Rear Final Drive: Removing

Special tools and workshop equipment required 

• Torque Wrench 1331 5-50Nm VAG1331
• Torque Wrench 1332 40-200Nm VAG1332
• Engine/Gearbox Jack VAG1383A
• Tensioning Strap T10038
• Hand Drill
• Stepped Drill Bit or Cone Drill Bit
• Protective Eyewear

-- Raise the floor covering in the luggage compartment.

-- Remove the spare wheel.

Now, you have access to the marks -1- in the luggage compartment floor.

The -arrow- points in the direction of travel.

-- Drill 2 holes -1- on the marks to 26 mm -a-. Remove any drill shavings while drilling, if possible.

-- Deburr the holes and remove any shavings carefully.

Reestablish the corrosion protection with the materials specified by the manufacturer. Refer to Body Collision Repair.

-- Loosen and remove both bolts -1-.

You must replace these bolts later.

-- Lift the vehicle.

-- Remove the stabilizer bar. Refer to Removal and Installation .

-- Support the front exhaust pipe -A- using the Tensioning Strap T10038 on the driveshaft intermediate bearing.

-- Remove the exhaust pipe bracket bolt -arrow- and bracket from the subframe.

-- Disconnect the exhaust system at the clamping sleeve -arrows- and remove the rear exhaust system. Refer to [For transmission(s) 0A6, 09M] Description and Operation .

-- Remove the noise insulation below the engine/transmission. Refer to Description and Operation

-- Remove the pendulum support bolts -1 and 2-.

In order not to damage the left rear level control system sensor:

-- Disconnect the harness connector, remove the sensor -1- and lay it on the control arm -A-.

-- Loosen but do not remove the driveshaft intermediate bearing bolts -arrows-.

-- Press the engine and transmission forward by hand and secure in this position with a suitable piece of wood -A-.

So that noises due to imbalance do not occur later:

-- See if there are marks (colored dots) on the driveshaft flexible disc and rear final drive input flange -arrows-. If not, mark the position of the driveshaft flexible disc and rear final drive input flange with respect to one another -arrows-.

-- Remove the driveshaft flexible disc to input flange bolts -arrows-.

-- Remove the driveshaft from the final drive, and guide it upward in the center until it is under the fuel tank -2-. In this position, support it on the tunnel brace -1- using a suitable piece of wood.

When removing and installing the drive axles, the final drive must be moveable in the rear area.

-- To do this, loosen the bolt -arrow- on the front mounting bracket no more than 5 turns.

-- Disconnect the left drive axle from the final drive.

-- Lift the final drive -A- in the rear -arrow 1- and push it as far as possible to the right -arrow 2-.

-- Remove the left drive axle -B- from the flange and carefully lower it.

-- Put the final drive back into its installed position.

-- Disconnect the right drive axle from the final drive.

-- Lift the final drive -A- in the rear -arrow 1- and push it as far as possible to the left -arrow 2-.

-- Remove the right drive axle -B- from the flange and carefully lower it.

-- Put the final drive back into its installed position.

-- Support the final drive using the Engine/Gearbox Jack VAG1383A and secure it using the universal support with the strap to keep it from falling.

-- Remove the bolt -arrow- at the front mounting bracket.

You must replace this bolt later.

-- Remove the washer -C- on top of the mounting bracket.

-- Position the final drive in the vehicle on an angle as shown in the figure while lowering it at the same time.

-- Disconnect the harness connector -A- from the all wheel drive control module.

-- Remove the vent lines -arrows- from the final drive.

-- To remove, lower the final drive more and pull it forward, while ensuring that there is sufficient clearance with respect to other components.