Jim Bowen 1 Posted September 26, 2011 I not sure if i've gone wrong here, but car is in the air with no wheels or brakes and i now want to removing driveshafts and the hubs. can i just unbolt them from the gearbox end and leave them attached to the hub? I haven't undone the big nut in middle of hub and can't stop things spinning now? anything i need to be aware of? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quicky1980 0 Posted September 26, 2011 The hub nut is torqued up to a high level and iirc is reverse thread ie anticlockwise to tighten and clockwise to tighten but you need to confirm. It's strongly suggested that to remove this nut the car should be on the floor with all four wheels as you may end up knocking the car off the axel stands. The driveshaft can be removed at the gearbox joint but you will struggle to then undo the nut on the hub if it's not secured tight to the car (I had some driveshafts delivered to me while still fitted to the hubs, ended up taking it to a garage) What are you actually tring to do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted September 26, 2011 just taking everything to bits really, having subframe off soon, fitting new rack and column, but also decided to take everything off and refurb it all while i'm there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quicky1980 0 Posted September 26, 2011 I would then suggest, put the wheels back on, drop the car back down and use a large breaker bar to remove the nut. Plenty of threads on this Im sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boost monkey 0 Posted September 26, 2011 Agree with quicky. It's a losing battle trying to undo the hub nut whilst the car is in the air, esp without any brakes! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aide 0 Posted September 26, 2011 as above the hub nut is something like 125nm, need the wheels very securely chocked to loosen. i actually loosened mine with the front wheels on ramps, but with a length of wood chocked between floor and wheel strut to ensure they didn't turn, the hu nut thread is strandard. you can't dismantle the hub or remove the drive shafts without removing the hub nut, but bear in mind as soon as you remove the drive shafts its a new hub bearing and CV gaitor, and you'll need a hydraulic press to push the new bearing in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boost monkey 0 Posted September 26, 2011 Unless a VR is a thousand miles different to a 4cylinder, I'm sure you'll be fine with just having the car down on the ground. With all that weight on the front end, I'd be surprised if the wheel turned when undoing a hub nut (unless your tyres are bald). Use a long breaker bar like a 2ft one to increase the torque you can apply. General method is standing on the end of it...! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andycowuk 0 Posted September 26, 2011 You could pull the cv joint off the end of the drive shaft without touching the hub nut; there is a thrust washer on the inner CV to stop it sliding back out, but nothing on the outer... Undo the bottom ball joint, the outer CV boot ties and the inner CV/Drive flange bolts and it will give the lateral movement needed to to remove the entire drive shaft and inner CV.... doing this could prove a ball ache if the ballbearings or cage come out of the outer CV joint as it'll be tough to see what you're doing to reassemble; but it could save you taking backward steps to put the car back on the ground.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_G60_Fanatic 0 Posted September 26, 2011 I popped a screw driver through the air vent on my old disks because i forgot to undo the hub nut... I ruined the screwdriver though... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted September 26, 2011 You could pull the cv joint off the end of the drive shaft without touching the hub nut; there is a thrust washer on the inner CV to stop it sliding back out, but nothing on the outer... Undo the bottom ball joint, the outer CV boot ties and the inner CV/Drive flange bolts and it will give the lateral movement needed to to remove the entire drive shaft and inner CV.... doing this could prove a ball ache if the ballbearings or cage come out of the outer CV joint as it'll be tough to see what you're doing to reassemble; but it could save you taking backward steps to put the car back on the ground.... thats sounds similar to what i had to do on my escort to renew the outer CV boot, was a circlip buried in all the grease that i had to undo then driveshaft slid out. thinking i might go with lowering car to the ground, as i am thinking of sandblasting the hubs and painting them, so probably best in the long run Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VW_OwneR_85 1 Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) I popped a screw driver through the air vent on my old disks because i forgot to undo the hub nut... I ruined the screwdriver though... yep thats what i do when the cars in the air and i need the shaft to stop spinning works an absolute treat!!!, also that main hub nut is normal thread , anti clockwise to loosen, and that nut should be replaced once its been loosened. also at this point it may pay to replace the wheel bearings, you will need a press of some sort,probably best just to take the hubs and bearings to a garage would still be alot cheaper then takeing your car in. Edited September 27, 2011 by VW_OwneR_85 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted October 10, 2011 well, i put wheels back on, dropped car and slackened the hub nut. now with car back on stands, wishbone removed etc Should i just need to undo the hub nut and the driveshaft/CV joint then just pulls out of hub? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted October 11, 2011 sorted! Cheers people. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
