front drive shafts

[axeman]

just removed both sides so that i can replace the inner cv boots, the queation that i have is when i removed the one on the drivers side (rhd van) there was a spacer abouth 3mm thinck on the inner cv joint but there was not one on the outher side, is this normal? is the front diff slightly off center?

thanks neil

[Russel]

There should be one on bothe sides but i have come across many with only one.
Russel

[axeman]

will having only one on cause any problems?

[Aidan]

means one it having to cover a greater variation in length, got load of spacers here.
Did you take off the drive shafts outwards or drop the front diff and do them inwards ?

[jed the spread]

means one it having to cover a greater variation in length, got load of spacers here.
Did you take off the drive shafts outwards or drop the front diff and do them inwards ?

Why did you ask this question about dropping the front diff Aidan? Is it because it is very tight getting the spacer in on the RH side if you put the outer cv side? just had a go at mine and there isnt much room to get the spacer in.

jed

[Aidan]

vw procedure is if doing both drop the diff as it's less dissasembly of the suspension, if you have the diff out you only have to undo drop links to get the shafts out inwards and the wheels and everything stay on, there's not much in it really, if you have reason to work on front diff eg diff lock seized or vc swap or check pinion bearing or change oil and internal inspection do it all , ie service the shafts when diff is out anyway.
the space between the flange and the cv is always tight, you could hylomar them to cv before fitting otherwise it's just try and get one bolt into spacer and flange and then rotate till a second one will allign then they all go in