Replacing Driveshafts Easy Enough?

[Tommer 0]

hello,

 

all I plan swapping my driveshafts over this weekend, the passenger side is fair straight forwarded, however the drivers side seems a little more tricky.

 

To help matters I have mislaid my haynes manual, and the Electronic PDF version I have is missing sections 5 - 9 for some reason.

 

anyone offer an advice to changing the shafts and what additional bits i may need.

 

help appreciated,

 

cheers

 

tommer

[mattbenselin 0]

Hi mate

 

First thing, drain the gearbox oil via the drain plug on the back of the diff, housing.

Then what you need to do is remove the drive shaft nut at the hub end (prob. 30mm or thereabouts, varies), then undo the bolt on the back of the hub that holds the wishbone ball joint in place. Once this has been removed you need to wiggle the hub round until the wishbone will drop free (whilst giving it a good pull), the same as you would on the passenger side.

Now turn your attention to the lower engine mount, this is where the intermediate driveshaft bearing sits, you will see 2 bolts running through the housing with 11mm or similar nuts on, undo both of these. They hold the bearing there so once you have undone them the whole driveshaft should slide out. You may need to give it a nudge with a rubber mallet or something if its stuck.

Replacing is same as removal.

 

Matt

Edited November 12, 2008 by mattbenselin

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Fairly easy too, you just need to either remove OR loosen & turn the 2 'hockey stick' shaped bolts which reside in the intermediate bearing which is the casting bolted to the rear of the block.

 

Then, sometimes with a little persuasion such as a drift and a mallet (read: tool, fine adjusting) tapping on a suitable ring/lip on the shaft itself, tap the drive shaft out once you've freed the shaft at the hub carrier end (i.e. hub nut off etc) & removed the bottom ball joint & drop link IIRC.

 

Should be no dramas, and you are supposed to place something in the diff/final drive to prevent the planet gears from shifting once both drive shafts are out. But don't be afraid - providing the hockey bolts are out/repositioned - to give the shaft a fair clowt.

 

Let us know how you get on (new abbreviation LUKHYGO )

 

Rich

[Masekwm 2]

Whilst out you may as well change the diff oil seals

[Tommer 0]

cheers for the replies gang!

 

I like the new abbreviation!

[Tom Fenton 1,547]

you are supposed to place something in the diff/final drive to prevent the planet gears from shifting once both drive shafts are out.

 

This is only needed on the very earliest of BE gearboxes, I've certainly never seen one that has needed this so if yours is a GTI later than about 1985 don't worry about it.