Help - Rear axle nut won't tighten enough to get cotter pin in.

vanbcguy

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Feb 22, 2013
Location
Vancouver, BC
TDI
'93 Passat - AHU mTDI with GTB1756VK
I've gotten the drum back on the axle.

However, the brake shoes are SO TIGHT, I had to force the drum back on by hitting it with a log, it's so tightly on there, the drum won't turn.

I've got a suspicion that the reason for this tightness is probably, that the "adjuster wedge" is in the "maximum wedge the shoes out toward to the drum" position.

Any easy way to retract that "adjuster wedge" without removing the drum again?
The wedge can be popped up using a smaller flat screwdriver via one of the wheel bolt holes in the drum. That's the procedure listed in the Bentley for removing the drum. If it won't turn at all though you might have issues - I probably would have stopped when the drum wouldn't slip on.

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Mongler98

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98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
great job with the nut, congrats. next time get a bigger tip for the fuel can. that tiny thing is barley enough to solder 3/4 copper pipe. never force anything. but yes you can pup it back up with a flat head from the back side. make sure you put some copper antisize on the right spots including that wedge. we all learn by mistakes and you did a good job learning.
Cheers.
 

iluvmydiesels

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phila area
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AHU
yea, nice job melting what was left of that partially melted screw looking thing :p
flange looks like you got that a good bit, some worries, as long as its flat, i guess just be aware. you dont want to be like some time it becomes a problem, and like original problem you werent aware of it. -so it, at some time, just (might) give out.
nice job butchering that dust cap, i just used some adj pliers and some screwdriver action, one side and then another, it just hangs there anymore, so eeh.
isnt the washer a special dished washer, get right washer.
so wait a second you have drum dust cover over stub? all the stubs i ve seen go over the drum inner cover, that goes on 1st. am i right? looks like you got that in reverse! :eek:
 

Mongler98

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Mar 23, 2011
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98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
isnt the washer a special dished washer, get right washer. :eek:
No i dont think its side specific. My washers are all flat but if its dished you could flip it!
so wait a second you have drum dust cover over stub? all the stubs i ve seen go over the drum inner cover, that goes on 1st. am i right? looks like you got that in reverse! :eek:
I dont know what your refering too but the DIY's i see all look the same way. Here is mine when i did my rears 4 years ago.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2406amC9ZOscnBZVmZtR0I3YVk
 
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iluvmydiesels

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phila area
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AHU
No i dont think its side specific. My washers are all flat but if its dished you could flip it!
i was browsing my bentley, mine shows dished washers there. stub bolts.

pretty sure the drum splash shield goes on first and the stub bolts on over, thats mine. hey if it works,,i guess,.>
 

hstruz

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Jul 19, 2006
Location
Aurora, Colorado
TDI
1998 Jetta TDI : sold - 2012 Touareg in the driveway
I didn't think this was worth a new post, and it looks like the people who know are already watching this thread. I'm doing rear bearings, and the driver side stub shaft looks like this. Is that one "hot spot" a sign of a bad shaft, or am I ok?


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ToddA1

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'96 B4V, '97 B4 (sold), '97 Jetta (scrapped)
I’d be more worried about the ridges worn into the stub axle. If the inner race fits snugly, on the stub axle, I wouldn’t be to worried about it.

-Todd
 

Mongler98

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Mar 23, 2011
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COLORADO (SE of Denver)
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98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
I would go to salvage yard and go grab a good axle. that one looks iffy. even if the race fits snug, i bet that within time the high spots there wil wear down and cause it to spin on the shaft.
 

ToddA1

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'96 B4V, '97 B4 (sold), '97 Jetta (scrapped)
Yes... those and the 3 ridges, close to the base, at the taper.

-Todd
 

hstruz

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Aurora, Colorado
TDI
1998 Jetta TDI : sold - 2012 Touareg in the driveway
If I hit a wrecking yard, are all the stubs the same for that vintage? Do the brakes need to come off to swap the stub? Any tricks to doing the job?

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ToddA1

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Just look for the same era car with drum brakes. For drums, I believe left and right are interchangeable.

Unfortunately, the stub axle sits behind the backing plate. You may be able to gently pull the entire backing plate away (everything attached) to sneak the bad one out and the good one in, without disconnecting the fluid line.

-Todd
 

JETaah

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mi 48836
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96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
Unless you find a low mileage car, the stubs are likely to have a worn ridge in the area where the outer bearing's inner race sits on the stub...maybe the inner bearing, too...exactly where the galling is present on your stub. That will cause play in the wheel that a new bearing can not fix and that is not good. That leads the mechanic to over preload the nut to try and take the wobble out of the hub and the bearings get toasted in a short time. That maybe the cause of what happened to your axle.
 
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Steve Addy

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Iowa
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97 Mk3
If I hit a wrecking yard, are all the stubs the same for that vintage? Do the brakes need to come off to swap the stub? Any tricks to doing the job?

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Any Mk3 stub axle will work, even if it has mountings for disc brakes. The provision for disc brake caliper mounting won't interfere with anything for the drum brakes. In actuality some Mk2 stub axles are the same also but I can't remember if the start date is 1988 or 1989...lol.

If you want an exact match just look for a Mk3 4 cyl Jetta (not GT or Trek) or Golf (not GTI or Golf Sport) without ABS and you'll find that stub axle. Any base car non-ABS will be fine.

As a side note be careful removing that protector cup from the existing axle, they are NLA and they're drum brake only. They work for disc too but not if you have ABS.

Steve
 

hstruz

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1998 Jetta TDI : sold - 2012 Touareg in the driveway
Copy that. ID Parts has stub shafts for $20, and FAG bearings for about the same. Think I'll go new, rather than taking a chance with used. It's a third car for me, but I love the 42 mpg around town, over the 16 of the Jeep, or 12 with the Ram.

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Mongler98

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98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
If you can, timmkin in the brand to go with. Make sure its a REAL timmkin though, there are coppycat parts out there. the reality is that these bearings dont take much to them and they are hit and miss on most brands. F.A.G brand is good though. make sure when you tighten it back down, you turn the drum backwards and use the weight of your hand on the wrench ONLY, back it up and go again like 2 times. you do not want to tighten the nut by much.
 

Mongler98

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98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
also 42 in town? thats good, i got like 35 in town, 45 mixed with town and highway.
 

hstruz

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1998 Jetta TDI : sold - 2012 Touareg in the driveway
Got the parts in yesterday and was able to swap the shaft without pulling the brakes. :)

So much nicer (and safer) to drive. I followed all the torque recommendations (is there such a thing as "ounce pounds" of torque?), and time will tell if I got it right.

Looking forward to a road trip to verify mileage, but after doing the ventectomy,it takes a long time to burn a tank.

Love this site.


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Steve Addy

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Iowa
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97 Mk3
Looks good, also looks like that stub axle would work on Passat as well since it has six bolt holes. Funny thing in the US there weren't any drum brake cars...lol.

The 'pounds' torque measure is actually abbreviation for foot pounds (ft. lbs) and so yes there is a reduced measure but it's called inch pounds (in. lbs), but you need a special torque wrench for that.

I don't think I've ever worried about stub axle torque spec. I do think I've gotten them tight though.

Steve
 

hstruz

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Aurora, Colorado
TDI
1998 Jetta TDI : sold - 2012 Touareg in the driveway
My ounce pounds comment was in reference to the spindle nut. :) Even dug out the Bentley manual, and they recommend loose enough to move the retaining washer with a screwdriver blade without prying.

I wonder if I got a unicorn car, regarding the drum brakes. I contemplated doing the shoes, but I can't stand doing drum brakes, and there was enough friction material I wasn't worried.

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Steve Addy

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Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
My ounce pounds comment was in reference to the spindle nut. :) Even dug out the Bentley manual, and they recommend loose enough to move the retaining washer with a screwdriver blade without prying.

I wonder if I got a unicorn car, regarding the drum brakes. I contemplated doing the shoes, but I can't stand doing drum brakes, and there was enough friction material I wasn't worried.

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Ah, yeah, there's a lot of flexibility in how the rear axle nut is set. I'm not sure that there is a precise amount of inch lbs that should be applied when doing the final set. Moving that washer is a pretty subjective issue.

As for the unicorn car, my comment was regarding the Passat. The Passat stub axle requires 6 bolt holes but the B3/4 is the only car to use six, all other chassis' use 4 bolts, including the Mk3. And for B3/4 cars in the US they were all disc brake equipped, so they would have gotten stub axles with the caliper mounting points. Your stub axle cannot be used with disc brakes.

As for Mk3, all TDI cars got drums in the rear, as did all the base GL cars, at least in 1997 anyway when TDI and GL trim levels were the same. The 98 and early 99 Jetta TDI wasn't too different from the 97 but I think you could actually get GLS level trim in those years. The brakes however, were always disc front and drum rear. The only option on that was whether the car had ABS or not.

Steve
 

hstruz

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Aurora, Colorado
TDI
1998 Jetta TDI : sold - 2012 Touareg in the driveway
So if I ever have to replace the drums, does that mean new bearings also? I can't imagine that driving out the old races, and trying to reinstall is a good thing...

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JETaah

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96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
You could reinstall them if you are careful removing them but bearings can't be that expensive.

$25 per kit per side.
 
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