Axle Shaft - replace?

[danj.pdx 3]

Hello all,

 

More rear suspension work. Another decision point has come up. While I think I know the right answer, I'd really appreciate input from people with experience.

 

I'm renewing the rear axle on my 1.6 GTi here in the US. I ordered a replacement axle with fresh bearings from imAxle. Last night I removed the trailing arms from the current axle - the car has 200k km and everything looks to be original. The rear of the car had been thunking a bit as weight shifts, so I suspected the bearings may be going bad. Thankfully, rust isn't a factor under the car and fasteners and parts were relatively clean. The trailing arm shafts show very slight wear on about 1/3 of the bottom inner and top outer bearing surfaces. The axle surface isn't galled or pitted, but you can feel and see marks from the bearings.

 

So, is it time to order a pair of new shafts, or press them out and rotate them 180 deg? 

 

I've looked and see a number of places that sell these shafts at a range of prices. I don't want to do this again for another 200k KM and 30 years, so assuming the shafts need replacement, is there an OEM or equivalent supplier I should use?

 

Thanks in advance,

Dan.

 

 

[SRDT 186]

What about using plain bearings?

[welshpug 1,666]

those are too worn to re-use in my opinion, I'd have a look at the kits offered by Polish sellers on ebay, they do the shafts and SNR bearing kits, I certainly don't rate the IM axle bearings, and if your shafts look like that then your beam tube will be perfectly servicable to accept fresh bearings.

[Ozymandis 97]

17 hours ago, welshpug said:

those are too worn to re-use in my opinion, I'd have a look at the kits offered by Polish sellers on ebay, they do the shafts and SNR bearing kits, I certainly don't rate the IM axle bearings, and if your shafts look like that then your beam tube will be perfectly servicable to accept fresh bearings.

This exactly, in my opinion too.

Without the 1/8" encrustation of flaky rust we get here on any piece of a rear axle, that should be an easy axle to re-con.

It obviously doesnt rain as much ( and salt when the rains frozen ), where You are as it does in Wales or Yorkshire.

[danj.pdx 3]

Thanks all.

 

I live in Oregon, and trust me we get plenty of rain. The car spent most of its life in Columbia though, so it's remarkably rust-free. Something I'm very thankful for having grown up in Minnesota. A land of salted roads, where rust never sleeps. The axle tube, sway bar and torsion bars are in fine condition, although the bearings are worn and need replacing. I have to look at pressing those shafts out and finding replacements. 

 

I'm trying to keep as much of the car as original as possible, and doubt it will see another 200k km on the odometer...maybe ever. 

 

That's kind of an interesting thing to ponder as I put the car back together. Maybe some time in the future someone will convert it to electric or drop in a hydrogen crate motor and keep running around in it.

 

Thanks again for the input.

Dan.