Help with rear axle bushes UPDATE: Axle off

[Jim Bowen 1]

Am trying to get rear axle off, so i can fit the rear axle bushes and then my coilovers.

 

couple of problems i've hit already.

 

Where the 4 brakes pipes go into a box, they are all seized and just rounded one of the union things, so probably have to cut the 4 pipes and make new ones :( not so bad as all the rest are new from fitting the calipers all round, so just these 4 originals left.

 

I've disconnected battery and pumped the brake pedal, like it says in book, so now do i just cut the lines? is there anything else i need to disconnect etc?

 

Also i'm trying to find the ABS connections under the rear seats, but how do you get under the base of the seats? they don't seem to fold up or anything? do i need to unbolt the backs of the seats first?

 

think ill give up for today, its too cold :lol:

 

Is it wrong to put car on 4 axle stands and take all the wheels off? is that safe? I always have nightmares lifting car up safely

[davidwort 0]

4 axle stands isn't safe, you really need two ramps and two axle stands.

 

the rear seat bases just lift out if you press them at the front at the same time, squeeze the foam and try to peer underneath, you should see where they clip in.

[Jim Bowen 1]

do i lift them from the front or back?

[Riley 0]

The front.

 

Push the seat base back then lift the front.

 

Neil.

[Jim Bowen 1]

done that, that was easy once i got the hammer out :D

 

when i take the axle off do i just undo the single bolt that goes through the bush or do i need to undo the 3 smaller ones that hold the bracket onto car as well?

[NottsCounty 0]

It should come out with just the bolts that go through the bush. Worth replacing these at the same time.

 

Word of advice though, offer a jack up to the beam before the bolts are out as it's not the lightest part on the car and, well you catch my drift.....

[Jim Bowen 1]

i'm going to borrow another jack for that :lol: , i have a little wooden trolley too so planning to lower it onto that and wheel it out.

 

do i need to take all the rear brakes off or just leave them in place? calipers and discs etc?

[davidwort 0]

leave the disks etc as they are,

 

it's also a lot easier if someone helps you with supporting the beam when you remove the mounting bolts though, I wouldn't want to do it on my own

[Jim Bowen 1]

think i've done all i can now, going to wait until a mate can come and help get the axle off at the weekend.

 

for things like the axle bolts and nuts, i like to renew, i ordered the bolts over the phone from VW but didn't realise i needed the nuts too :( do i have to go to VW to get things like this or can i just get nuts from anywhere?? surely they are just off the shelf fixings?

[Timbo 0]

I think they're those weird ovalised nuts that VW like to use. They go on really tight; I assume they're meant as a cheap alternative to nylok nuts.

[davidwort 0]

I think they're those weird ovalised nuts that VW like to use. They go on really tight; I assume they're meant as a cheap alternative to nylok nuts.

 

I think they're used for nuts they really don't want to come undone, hub nuts are the same,

there must be a proper engineering reason for them though :lol:

[Jim Bowen 1]

what is this pre tensioning that i keep reading?

 

i don't really understand it if i'm honest

[Jim Bowen 1]

got the axle off today.

 

didn't even need to remove the brake compenstator thing, it stays on the car?

 

there was no need for me to cut through the old lines etc they could of just all stayed there :(

 

we just took the nut off the axle bolt, slide it through towards the brake compensator and cut the head off, then it just slides out.

[Supercharged 2]

Well done dude, horrible job to do in this weather!

[boost monkey 0]

got the axle off today.

 

didn't even need to remove the brake compenstator thing, it stays on the car?

 

there was no need for me to cut through the old lines etc they could of just all stayed there :(

 

we just took the nut off the axle bolt, slide it through towards the brake compensator and cut the head off, then it just slides out.

 

yeah all the brake lines stay connected to the brake pressure regulator / valve. It's attached to an arm which goes to the rear bush bracket if you see what I mean.

 

don't worry though, I disconnected / snapped all those brake lines before I realised it doesn't need to come off too!

 

You prob won't need them now, but all my beam removal pics are up on the project plum thread. just remember mine isn't a VR so model-specific stuff won't be same (brake pressure regulator etc)

 

Excellent progress though! and ditto what Steve said, doing that in this weather must be horrid!

 

Jon :salute:

[Jim Bowen 1]

its stupid tbh, the guide on here says to cut the brake thing off, people have said in other threads to cut it off. In reality it doesn't need to come off. From now on i going to pay less attention to the internet, this isn't the 1st time i've been given bad advice.........

 

....right moan over.

 

Yeah was freezing out there, still got loads to do (including making new brakes lines, bleeding all the brakes again, buying some new unions)

 

i'm still not sure what this pretensioning means? to me i can only see you put the bush in the hole and bolt the axle back on.

 

My old bushes were in a terrible state, split everywhere, the metal bit in the middle pretty much just fell out :!

[boost monkey 0]

LOL@internet! fair comment though mate.

 

The pretensioning is something to do with leaving a specific gap on one side of the bush when tightening up the axle bolt. I'm at uni and don't have Bentley with me.

 

Edit: Yes I do, it's on my USB stick. Here's the scan of the rear axle bolt stuff:

 

 

As you can see, Joe Bloggs has used a prybar to "pretension" the bush (basically, squeeze it over to one side to effectively 'load' the rubber bush before it actually has any real load on it).

 

hth,

 

Jon :salute:

[Jim Bowen 1]

nice one, thanks.

 

from that diagram it seems the bracket is actually undone, i.e: fitting the bracket at same time maybe?

 

i've left the mounting bracket on car and don't fancy undoing it, as i know it all needs lining up properly after that. i think i understand it now.

 

have been rubbing down the rear beam this morning, am having trouble typing as my hands are so numb/cold still.

 

decided that painting it will be a massive and awkward chore, so i'm just getting off the lumpy rust and coating it in rust treatment.

 

i hope by end of today i can have the rear coilovers fitted, new brake pipes made up and put in place and the beam rubbed down and treated.

 

Not even attempted to get the old bushes out yet, they look very rusted in place :(

[G60SC_Stoney 0]

why dont you just get the beam blasted and painted professionally? i wouldnt have thought it would cost more than about £70 (my front VR subframe was £50) and it'll come up alot better than a home job...

[Jim Bowen 1]

i can't be arsed to take all the discs and stuff off.

 

all that was brand new, including bearings etc not long ago and i don't know how to take it off.

 

it would just be a waste anyway, it'll be fine for another 5years i reckon

[pete_griff 0]

if you're not quite so fussy with the finishing - just get rid of all the rust with a grinder/belt sander - make sure you leave none on there.

give the beam a good wipe over with a clean rag to remove any swarf/crap etc that's left on there, then go over it with hammerite - easy stuff to apply/use. a couple of coats and it will be shiny like new again!

doesn't take all that long and will (should!) protect it for ages :)

[Jim Bowen 1]

i've ground alot of rust off and gave it some rust treatment stuff, decided not to get too fussy with how it looks otherwise i'll get carried away and side tracked :lol:

 

i'm using the powerflex axle bushes pete, like you have. What is this pretensioning all about, did you do anything when you put axle back on.

[davidwort 0]

I guess this is what you get when you have a proper manual to follow :)

I knew nothing about this when I did mine and it's new to me from this thread, I guess the idea is to prevent the axle moving from side to side a little when it 'loads up' one way or the other under cornering, I'll have to take another look at mine and see if it needs adjusting. I didn't fancy meddling with the mounting brackets in case I buggered up the alignment somehow.

[pete_griff 0]

i wasn't aware of any "pretensioning"??!

 

simply put the point at which the bushes attach the rear beam to the car acts as a pivot for the rear beam (obviously!).

 

once bolted on you should be good to go - i have no idea what people are going on about with pretensioning...

 

i can't even see the need for it (whatever it consists of...) with standard bushes - all the beam does there is pivot

 

i put mine on in the "conventional" way and haven't had any probs at all

[pete_griff 0]

***touch wood!***