Rear axle bushing replacement: Done !

kurtzie

Active member
Joined
Dec 6, 2001
Location
Madison WI
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagon
I want to share my results on replacing the rear axle bushings on my 2002 Jetta with 188K miles. Also brake caliper dust boot.

First the Vortex "how to" is the way to do the bushings. I only wish mine looked as new as the Vortex pictures after 7 winters commuting in the salt roads of the snow belt of NY. Still it is a testimonial to VWs quality that every bolt to remove the axle, and the brake lines, removed with hand tools. Try that with my last GM product after many fewer miles.

My R&R was not planned. Now I am in Madison WI, and Jason TDI pointed me to Zimbrick VW who has the press and would do it for $100. In fact they said "bring it in any day, no appointment needed", except when I got there, it all changed. Full up with appointments, cant do it, and the other service writer (the smart-ass one) piped up that it was 1.9 hours at their shop rate of $100/hr. No pleading helped, and the svc mgr said to go to a local parts store that pressed bushings. I protested that this site had informed me that auto machine shops couldnt do this. But anyway the axle was in the pickup, so I bought the bushings from them (at $50 each. I would have bought on-line for $20, but you dont go to the dealer and ask them to install someone elses parts). The other machine shop of course couldnt press them. So now I am mad, vowing that the Sportwagon I am considering wont be from Zimbrick, and vowing I will do this myself.

And I did ! Didnt use the c-clamp that Vortex how-to says. Bought a 1 ft piece of 7/16th All-thread as mentioned in some other threads here. Also was able to get some 1 3/4 washers that would fit over the center extension of the bushings. With these, some smaller washers, some wood blocks with large holes cut in them, I built up the press mechanism. First used it to remove the old rubber center of the old bushing. About 2 minutes to pull it out of the housing, and much easier than the hammer and chisel method in Vortex, which wouldnt have worked anyway with my rusted bushing. Sawsall to cut out the metal parts. Clean up the housing.

Bushings spent the night in the freezer. Mark them for correct orientation. Clean the axle housing of rust, and rough spots. Propane torch to warm the axle to about 200 degrees. Spray some lubricant; I used silicone. Caution with this or WD-40 or whatever: flammable of course.

Assemble the bushing, washers, spacers, etc. Be sure the draw bolt is centered, as this will help it pull squarely. The rubber wear lip on the inside end of the new bushing housing is tapered, so is not square to the housing (if you look at the Vortex photos, you can see this), but that didnt cause any trouble. I had to fiddle for a minute getting started squarely, but no trouble. These are the VW bushings with the plastic housings. I used a 3/8 drive ratchet with about 8 inch handle, and that is as much leverage as I needed. The first one went in, in about 3 minutes using that. Lots of protesting, groaning and popping, but it went easily. The second one was a little more difficult, but I just tightened until I couldnt pull the ratchet, then gave a tap with a hammer on the big washers, and the bushing would pop in about 1/8 inch. Then tighten the ratchet again, tap again till it pulled home. It did not take more than 5 minutes to install either. I wll comment that the plastic bodies swelled as I was pulling them in, and I worried they might split, but I was in a "what ta hell" mood, so I kept going. I considered putting a few hose clamps on them to contain the swelling; but no problems.

So it is possible, even easy with basic tools.

Now another comment: Caliper piston dust boot replacement. I tore one of mine a few weeks ago trying to free a stuck pad. (remember: the road salt !) Searched everywhere here and everybody said "cant/dont". Well, in another "what ta hell" moment, I ordered a caliper repair kit at World Impex. I figured I could try it, and if it didnt work then, the kit was cheap. The kit (Dorman) had a boot that was smaller than the OEMs, so I called them. Very helpful, compared the boot in a Dorman to the 2 other brands they stock, and said that was right.

So I installed it: Unscrew the piston out; carefully grab the end of the piston with channellocks and about 2 turns and it is out. Inspect and cleanup. Install the new boot from the back of the piston, leaving about 1/4 inch of the boot, including the square molded part that goes into the housing groove, hanging off the inside end of the piston. Insert that square molded part into the caliper housing groove, push the piston into the housing. Then set up your method to screw back in, the same as done when installing new pads. When screwed in, pull the boot the rest of the way forward on the piston, and into the groove on the outside end of the piston. Whole job about 15 minutes. Mine does not leak. I worried that with the smaller boot diameter, the boot would not fold up accordian style when fully retracted for installing new pads, but I installed new rotors and pads when I did the axle bushing R&R, and it worked fine. I am not an expert, so you are on your own, but it worked for me.

I also installed the KYB shocks I bought 3 years ago, even though the OEM shocks are still functioning at 188K miles. I love the ride again, and now will put the TT bushings on the front LCAs.

Hope my comments are useful. I'll be back in a week, so no responses to questions till then.
 

cattlerepairman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Location
Ottawa
TDI
none
Funny - I just did my rear brakes and shredded the dust boot when I slipped with the wire brush.
I second the easiness of the job (especially when you happen to have a caliper rebuild kit sitting on the shelf).

Thanks for the detailed bushing writeup.
 

ibrickey

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Location
Princeton Wi. On the Fox River
TDI
2000 Golf TDI GLS Black Auto Trans
Rear Axle Bushings

I also replaced my rear axle beam bushings and you do'nt have to (heat or freeze) any parts just wipe a little engine assembly lube around the bushings and they'll slide in. I used the Harbor Frieght front wheel bearing install kit to press mine in. it works !;)
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Sorry about the press referral! They are a bunch of thieving lying bastards in that service dept! See you got to put up with the surly bit** as well. Welcome to Madison.....I'd never buy a car from them either since I've been treated very rudely as well. Parts guys are good at west though.

Stop by sometime if you want. We get lots of visitors.
 

cwarner

Veteran Member
Joined
May 28, 2008
Location
Michigan
TDI
2000 Jetta also have a 2001 Dodge ram /Cummins
To any of you experienced axle bushing replacer's , can this be done without removing the axle ? Just letting it hang from the shocks ? I'm going to be doing this job and I do not want to disconnect any brakes and or brake lines. If this has to be done , I'm just going to pay a shop to do it. Brakes and brake fluid and I just don't get along.
Also which HB bearing tool did you purchase ?
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
I believe the bentley says to do it with the axle hanging by the shocks. I just did my first replacement yesterday and it is a ***** if you try and hammer the old one out. I'll be building a press to pull them out next time. To put them back in I used a bench vice, unmounted from the bench lol. It has 2 very flat faces that press the new bushing in very flat, aligning it perfectly.
 

BrianCT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Location
USA
TDI
TDI
kurtzie,

You have to post fotos of the rear axle bushing tool you fabricated.
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
My initial thought was to use my front wheel bearing tool to to the r & r, but the center bolt on mine is too large to pass thru the bearing. That left me no choice but to hammer on it for a long while.
 

kurtzie

Active member
Joined
Dec 6, 2001
Location
Madison WI
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagon
Brian, I am just on the site now after about 10 days. I will get a pix of the setup I used. Wish I had done it at the time.

By the way, I believe that this can be done with the axle on the car. Using the puller to pull the old rubber guts out of the housing, then using a sawsall to cut the old housing is possible, and the only hammering is needed to break it free from rust and push the old housing out after the slot is cut in it. All accessable when the axle is on the car. Pulling the new bushing in can be done too, under the car I believe.

I met JasonTDI today for the first time, and could have asked him if he does bushings, and offered my setup for his use and some pics.

I'll post later this week if possible, although busy packing for the NY Finger Lakes for the 4th.
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
FWIW I believe the VW tool will press the bushings in with the axle on the car.
 

mk3

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta GLS 5-speed
Zimbrick is the worst dealer in the region - except for all the other ones.

Actually, I kind of like Zimbrick although you cannot expect them to be totally cool. Dealers and DIY mechanics like those on this forum are like oil and water.

A long time ago the service rep at Zimbrick east told me that the tire cupping on my 95 Passat was a trait of "all FWD vehicles". I learned years later it was a bad problem on my model and VW had a TSB about the subject relating to rear wheel alignment. I went back and talked to them about the TSB a few years ago and they said something like "no, never heard of it..never had to do that."

Crap, I went through so many very expensive tires due to that original defect..

I have had bad experiences at Hall, Concours and EVS (all in Milwaukee region). Hall is the worst of all of them but I probably think that because I have used them the most. In the last 5 years or so, I have only gone to dealers for the recalls

btw, why did you replace your rear axle bushings?
 

kurtzie

Active member
Joined
Dec 6, 2001
Location
Madison WI
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagon
First to answer mk3: I replaced the bushings because at about 160K every pothole and expansion joint was a jolt. Sounded like I had loose pieces in the trunk rattling. Looked at the bushings and they were deformed; axle was not centered in them, also axle had shifted sideways in them as the rubber end spacers that center the axle in the axle mounting hanger had fallen out.

Second, to comment on my offer to get a pix of my setup to R&R the bushings: Guess who said "I'll never have to do this again", and threw all the wood pieces away !

A further comment on my setup: I took several 4X4 pieces of 2X4 and used a 2 1/4 inch hole saw to cut a hole in them. The actual diameter of the hole is not exact, should be just a little smaller than the bushing OD. Placed the wood spacers on the end of the bushing. I placed a large 3 inch washer over them for the nut to bear against, but lots of other ways to do this, even a wood block with a 3/4 inch hole could be used. The aluminum center of the bushing is bonded to the rubber insert, which is bonded to the outer shell which is pressed into the axle. So the draw bolt with a washer under the head will rip the bushing center and rubber guts out of the housing and pull it into the hole you cut in the wood blocks. It takes only as long to do as to turn the nut on the bolt. No hammering. Then cut a slot in the bushing shell that is left in the axle housing, and you can tap it out.

If you have this setup to get the bushing out, you can figure out how to pull the new one in. You really dont need the wood spacers to pull it in, but I found they are useful, because they let me eyeball the straightness of the setup to pull the bushing squarely in. Even so I got it started crooked, so tapped it out and started again. Actually using the plastic OEM bushings may have made this easier.

If I got a request to do this in Madison area, I might give someone a hand and document it. Making another set of wood spacers is 15 minutes ,and I have all of the washers and bolt.
 

kurtzie

Active member
Joined
Dec 6, 2001
Location
Madison WI
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagon
Just read my post, and need to comment that you will need to draw the new bushing in using something to push on the outer shell of the bushing, not pulling on the aluminum center. You will also note that the aluminum center extends past the end of the outer shell over 1/4 inch, so you will also need a spacer here. One of the wood blocks would work, but I was able to use one of the gaint washers I had with a 1 inch piece of pipe as an additional spacer over the center extension for this.

And, hell, I guess I'm going to be a newbie forever, since I came here when I bought this in Oct 01. Need to post more!
 
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