VR6 axle swap 'How To'

hutchman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2005
Location
Virginia
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Pkg 1, 5 Spd, Graphite Blue / 2002 Jetta GLS, Black w/tan leather
TDIinTexas said:
I'm showing remans for $70.00 for the left and $74.00 for the right. So I would shop around before going to the wrecking yard. ;) That's VR6 for the left and 1.8T for the right.

David
Where? These are complete with CV's? A local salvage yard here has them in the $55 range.
 

dok

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
'96 B4V
Wingnut said:
2000-2004 manual transmission
Marty at Raxles.com informed me the right side TDI(MKIV) axle is 1" longer than the standard VR6 axles? Anyone have this problem, suggestions.
 

Wingnut

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Location
Toronto & Whitby
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta Wagon
dok said:
Marty at Raxles.com informed me the right side TDI(MKIV) axle is 1" longer than the standard VR6 axles? Anyone have this problem, suggestions.
Is it possible he got it backwards? The TDI axles are shorter than the VR6/1.8T axles. They make up the difference with a spacer. Notice the length difference in the bolts in the pictures?

Either way, the 5 speed transmissions in all MKIV cars are identical. So they will all have the same dimensions & distance to the spindles. All MKIV axles are interchangable. The only difference is the size of the flange.
 

dok

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
'96 B4V
Wingnut said:
Is it possible he got it backwards? The TDI axles are shorter than the VR6/1.8T axles. They make up the difference with a spacer. Notice the length difference in the bolts in the pictures?

Either way, the 5 speed transmissions in all MKIV cars are identical. So they will all have the same dimensions & distance to the spindles. All MKIV axles are interchangable. The only difference is the size of the flange.
Wingnut,
Thank you for clarification.
 

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
I know this is a old thread but I didn't see one thing mentioned that probably should have been.

You need to make sure you also have the proper bolt spacers that go onto the axle before bolting it up to the flange. The holes in the 100mm flange spacers are not big enough for the new beefier bolts. There are 3 spacers per flange, so you'll need 6 total. The stock bolts that hold the axle to the flange are alot thinner then the bolts from the 1.8T/VR6 units.(As you can see form Nigels pic)
 

Wingnut

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Location
Toronto & Whitby
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta Wagon
I looked at ETKA and there is no part number mentioned for those spacers for the VR6 axles. There was one for the TDI axles though. With the larger head on the VR6 bolts and the blue loctite on the OEM bolts, I figured there would be no issues with not having a spacer plate in there.
 

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
Ah... so you didn't end up putting those little spacers in.. Makes sense, I just remember trying to test fit and thinking "crap, I gotta buy these stupid things as well"

I picked mine up at the dealer, think I told them a 2000 VR6 Jetta. I wonder if they were only on the older cars?
 

PoochiePD

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Location
Sun Prairie, WI
TDI
2013 Tempest Blue Jetta
Haha! Yeah only cheaper by a couple hundred bucks!! This is the final component in my upgrade and haven't been able to find any for 3 months! Thank you very much! Woohoo! :D


 

vwsurf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Location
Central Florida
TDI
2000 Golf TDI 2-Dr
Just found post after posting hollow or solid. Anyway I hit a curb and my right axle broke in half I will try to post pic. I have a 2dr 2000 golf TDI automatic. Do u guys think this should be a upgrade for automatic? No major mods to engine yet.
Oh ya if I upgrade do I need to get automatic? I would say yes. And if so I wonder if the VR6 1.8T automatic are the same as my TDI?
Thanks
 

PoochiePD

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Location
Sun Prairie, WI
TDI
2013 Tempest Blue Jetta
vwsurf said:
Just found post after posting hollow or solid. Anyway I hit a curb and my right axle broke in half I will try to post pic. I have a 2dr 2000 golf TDI automatic. Do u guys think this should be a upgrade for automatic? No major mods to engine yet.
Oh ya if I upgrade do I need to get automatic? I would say yes. And if so I wonder if the VR6 1.8T automatic are the same as my TDI?
Thanks
If you are planning on reaching the level of power that requires bigger axles, you will need to upgrade your trans first, ie, -5 speed swap-. Do a search on this and you will discover that the tranny you have in your car is not exactly the most "stout". BTW I also know a couple TDI owners pushing 200whp and are still using stock axles.

If I were you I would just stick with stock axles and don't worry about upgrading them yet. Just stop by a junkyard and pick up an axle for now. I picked up BOTH axles for my car for $75, so it shouldn't break the bank.
 

dJValkenburg

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2008
Location
Calgary
TDI
MK4 Jetta TDI
Sweet! I'm looking at doing a VR6 Axle swap in the Spring! I was hoping there was going to be a thread about it! I snapped my driverside axle in half in the summer time. I didn't hit a curb or anything, it just snapped in half. This happend before I put all my mods in as well. All I had in were the nozzel's and a Stage 2 chip, that I no longer have anymore. I replaced the axle with a used oem Tdi Axle as I didn't have the money or time to do the VR6 Axle swap.
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Sorry guys, Now I am a little confused on this spacer issue.

If i buy the complete list shown on your first post

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=1318639&postcount=1

Will I be OK or will I need spacers?

Will I need longer bolts?

If so, can someone pls tell me the part numbers for the spacers or whatever else I will need.

tnx

P









Wingnut said:
Is it possible he got it backwards? The TDI axles are shorter than the VR6/1.8T axles. They make up the difference with a spacer. Notice the length difference in the bolts in the pictures?

Either way, the 5 speed transmissions in all MKIV cars are identical. So they will all have the same dimensions & distance to the spindles. All MKIV axles are interchangable. The only difference is the size of the flange.
 

Sc0

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2000
Location
Houston, TX USA
TDI
'02 Golf GL 5sp Candy White Tan cloth interior
I ordered some Raxles from MArty a few thousand miles ago, no axle core charge... just bolted them in and running them on a 1.9 ALH, 02J with 108mm flanges and no spacers.
 

Wingnut

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Location
Toronto & Whitby
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta Wagon
tothemax said:
Sorry guys, Now I am a little confused on this spacer issue.

If i buy the complete list shown on your first post

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=1318639&postcount=1

Will I be OK or will I need spacers?

Will I need longer bolts?

If so, can someone pls tell me the part numbers for the spacers or whatever else I will need.

tnx

P
Sorry for the confusion. Perhaps spacers was not the proper term to use. Have a look at the below picture. The guts of the TDI CV joints are inside the cylinder at the end of the axle that I refered to as the spacer. Its not a spacer, but part of the axle. Since the bolts go through this part on the TDI axle, they are longer than the VR6 bolts.

The parts needed to do this swap are 2 x VR6 axles, 2 x 108mm flanges & 12 bolts. But I recommend changing the axle nut & the oil selas as well.

 

dJValkenburg

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2008
Location
Calgary
TDI
MK4 Jetta TDI
Nice aight, that makes a lot more sense. This is a lot easier than I had imagined, which means it will be done this spring. Thanks a lot for all the pictures and detailed instructions! Probably will be revisiting in the spring :D
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
thank you partner

This clarifies it

P

Wingnut said:
Sorry for the confusion. Perhaps spacers was not the proper term to use. Have a look at the below picture. The guts of the TDI CV joints are inside the cylinder at the end of the axle that I refered to as the spacer. Its not a spacer, but part of the axle. Since the bolts go through this part on the TDI axle, they are longer than the VR6 bolts.

The parts needed to do this swap are 2 x VR6 axles, 2 x 108mm flanges & 12 bolts. But I recommend changing the axle nut & the oil selas as well.

 

bencarr23

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2004
Location
Waco Tx.
TDI
Golf 2013 white
for the price if your doing this anyway I would get new ones. the diff. from stock and just the stock ones from drive shaft shop are huge. I feel alot better with the drive shaft shop ones than the used vr6 ones.
 

t-spec

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Location
Mississauga, Ontario
TDI
2003 metallic grey tdi jetta
Wingnut said:
Here are some side by sides of the 2 flanges:



And the 108mm flange:



The spring you see on the old flange on the left just slides off and can be transfered onto the new flange. there are 3 pieces in total to move. A spring, a sleeve and a clip. :



Now that the flange is out, you can remove & replace the flange seal. I have a seal puller, but you may be able to pry it out with a prybar or long flathead screwdriver. Just be carefull not to nick the soft aluminum around the seal. If you do, you may get leaks after you put in the new seal.



To put the new seal in, just apply a bit of grease around the outside edge and lightly tap it into place with a hammer. If you don't have a seal driver (I didn't) just use the hammer, rotating around the edge as you go so that it goes in straight. Remember, light taps in a circular motion.

Once the new seal is in, you can start reinstalling everything. Slide the new flange in (with the spring & stuff transfered from the old flange). In order to get the flange bolt started, you need to pry the flange in a bit. The threads won't engage because of the spring on the flange. Gently pry it in and then you can tighten the bolt.

Here is the pry point for the drivers side:



And here is the pry point for the passenger side. I used a flathead screwdriver slid through the hole in the block:



These bolts get torqued down to 18 ft/lbs according to the Bently.

Once the flange is in, you can install the axle. Instalation is the opposite of removal. The new bolts are bigger, so you will need a 12mm 12 point bit to tighten them down. When torquing down the new flange bolts, tighten them down to 30 ft/lbs according to the Bentey. Again, get someone to step on the brake for this one.

Now you're almost done. You just need to refill the gearbox and make sure everything is fastened down properly. To fill the gearbox, remove the fill plug located at the front of the transmission. I don't have a 17mm allen bit, so I used an old wheel bolt I had lying around and a 17mm wrench. If you don't have one either, you can do the same as me just using a 17mm wrench and one of your own wheel bolts:



Then insert a 3/4" tube into the hole and route it up into the engine bay:



From the top, you can now fill the gearbox using a funnel and the hose. As luck would have it, the ID of the hose is a tight fit on the OD of the bottle of MT90 I used, so I cut off the bottom & used it as a funnel:



Now, you are done, congrats. Total time was about 3 hours, but that included stopping to take pics.
Using the wheel bolt for the fill plug is absolutely genius! I never would of thought of that, saves me from droppin' the dough on an allen key. Is the drain plug the same size? Thanks Wingnut.
 

Growler

Got Soot Vendor
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Millersport, Ohio
TDI
Schmutz, 2015 Golf Sportwagen DSG & Schnurren, 2001 Golf GL 2 door 5M
If I put 108MM flanges on my 02j tranny, will 01m Automatic axles bolt up? I see they use 108mm flanges.. or are they too short?
 

LiLredTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Location
maryland
TDI
2004 jetta tdi pd-1989 Jetta IDI-1994 F-250 IDI Turbo
This is a great how-to why is it not a sticky or in the how to section? Mods?
 

jaydogg007

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
09 Jetta TDI
Stock Automatic Transmission Left axle swap (2000 Golf)

Firstly, Wingnut...thanks for the excellent write up! This how-to cut my learning and working time literally in 1/2 if not more.

Not adding any expertise here, just sharing some learnings from yesterday...

Note to everyone thinking about doing this swap...read the entire how-to, then read it again. Bentley's is confusing...use this how-to.

I pulled my old greasy leaky squealy left axle out of my Auto Green Golf this morning. Getting it out was a pain in ou rear until I disconnected the lower control arm from the strut tower. I forgot to mark the three bolts, so now I'm going to need an alignment. I only did the left side, that's where all the noise was coming from.

You should keep the rotors on so you can remove the bolts (also in Wingnut's writeup)

The six bolts referred to in the How-To on my car are 10MM 12 point heads. You might see them called "12 Point Triple Square".
A fellow club member dropped these off. They're 3/8" drive. He said he got them at Harbor Freight. I used a 1/2" drive bit from Mac Tools.



I'm getting some new replacement bolts this week. I beat mine up pretty good. They look pretty rough. Look at your bolts and be conservative with your decision to replace them or not. Not sure what happens if one shears off, nor do I want to know.
Here are the ones I pulled off the car.



Be sure you have a nice firm perpendicular bite on the head before you start turning. They are not torqued down very hard at all. Maybe finger tight and 1/2 a turn at most. The triple square bits do not take alot of torquing...they WILL strip out your bolt heads.

Here's what your auto transmission left axle looks like. Note the tip to tip dimension. Be sure you have this when you order it. I need to send the new one I ordered back because it's about 2" too long.



This is what your car looks like with the control arm disconnected. This allows sufficient room to work.



And a shot looking through the wheel well into the flange with the old axle removed.



You can turn the axle with the car in park. I found that a small 8" crow bar worked the best for rotating the axle around. I couldn't turn it with my hand. Get a buddy to step on the brake when you get the bolt of choice in position. Again, you want to have a good bite on the bolt so you don't strip out the head.

I'll add more pictures of the finished job to this post once I get the correct axle.

Again, this is an excellent write up! If I can pull this off, anyone can.

Good luck!!
 
Last edited:
Top