I've had a rhythmical thumping around the front passenger floorboard area that increases with speed & goes away if I turn slightly left. Leaning towards outer CV as everything else seems tight. Does anyone know where/if its still possible to get an oem or equivalent outer CV joint? I'd like to retain the oem shaft if possible rather than going aftermarket. Cascade only lists the inner and FCP only has made in china
Outer CV joint source
- Thread starter Chungus
- Start date
garciapiano
Veteran Member
Don’t rule out an out of round tire or bent wheel.
you should be able to get the GKNs still. I got my last set of joints from Raxles.
you should be able to get the GKNs still. I got my last set of joints from Raxles.
thechoochlyman
Vendor , w/Business number
For the record, I've had pretty good luck with Autozone and Napa axles over the years. Last time I swapped them I remove the boot on the outer joint and replaced all the crappy grease with something good, then replaced the boot clamps with ones I bought from McMaster Carr.
jokila
Vendor
Crap tier parts wont last. It's a crap shoot with low odds for a quality part They will come with a lifetime warranty of switching them out.
Rebuilding will cost more comparatively, but it last hundreds of thousands of miles. My axles are at 518K miles have only been rebuilt once. One of the outers is still original.
jokila
Vendor
I would recommend you put the car on jack stands to get the tires off the ground and run them in gear to see if the vibration goes away.
idparts.com sells the outer kits. outer kits
EDIT: Rereading your info, it could be your axle bearing, The left one in particular.
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thechoochlyman
Vendor , w/Business number
So far I've gotten about 100k out of each one, which I don't think is too bad. But next time I might refresh one of the mutiple OEM axles I have and return the aftermarket ones.
jokila
Vendor
100Kmiles, while it may seem a lot, is practically basic for what I think TDIers expect to drive.
It's a crap shoot on quality. Therein is the problem. Lifetime warranty parts is the gimme because it implies quality, and that's not true. If one is going to sell their car and needed one, then price matters.
thechoochlyman
Vendor , w/Business number
Oh yeah, it's definitely a crapshoot. But I can't justify spending double on OEM when I can just keep replacing the CRAP forever. 
Not a philosophy I use on many other parts, but it is what it is.
Not a philosophy I use on many other parts, but it is what it is.
jokila
Vendor
You confirmed you are suckered by more work to save a buck. That is not savings. Lifetime warranty = lifetime replacing parts needlessly.Oh yeah, it's definitely a crapshoot. But I can't justify spending double on OEM when I can just keep replacing the CRAP forever.
thechoochlyman
Vendor , w/Business number
It's definitely saving something if you've got more time than money.
I think Mk4 would be a different size, no? Since they use 5 lug vs 4 lug on the B4. Even a mk3 VR outer CV is different than the mk4 iirc
I checked both wheel bearings, theres no play. For the amount noise I'm hearing I'd expect the wheel to be ready to fall off if it was the bearing. My passenger also said she could feel the thumping under the passenger floorboard yesterday lol
I have an old rockauto axle that I had on the car originally before I swapped to OEMs. It had a bit of in & out play at the outer joint when I removed it but I'll probably run it in the meantime while I hunt down gkn outer joints
jokila
Vendor
Outer CV Joint (A3)
Outer CV joint for the A3 Jetta TDI. Comes with joint, boot, inner and outer clamps, new circlip, axle nut and tube of CV grease....
www.idparts.com
One way to check the bearing is to have the wheel off the ground and grab it at 12 and 6 and wiggle the tire. should not be any movement.
Update: pulled the passenger axle, inner CV was very seized. Could see the axle moving in non circular pattern with car on jackstands. Replaced it with a good aftermarket one. Thumping noise still present. Sounds like it's coming from the diff when I'm under the car . Could a bad inner CV ruin a diff over time? Driver axle looks and feels fine. Noise goes away when I'm turning left at speed
. Could a bad inner CV ruin a diff over time? Driver axle looks and feels fine. Noise goes away when I'm turning left at speed
Steve Addy
Top Post Dawg
Does your passenger axle inner CV have the heat shield still installed on the block? Sort of a round plastic cover that protects the CV / boot from the exhaust heat?Update: pulled the passenger axle, inner CV was very seized. Could see the axle moving in non circular pattern with car on jackstands. Replaced it with a good aftermarket one. Thumping noise still present. Sounds like it's coming from the diff when I'm under the car
I would suspect that maybe the diff bearing / race is bad on that side if the CV was semi-seized. I would think you'd notice it when you installed the new axle, the drive flange would have been pretty sloppy.
Steve.
I haven't had that shield on for years, maybe I'll dig through the boxes and put it back on. I forgot to check the drive flange actually. I'll take a look at it when I pull the trans this weekend.
garciapiano
Veteran Member
Seems like a diff bearing, the one the drive flange sits in. I have no experience changing these, and teardown is probably required to get to it.
Sounds like you might be in for a transmission... I have a good CTN sitting, but it'll be a lot of money to ship...
Sounds like you might be in for a transmission... I have a good CTN sitting, but it'll be a lot of money to ship...
I've got a good used one lined up already. I'll probably keep this one around for the casing in case the diff pin decides to let go againSeems like a diff bearing, the one the drive flange sits in. I have no experience changing these, and teardown is probably required to get to it.
Sounds like you might be in for a transmission... I have a good CTN sitting, but it'll be a lot of money to ship...
Houpty GT
Veteran Member
Napa remans used to be very good. They were rebuilt in Pennsylvania or USA and much better than any new China axle. They no longer carried the TDI axle I needed the last time I checked.
Your ID part link is for an MK4. That is a 5 lug hub.
Raxles has the joints. Call him up.
turbodieseldyke
Veteran Member
The mk4 MT axles are supposed to be compatible with mk3. Lugs don't matter, the hub-axle mating surface does. Both engines are 90hp anyway, it's not like the extra lug was really necessary.
Steve Addy
Top Post Dawg
Any differential bearing work on the 02A/J requires a tear down, it's all accomplished from the inside AFAIK.
RA has GKN outer joints (inner too) but you have to look under the Mk3 2.0L gasser cars to find them. Part # is 302175, $65 complete kit, why they don't show up for Mk3 TDI I can't say, RA is stupid that way about some things, they claim they only list what the manufacturer sends to them.
If you have the inner joint heat shield I would reinstall it, it's just a good idea to protect that joint as much as you can. I've seen plenty without that shield where the boot is all gone and the joint is a mess of dried out rusty bits ready to explode.
Steve
RA has GKN outer joints (inner too) but you have to look under the Mk3 2.0L gasser cars to find them. Part # is 302175, $65 complete kit, why they don't show up for Mk3 TDI I can't say, RA is stupid that way about some things, they claim they only list what the manufacturer sends to them.
If you have the inner joint heat shield I would reinstall it, it's just a good idea to protect that joint as much as you can. I've seen plenty without that shield where the boot is all gone and the joint is a mess of dried out rusty bits ready to explode.
Steve