Rear Axle Bushings

[EMS]

Hi All...

I'm currently in the process of replacing my rear swing-axle (i.e., trailing arm) bushings on my 2000 Golf TDI. I've got about 160k (100,000Miles). When we removed the axle from the car, the passenger side bushing had disintegrated to a point where the bolt mounting sleeve was separated from the outer bushing by hand and on the drivers' side, the whole bushing assembly had walked out of the axle by about 1/8" or more.

I'm just wondering if anybody else has had to replace these bushings? Personally, I think they've been bad since new, since there was always a squeak from the rear suspension over small bumps or when getting out of the car (described as "normal" from the dealer on several occasions.

It appears that there are two different axles used. The first uses a regular rubber bonded bushing that is pushed in and out of the axle. The hole in the bushing where the bolt goes through to mount it to the body bracket is not round, it rather looks like a 3-pronged fan, or a radioactive symbol with the gaps filled in (see http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/teachers/radioactive-symbol.html) .

The second type (which I have) has a more conventional bolt hole (steel sleeve in the rubber) and is a hydro-bonded rubber bushing (my terminology here may be somewhat incorrect) which cannot be replaced, and therefore requires the replacement of the whole rear beam-axle (yup - you read it right) and it's over $900Cdn for the axle part) . And we've tried putting the other type of bushing in my axle, but alas it does not fit.

Does anyone know if this is the type fitted only to TDI's? Or possibly to German made cars (which mine is)? Or is this the first anyone has ever heard of something as inane as this?? More importantly. Does anyone know if the first type of axle will bolt up properly, as I may have a used one sourced from a 2002 .

Any comments/questions would be appreciated. I’ll take some pics when I go back tomorrow.

JP

 

[cage]

If you are correct and VW makes some of the bushings non replacable I would drive to the customer assurance place in Michigan (i think) and shove the whole axle up their asses! I have heard of crap like this with VW where you have to replace a $80,000 dollar part because a plastic clip breaks.

 

[oilhammer]

You should be able to install the other type with replaceable bushings in there without a problem.

It isn't just VW that does this, lots of car makers do. Ball joints that are part of the control arm is a common one, too.

 

[Jon Hamilton]

Isn't it great /images/graemlins/wink.gif We have been through several rear axles on the rally car, and yes there is two different ones...like you said one with a replaceable bushing and one without. The axle with the non replaceable bushing is a smaller diameter bushing therefore when you press out the metal sleve the replaceable bushing does not fit. If you are in a pinch...you can make a relief cut in the axle press in the bushing then weld very carefully the relief cut back together. This did work for us once when we were pressed for time before an event and in bad need of a rear axle!!! It did hold up...now as for long term use...I would not recommend it! We do all kinds of crazy patches on the rally car to keep on racing!!

You can interchange the axles with one another. Also the Jettas came with a larger sway bar.

Good luck! Most salvage yard want between $300-500 here in the states for a used rear beam. Check out www.car-parts.com

 

[aburchell44]

I replaced my axle bushing on my 2000 jetta. I simply removed the entire axle, bought the bushings and took it to the stealership. They only charged me 1/2 hour labour to take them out and pound in the new ones.

The bushings were about 45-55 CDN each.
Thats the cheapest way to do it unless you have your own press.

Andrew