Rear Axle Bearing for VW Golf III

Hello!

On my Golf 3, manufactured in 1997, with 135,000 km on the odometer, the rear axle bushings are...
ziemlich fertig ("eingerissen" laut Bosch-Werkstatt). According to
Bosch: High labor cost (approximately 200 EUR + parts).
Now, I have been searching for information here and elsewhere, and I came across something about...
"a special tool from Volkswagen" that allows for the replacement without disassembly.
The axis is broken.

Is that correct? How much will it cost?

Greetings,
Klaus.

You're talking about the rear axle rubber bushings.
The bearings are not expensive. There is a hydraulic press available. Using a yoke and appropriate adapters and centering rings, the old bearing is first pressed out, and then the new bearing is pressed back in by reversing the yoke (until it's fully seated, pay attention to the installation position, do not twist it). If you have a load-dependent braking force control valve (LAB), which is located on the left rear of the axle, it becomes a bit more complicated because it needs to be removed to get the axle bolt out (the Allen screws are always difficult to loosen). On the other hand, you only need to slightly bend the metal bracket for the brake hose support.
Anti-rust products are helpful in the preparation phase.
The axle screws must be tightened while the axle is under load; otherwise, the bushings will be pre-stressed too much in torsion from the beginning.
Without using a lifting platform (LAB), it took me about 45 minutes. It's enough to loosen the axle screws and lower the axle bearings.
If the special tool is not available, there is the Russian method, but I would not recommend it. (For example, the hydraulic tool is available at every PIT STOP branch.)

I have a quote from A.T.U. for the renewal.

Rear axle repair kit for VW: 81.00 EUR.
Rear axle bushings replacement: 172.50 EUR.
Total: 253.50 EUR.

Best regards, D.

A replacement set (2 sockets + screws and nuts) costs approximately 20 to 30 euros at the wholesale price. Ask around at an independent workshop... the price is simply too high.

I think his quote is probably for his specific vehicle. As far as I know, his car has 4 sockets on the rear axle, which makes it a bit more expensive.
How are these parts removed from the variant? They seem to be pressed together.

Best regards,
togu

togu wrote:

I think his price quote is for his specific model. As far as I know, it has 4 sockets on the rear axle, which makes it a bit more expensive.

The Golf Variant also only has one rubber bushing per side. The VW Passat has 4.

togu wrote:

How are they actually removed from the variant? They seem to be pressed against each other.

"As mentioned above. In the Passat, they are pressed together facing each other. To remove them, use plenty of rust remover and a large hammer."

But even with the golf cart, it should be possible to do it without special tools and with the built-in axle --> use a large C-clamp and the hammer that was originally used for removal. But don't hit the center of the bearing, or it will be damaged again. But that is probably what cetano meant by "Russian method."

A less risky method is to remove the axle and take it to a trusted mechanic to have the bearings pressed in. This will save you some money at least.

Have fun with it!
Bye.
Christoph.

Oh, only 2 .

I need to take a look at my car tomorrow.
I assumed that because the parts catalog for the Golf III and Vento specified 2 bearings for the rear axle, and the Golf III Variant specified 4 bearings, there was a difference.

Strange.

I mean that we've already discussed the topic of sharing and mentioning a small 'trick' here in the forum before.
Maybe try using the 'search' function.

Best regards, D.

Hello,

I would like to provide some comments and questions.

"On my 1985 Passat wagon, I once replaced the bushings myself. Some of the design elements were just ridiculous. The bolt through the axle bushings was installed incorrectly (the jacking point was in the way when removing it). So, you had to remove the support bracket as well and hope that the studs wouldn't shear off (which happened to a friend of mine). Is this still necessary on newer models? Are there studs present there?"

I broke up the old bearings using a chisel in a radial direction, and then I was able to simply pull them out by hand. When installing the new bearings, you should find a suitable piece of pipe and place it on the edge of the bearing. If you tap on the rubber, nothing will happen! Make sure to thoroughly clean and lubricate the guide before installing the new bearings.

Hi,
The screw in the 32B is intentionally installed in a way that prevents it from falling out if the nut were to loosen.
Caramba and time can help with the potential problem of stripped threads.
Unfortunately, the 35i also has the same problem with the rear axle rubber bushings, which tend to deteriorate with age.
"Golf 3 and 4 models use screws instead of studs, and according to the available literature, they only have one rubber grommet per side."
Regarding the installation of the new bushings, a threaded rod combined with strong washers and the use of the old bushings as installation aids has proven effective. However, if you don't completely remove the axle, for example, because you're too lazy to disconnect the brake lines, it can become quite tight and require a special tool.
Regards,
Olli.

Hi Olli,

olli wrote:

The screw is intentionally installed in the 32B in a way that prevents it from falling out if the nut were to loosen.

...so, back then I was probably taking a risk (I reversed the screw and applied a generous amount of thread locker).

olli wrote:

Unfortunately, the 35i also still has standoffs, and the same problem with the rear axle bushings, which can occur as they age.

Oh dear. Luckily, my bushings are still in good condition. Why are "they" cutting corners again with the Passat???

Hello.

I checked under my Golf 3 Variant as requested. It has 4 bearings, 2 on the right side and 2 on the left. They are installed rotated 180 degrees relative to each other.
'I'll change those too. I almost suspect it's easier than it was on the Golf sedan with its two bearings. On the Varian, each bearing is only half as deep in the axle.'

Here are 2 pictures.
Image 1: Warehouse.
http://www.sammlerautos.de/lager1.jpg

Image 2: View of the storage area from below.
http://www.sammlerautos.de/lager2.jpg

Best regards,
togu
PS: In this case, the pin goes in from the inside, so the bearing bracket can remain in place.