Club 80-90 Forums

tek no notice of haynes its a stub axle...(click picture to enlarge)

you didnt use the oxi-acetylene to take the castle nut off then ?

yeah thats the fella rob !!! dam you haynes !!!

weldore wrote:you didnt use the oxi-acetylene to take the castle nut off then ?

god no m8 just to get the wheel nuts off... lol

By the time you have arsed about trying to replace the stub axle it will have been easier to get a refurbed rear bearing housing with stub axle in it (as it all has to be pressed together in any case) Someone mentioned that the new owners of Syncrospares had some at VF for sale.. could be worth a call.. post will be a little dear I expect, but swapping the whole unit is best if the nuts been loose as the bearings will have been put under a lot of load... and yes it has to be bloomin tight, 356ftlbs tight.. I dont have a hub and stub axle refurbed at the mo... (well I do but that already spoken for and will be fitted on monday, soon as I have his old unit back I will refurb..

You MUST NOT drive your van like this.. the wheel WILL come off...

Pretty sure I've got one in here in Coventry if its any use to you? GSF will have the nut. I'm around most of the time if you can get over here.

Part collected. Hope it sorts you out Hixsy.

well done that man

sweet thx m8, ill let ya know... finers crossed ay!!!

The swine part of this job is those damned wheel bearings. If they don't go in square you can wreck them - thats if they actually need replacing. I'd assemble it all in situ first with the new axle nut, refix hub and wheel and see if theres any play. If you're lucky there won't be anything to speak of, but if not you need to strip down again and replace/refit although as mentioned countless times on here, brand new bearings in an ovaled bearing housing is a waste of time. Calipers might help to rule that out though. And don't forget the new bearing housing seals - you'll need two of those and again, if they don't go in square...

Personally I think the trick (without a press) is gentle use of a vice...

yo dudes ! updating ya'll on this stub axle thing. Had a busy saturday so never got too look at it, so i tackled it today with a really bad hangover and never managed to get the shaft off ! 3 of the six allen key sytled bolts that go into the stub are in pretty crap condition and cant loosen them as the allen key fittin just chews em so i gave up and went to bed !

God dam you VW using them bolts ! had the same problem changin the exhaust cause of em !

Oh well i will persevere again soon but with the darker nights coming it aint happening till friday now !!! SIGH . .

Ok, firstly loosen driveshaft bolts on gearbox end, remove axle nut, undo bolts completely on driveshaft at gearboc and remove driveshaft complete with stub axle from behind - ie under vehicle. Once out you can use an angle grinder on remaining bolt heads if you have to

If stub doesn't want to budge, undo axle nut a little and give it a whack to persuade it. That stub is scrap anyway. Should take under an hour (30 mins even) and then you'll only be doing indoor work until you refit everything.

ok m8 ill have me motivation back tomorrow and get it off ! keep ya posted

stick a few washers on before the nut and it should tighten. As long as it's tight it should be fine. Done it and it works for me

update for today, bought a torque socket set and these worked much better than the normal allen key fitting, got the shaft off and out, ruined half of the bolts some i had to use mole grips, and other i whacked a bigger sized torque into the nut and persuaded them to come out so need to buy some more now (GSF?) luckily didnt have to grind any off. . . .

undid the stub axle joint and press it out slowly luckily nothing fell out and everything looked ok then carefully replaced it with the newer one, it seems nice and free moving and cant feel any kind of play looseness rubbing funny noises etc wheel i turn the shaft in the housing, hopefully ive got away it, but i wont hold me breath . . .

ran out of daylight in the end and dont have the bolts to attach back to the gearbox side anyway plus i dont have a car till the wife gets back and then itll be to late, so i guess ill have to wait till saturday now to test it out ! bummer

Ill move onto the other 1million things ive gotta do to the van now . . . .

Not uncommon to have to use a chisel and a lump hammer to shift old stubborn driveshaft bolts. Fortunately they seem to be able to take a real belting and it'll generally shock them loose - once you get the right angle with a nice sharp cold chisel. Make sure that new bolts have grip washers beneath them when you refit driveshafts or they'll be undone again at a junction on a Sunday night in the pouring rain with your family onboard (sods law that). I have on occasion run a rough file across ordinary washers if I've been short of them plus a dab of threadlock just to be sure.

As for any play in wheel bearings, you won't know for sure until drum is refitted and you tighten axle nut fully. Maybe better to check that before refitting driveshaft. It was a good stub that one so you won't have any probs tightening castle nut this time.

If job really pisses you off, I'll drive over and lend a hand. Have Chickenkoops dodgy reverse gear to look at towards end of the week too.