All Wheel Drive
Wheel Bearing Housing
Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required
• Torque Wrench (40-200 Nm) (V.A.G 1332)
Removing
- Remove the coil spring. Refer to => [ Coil Spring ] Coil Spring.
- Loosen the drive axle to wheel hub bolt. Refer to one of the following:
=> [ Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt with Ribs ] Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt with Ribs.
=> [ Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt without Ribs ] Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt without Ribs.
- Remove the wheel.
- Remove the brake carrier and brake caliper and secure them to the body with wire.
- Remove the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) speed sensor from the wheel bearing housing.
- Remove the shock absorber lower bolt - arrow - from the wheel bearing housing.
- Remove the cover plate bolts - arrows - and the cover plate - 1 -.
- Remove the tie rod bolt - 1 -, washer and nut, the upper track control arm bolt - 2 -, washer and nut and the lower track control arm bolt - 3 - and nut from the wheel bearing housing - 4 -.
- Remove the coupling rod nut - arrow - from the wheel bearing housing.
- Pull the coupling rod - 1 - out of trailing arm/wheel bearing housing.
- Hold the wheel bearing housing tightly and remove the trailing arm bolts - arrows -.
- Remove the wheel bearing housing.
Installing
Installation is the reverse of removal, with special attention to the following:
Position: Threaded Connection of the Trailing Arm/Wheel Bearing Housing
The threaded connections of the trailing arm/wheel bearing housing must only be tightened when all other components of the respective wheel suspension have been already assembled. To tighten, the suspension must be unloaded. Only now do the trailing arm and wheel bearing housing move into the position required - arrows -.
- Install the coil spring. Refer to => [ Coil Spring ] Coil Spring.
Always perform the following work in the sequence given!
- Install the trailing arm to the wheel bearing housing with the bolts - arrows - but do not tighten them yet.
- Insert the coupling rod - 1 - into the trailing arm/wheel bearing housing, do not install the nut yet.
- Let down the wheel suspension using the engine-/gearbox jack (V.A.G 1383 A) and remove the wheel hub support (T10149) from the wheel hub.
- Tighten the trailing arm to wheel bearing housing bolts - arrows - to specification, observe the required position of components while doing so.
- Install the coupling rod - 1 - to trailing arm/wheel bearing housing nut.
Connections to the wheel bearing housing must only be tightened when dimension "a" is achieved. Refer to => [ Tightening of the respective bolts/nuts must then only occur after dimension between the wheel hub center and the lower edge of the wheel housing has been attained. ] Rear Subframe.
- Install the brake carrier and brake caliper.
- Tighten the drive axle to wheel hub bolt. Refer to one of the following:
=> [ Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt with Ribs ] Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt with Ribs.
=> [ Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt without Ribs ] Drive Axle to Wheel Hub Bolt, Loosening and Tightening, with a Twelve Point Bolt without Ribs.
The vehicle must not rest on wheels when doing so.
With the bolt loosened, the wheel bearing can be damaged by the vehicle weight.
Differences Between a Twelve Point Bolt With Ribs and a Bolt Without Ribs
The contact surfaces - arrows A and B - are different on the two bolts.
I Twelve point bolt with ribs - arrow A -
II Twelve point bolt without ribs - arrow B -
- Install the wheel and tighten the wheel bolts. Refer to => [ Wheel Bolt Tightening Specifications ] Wheel Bolt Tightening Specifications.
Tightening Specifications
