Car won’t move after wheel bearing job

I was replacing the left front wheel bearing and afterward I torque the axel nut to 150lbs, I rotated the nut 1/2 turn, I went to move the car back and heard a snap or crack, the car no longer drives and you can hear something rotating when you rev the engine. The axels look ok to me but maybe they are worn out, is this a broken Diff? Car is ALH MANUAL trans 515,000kms. 2nd transmission.

When I was beginning the job the drive axel nut was a little bit of a struggle, the wheel wanted to turn, so i put the car in 5th gear, I had the car half way into the garage so the ground was on even.

Idk...

Prolly the diff or ring but jack up a front wheel and try to turn it with it in gear. If it turns look to see if the axle and flange on transmission is turning.

If axle and flange on trans turn it would seem to indicate a busted ring or spiders or the opposite axle. Look at the other axle to see if it's turning.

If just the wheel turns it's the axle on the side you're turning. Look to see where exactly.

I would look at the inner CV on the side you worked on, maybe you extended the axle too far and the CV came apart.

Without more info, it's hard to say. I would not have put that much torque through the transaxle, I would have had someone hold the brake and done the final torque (1/2 turn) with the wheel on the ground.

Metal Man said:

I would look at the inner CV on the side you worked on, maybe you extended the axle too far and the CV came apart.

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Sounds very plausable to me.

I have a 2.0 automatic, would I be able to steal parts such as differntial and place them into this car?

I'd check the axles as suggested above first before worrying about the diff etc, sounds like mine when the axle popped out.

A c clip is meant to hold the axle shaft into the cv joint but they don't always do their job.

Seatman said:

I'd check the axles as suggested above first before worrying about the diff etc, sounds like mine when the axle popped out.

A c clip is meant to hold the axle shaft into the cv joint but they don't always do their job.

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This C-Clip is inside the CV Boot, correct?

With the left side wheel in the air I heard that snapping sound when turning it by hand I only heard it once or twice. With the car having both wheels in the air the right side I’m pretty sure it’s perfectly fine it seems to be turning with no slop at all; the left side has some slop and I can turn it with the shaft not spinning. When the engine is running in the car but in neutral and both wheels are in the air, the left side shaft is turning out of the transmission but the wheel isn’t turning.

I think you established that the problem is the CV joint.

is the correct torque on MK4s what he did? 150ftlbs and a 1/2 turn?
when you took nut off, i dont think its a really good idea to put in gear. for one if say you have the rear brake on and in 5th gear, if the car wants to move it ll just rotate the engine. best thing, have all 4 wheels on the ground, an even garage or driveway is best. have help in the car on the brake. loosen axle nut, use same method, have help on brake to tighten axle nut.
huh, from what your saying you may have busted your outer left CV.(?)
if you have both front wheels in the air, on stands is the best, if, and only if you have help, your help is in the car, at all times!! he/she can run the motor, you with a light can take a look around, axle shafts, trans flanges. put it in 1st gear, be careful with this, keep your help in the car, in case, behind the wheel. check parts with it in 1st. **make sure its on stands right when/if you do this.**

(old CV that didnt want to go back together??).

I bought new one from Napa lifetime warranty $160, I’ll get it tomorrow. The manual says 148lbs, doesn’t say anything other than have the weight of the car on the ground, doesn’t say put it in gear or have someone on the brakes, I’ll try to chalk the wheels and have it in neutral.

On another note, I thought this car was driven by the right wheel drive, why is a broken left CV joint stopping it from moving?

It's actually driven by both wheels. With one CV blown all you're doing when you apply power is spinning the internals of the differential. Because it's what's called an "open" differential, all the power is going to the side with the broken joint (like it would if that tire was sitting on solid ice and getting no traction), so the tire on the right gets no power.

Golf2K said:

I bought new one from Napa lifetime warranty $160, I’ll get it tomorrow. The manual says 148lbs, doesn’t say anything other than have the weight of the car on the ground, doesn’t say put it in gear or have someone on the brakes, I’ll try to chalk the wheels and have it in neutral.

On another note, I thought this car was driven by the right wheel drive, why is a broken left CV joint stopping it from moving?

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the same principal your looking at allows a car with axles to turn. thats why the back 'axles' are separate. the differential has carrier gears, these carry the load, when turning the spyder gears spin, they take no load, they allow the axles to turn at different speeds. if you have an axle disconnected or busted like you do, the spyders just spin, and all the power, ie axle speed gets transferred where there is no-load, ie an open axle that will spin with out load.

napa i think sells MK3 axles complete after a core return for ~$50each. real affordable for me. they work out nice. idk about MK4 stuff.
so im confused about your 1st post. you torqued axle nut to 150 lbs? and added a 1/2 turn, whats the 1/2 turn comment you have there? like i say im not a MK4 person, yet. for mk2s and mk3s we take axle nuts to about 200ftlbs, i guess if you want to be a stickler you do it to the 'correct' 195ftlbs. anyway all 4wheels on the ground, level is best. car not in gear, in neutral, some one behind the wheel and on the brakes. i take my 1/2"torque wrench and get it to 150ftlbs, take a bigger 3/4"breaker and put a pipe on it and give it a good turn. maybe an 1/8th or more of a turn. a 1/2" torque doesnt really go over 150, and getting close to 200 is too much for a 1/2".
a chalk may let the wheel start to climb it, when doing axle nuts.

im not 100% sure, for us you donot want to move a car without axles being in and minimally tight. (thats just for rolling around a shop, pushing by hand.) about 37ftlbs tight, you can use a 'blank' axle end and a washer and nut and snug. otherwise you ruin the front wheel bearing. before starting car tighten to driving spec.(150 or 200 for us).

Rob Mayercik said:

It's actually driven by both wheels. With one CV blown all you're doing when you apply power is spinning the internals of the differential. Because it's what's called an "open" differential, all the power is going to the side with the broken joint (like it would if that tire was sitting on solid ice and getting no traction), so the tire on the right gets no power.

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thanks, This just reassures that I made the right decision.

iluvmydiesels said:

the same principal your looking at allows a car with axles to turn. thats why the back 'axles' are separate. the differential has carrier gears, these carry the load, when turning the spyder gears spin, they take no load, they allow the axles to turn at different speeds. if you have an axle disconnected or busted like you do, the spyders just spin, and all the power, ie axle speed gets transferred where there is no-load, ie an open axle that will spin with out load.
napa i think sells MK3 axles complete after a core return for ~$50each. real affordable for me. they work out nice. idk about MK4 stuff.
so im confused about your 1st post. you torqued axle nut to 150 lbs? and added a 1/2 turn, whats the 1/2 turn comment you have there?.

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you loosen the axel nut 1/2 a turn, then rotate the wheel after a turn, plus a few more steps, it I care not to explain, as you say, you aren’t a mk4 guy, I thank you for your explanation

iluvmydiesels said:

im not 100% sure, for us you donot want to move a car without axles being in and minimally tight. (thats just for rolling around a shop, pushing by hand.) about 37ftlbs tight, you can use a 'blank' axle end and a washer and nut and snug. otherwise you ruin the front wheel bearing. before starting car tighten to driving spec.(150 or 200 for us).

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The manual mentions you should not move the car on the ground without a CV joint or else you may damage the bearing, I place the old CV joint back in and push the car into the garage

Car works now. That CV joint was so bad, installing a new one was like installing new motor mounts. I think have a bad ball joint as the left front has a wiggle still, and only when you turn left. You can wiggle it with two hands in the drive way.

Golf2K said:

The manual mentions you should not move the car on the ground without a CV joint or else you may damage the bearing, I place the old CV joint back in and push the car into the garage

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I wouldn't even let the weight of the car on the wheel bearings without the axle attached to the hub by the nut.

Golf2K said:

This C-Clip is inside the CV Boot, correct?

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Bit late but the c clip is on the spline of the main shaft and goes into the cv to hold the cv on to the shaft.

So I think the new cv joint has gone bad. I was pulling out of the drive way and put the car in 1st gear and sounds like it did before, car not moving. I have a bad ball joint in the same side, would this cause the cv joint to fail?

Not unless its falling out of its socket!

Was this a new or a rebuilt axle?

Generally, I am a huge proponent of a person working in his own stuff. But, in this case.....perhaps hiring the job done would be better.

Something here does not add up at all.

Prairieview said:

Generally, I am a huge proponent of a person working in his own stuff. But, in this case.....perhaps hiring the job done would be better.
Something here does not add up at all.

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I know, I’m starting to think I have no business doing this, but hey I did the heater core, replaced the rear hatch door, window regulators, custom trailer hitch (used a professional welder), rocker panel, replaced the starter, rear wheel bearing, rotors and pads—all myself, this is just baffling me.

So what happened was the CV joint came undone, because I didn’t tighten it very well, I didn’t have the deep Allan sockets; which I do now.

On another note I’m at a loss, it would seem I have bad wheel bearing again on the front right this time. If these wheel bearings are so strong why are they so temperamental. SKF lifetime warranty bearing. The tie rods on the left side did not have any slop.

Golf2K said:

I know, I’m starting to think I have no business doing this, but hey I did the heater core, replaced the rear hatch door, window regulators, custom trailer hitch (used a professional welder), rocker panel, replaced the starter, rear wheel bearing, rotors and pads—all myself, this is just baffling me.
So what happened was the CV joint came undone, because I didn’t tighten it very well, I didn’t have the deep Allan sockets; which I do now.
On another note I’m at a loss, it would seem I have bad wheel bearing again on the front right this time. If these wheel bearings are so strong why are they so temperamental. SKF lifetime warranty bearing. The tie rods on the left side did not have any slop.

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Not sure of that brand, but you can get OEM non lifetime warranty bearings from idparts for $40 at the moment.
https://www.idparts.com/front-wheel....html?osCsid=589ff86f3211bfdaa6917b66c453685f

My originals are at 428K miles.

Do the wheel bearings fail because the axel nut isn’t tight enough? Torqued enough? Or the hub isn’t seated in all of the way, I would love to know.

Golf2K said:

Do the wheel bearings fail because the axel nut isn’t tight enough? Torqued enough? Or the hub isn’t seated in all of the way, I would love to know.

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Could be either. Could also be damaged adjacent parts. Install is exacting.

jokila said:

Not sure of that brand, but you can get OEM non lifetime warranty bearings from idparts for $40 at the moment.
https://www.idparts.com/front-wheel....html?osCsid=589ff86f3211bfdaa6917b66c453685f
My originals are at 428K miles.

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The pathetic part is that the warranty on garbage parts is mostly a scam. They know that sooner than later you will grow tired of replacing their super fantastic Chinese garbage parts and just go away.

If you buy a Chinese garbage ball joint and have to replace it 4 times in 100K miles with an alignment each time, how is that cheaper than replacing a ball joint once.that will last at least 150K miles?

iluvmydiesels said:

is the correct torque on MK4s what he did? 150ftlbs and a 1/2 turn?
when you took nut off, i dont think its a really good idea to put in gear. for one if say you have the rear brake on and in 5th gear, if the car wants to move it ll just rotate the engine. best thing, have all 4 wheels on the ground, an even garage or driveway is best. have help in the car on the brake. loosen axle nut, use same method, have help on brake to tighten axle nut.
huh, from what your saying you may have busted your outer left CV.(?)
if you have both front wheels in the air, on stands is the best, if, and only if you have help, your help is in the car, at all times!! he/she can run the motor, you with a light can take a look around, axle shafts, trans flanges. put it in 1st gear, be careful with this, keep your help in the car, in case, behind the wheel. check parts with it in 1st. **make sure its on stands right when/if you do this.**
(old CV that didnt want to go back together??).

Click to expand...

The axle nut is tightened to really snug while the car is on jack stands to seat the axle in the wheel bearing.

Lower the car fully down on the tires, and then you torque the nut to 148ft lbs.
Back it off 180 degrees (1/2 turn).
Rotate the car so the car's wheel turns 180 degrees.
Torque to 37 ft lbs.
Finally, tighten the nut 60 degrees of rotation.

Ol'Rattler said:

The pathetic part is that the warranty on garbage parts is mostly a scam. They know that sooner than later you will grow tired of replacing their super fantastic Chinese garbage parts and just go away.

If you buy a Chinese garbage ball joint and have to replace it 4 times in 100K miles with an alignment each time, how is that cheaper than replacing a ball joint once.that will last at least 150K miles?

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I tell people this all the time. Screw their warranty. So what if they refund your $40 part if it take $400 worth of labor to replace it...