auxiliary equipment required





^ Engine/transmission jack VAG 1383 A with universal transmission mounting VAG 1359/2

Removing
- Remove rear section of exhaust system as from clamp(s):





- Check whether there is a factory marking (paint dot) on drive shaft. If you do not find one, mark position of the drive shaft flange -arrow A- relative to rear final drive -arrow B- with a colored dot.
- Remove drive shaft from rear final drive





- Tie drive shaft to exhaust system bracket using a wire.
- Remove heat shields for drive axles at final drive.
- Remove drive axles from left and right from the flanges of the rear final drive.





- Place engine/transmission jack VAG 1383 A with universal transmission mounting 1359/2 under rear final drive and secure rear final drive.





- Remove securing bolts of mounting bracket of rear final drive -arrows-.





- Remove nuts -arrows- from left and right of cross piece.
- Pull bolts out of subframe as far as possible.

Note:
The bolts remain in the subframe.

- Slightly lower rear section of final drive.
- Move drive axles clear toward top.
- Lower rear section of final drive.





- If rear final drive is replaced then remove rear cross piece -arrows-.

Installing
Installation is carried out in reverse order. Note the following:

Note:
^ Always replace self-locking nuts.

^ It is essential that the residues of locking fluid are cleaned out from the threaded holes in flange shaft on the rear final drive after removing the drive shaft. Otherwise there is a danger that the new bolts will seize and then shear when removing them again.

^ The threaded holes can be cleaned with a thread tap.

^ Replace drive shaft bolts (self-locking).

^ Replace gaskets on flange shaft (detach protective foil and stick gasket onto flange shaft).





^ To prevent imbalance, the flanges must be installed so that the paint markings align -arrows A and B-. Install drive shaft.
- When lifting rear final drive, position drive axle onto flange shaft.
- Lift final drive past the right-hand drive axle until installation position.

Note:
All components must move freely.





- Push rear final drive at left-hand drive axle upward -arrows A-.
- While doing so push constant velocity joint of the drive axle outward until limit stop arrow Band lower toward flange shaft -arrow C-.





- Remove securing bolts of mounting bracket of rear final drive -arrows-.
- Push bolts in subframe into cross piece until limit stop.





- Secure nuts on left and right at cross piece -arrows-.

Observe installation instructions
- Replace seal on drive shaft flange and tighten drive shaft to torque.
- Attach drive axles.
- Top off gear oil in rear final drive and check oil level.
- Install exhaust system and align stress-free:

Tightening torques