Weight of rear axle assembly on '83 GTi?
Posted
#620146
(In Topic #74528)
Old Timer
Weight of rear axle assembly on '83 GTi?
That means I may as well strip and refurb the rear axle properly as it will be easier fitting the new compensator and brake lines etc with it off the car.
What I need to know is how heavy is it when off the car with the shocks and drums still attached? Is it manouverable by just one person or does it need 2 people? Reason I ask is I am looking at doing this myself without assistance and don't want to get half way through only to find I can't move the damn thing by myself 8O .
Plan is to get the rear of the car supported on axle stands with the wheels off, give the rear axle mounting bolts a good clean and some of that Wurth rust off freezy stuff Littlekev used. Then remove bolts and lower with a trolley jack.
Any flaws in this approach please speak up now so I don't find out too late. I'll be cutting the brake pipes and flexi lines as they are all getting replaced.
Alkso anyone know of a good online supplier for stainless fastenings (bolts etc)?
Cheers,
Chris
ex '83 Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign owner and missing it already!
Posted
Settled In
I replaced mine a few months back. i lowered it off the car with a trolly jack but you will need two folk to put the axle back on the car, just to line up the mounts and struts.
i did mine in a similer way to what you describe but i kept the flexi hoses, disconecting the flexi hose was the hardest thing about the job tho.
Posted
Old Timer
Having just looked at my drive on ramp in the garage I am wondering about some mods to that that will let me raise the car using the jacking / lifting points so leaving the wheels free…….
If I can find a supplier of 2x4 steel box section local to me I may have a cunning plan :wink:
Chris
ex '83 Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign owner and missing it already!
Posted
Old Timer
Use two trolly jacks to lift the axle back into position - should be no problem.
Get cleaning the threads on those mounting studs and buy a load of Plus Gas in preparation !!!
Good luck,
Mark.
Posted
Old Timer
I am looking at a way to use the cross beams on my manual ramp to lift the car on the jacking points - only think is I'm not clear at the rear where the mounting pads of an arm type hydraulic lift are usually placed when raising the car - anyone know?
The front is easy as you can see the 2 round "dimples" used in the factory for mounting the shell on the supporting cage for transporting it round the production line.
Chris
ex '83 Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign owner and missing it already!
Posted
Old Timer
Cheers,
Mark
Posted
Local Hero
Got one on mine from 1990 Scirroco [?20.00], has rear roll bar , drums are different shape but same and it was not rusty so it made cleaning and painting easy .
I lifted my car using a wood beam placed at the furthest point rear i could get [under rear seat] . Made the job easy though , and as a bonus you can rust proof while it's all off .
Cheers……
Posted
Old Timer
The jacking points on the sill have the panel seam running along them and look like they would crush? Or do you use blocks of wood on the axle stands with a groove cut in them?
Cheers,
Chris
ex '83 Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign owner and missing it already!
Posted
Local Hero
Posted
Old Timer
Thanks for the pic. So did you have to cut small grooves in the fencepost to avoid crushing the panel seam at the bottom of the sills then?
As I am only removing the rear axle all the exhaust and other pipework will still be in place. This "hangs down" a bit below the level of the outer sill area, so I am looking at fabbing some short metal blocks with rubber on top to sit on top of the cross beams on my ramp to give a very flattened "U" shaped support.
Chris
ex '83 Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign owner and missing it already!
Posted
Local Hero
If you put a post under your car it sits on the ribs on either side of the floor and misses the fuel lines , brakes lines and sills . So you will not have to groove any thing , looking at my old picture i see i even left the exhaust on . The only thing i removed from memory was the hand brake cables with the axle .
Cheers ………..
Posted
Old Timer
Apologies for all the questions, but you can't beat the experience of some one that has done this already
Cheers,
Chris
ex '83 Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign owner and missing it already!
Posted
Local Hero
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