Driveshaft and Hub removal attempted; stuck, help please :)

[Squirrelofdoom]

Hi guys,

So the front left has been squeeking away and I felt a strong pulsing through the brake pedal, so got the front left checked and the hub has like 1mm of runout :S Obviously the previous owner liked kerbs....

Anyway, so decided I would take the hub off and get it skimmed along with the disc and the wheel. At the same time I would replace the N/S driveshaft as mine needs replacing due to a split boot for months (luckily the same side as the squeeking). So, following Tuffty's guide I got to this point:

I can get the driveshaft disconnected from the gearbox fine, but I can't for the life of me get it out of the hub. I tried it with the disc on, disc off, making sure the shaft can't spin, letting it spin...spent a good few hours on it tonight to no avail. In your guide Tuffty it says just pull the hub away from the car to pop the spline out....wasn't happening for me. Any advice guys? I've got someone from working bringing in his driveshaft puller, so hopefully that will help - but any useful tips?

Also on the subject, removing the hub...I know I have to get the driveshaft out first (which I want to do anyway); but how on earth do I get the hub off? Do I have any hope in hell? I'm just working in my garage on axle stands, but looking at ELSAWIN it seems to be a tricky job :S

Again, any help much appreciated guys!! Really looking forward to getting the front end sorted, just have to get through this :S

Cheers,
Aran

 

[sandwich1987]

Have you removed the 17mm Allen bolt that attaches the hub to tw driveshaft? It should be pretty obvious in the Center of the hub. As for removing the hub undo the ball joint nut and seperate the hub from the lower wishbone, then remove the steering arm joint from the hub an finally remove the bolts an nuts from te back of the hub that pinch on the front suspension strut. That should do it.

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

Hi mate, mine used a 30mm nut to connect the hub to the driveshaft; not the 17mm allen key. But either way, yeah, that 30mm nut is off.

As far as removing the hub goes - does your suggestion not remove the hub AND the wheel bearing housing all off the car? I need to just get the hub off while keeping the wheel bearing housing on the car because I need to send the hub off to be skimmed and the wheel bearing housing would get in the way.

Cheers,
Aran

 

[IGI]

driveshaft and hub splines will have corosion if not been apart previously depending on tools you have different methods to split....
copper hammer few blows to driveshaft end should free it do not use a normal hammer as it will damage threads
or a big punch/drift on end of driveshaft hit with hammer ....if in doubt give it a clout!
there is a proper vag tool that i have that bolts to hub flange using the wheel bolts has a simple threaded shaft that pushes shaft end out of hub too

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

Tried going the hammer route lol (through a piece of wood, don't worry ) but either it didn't work or i'm too scared to really hit it! Gonna try my mates driveshaft puller tomorrow, so hopefully that will help. I'm more worried about the hub removal really, cuz it desperately needs getting off, but i don't want to damage the wheel bearing :S

 

[aragorn]

Once you unto the big nut you just need to hit it.

Dont bother skimming the hub. If you suspect theres an issue with it, buy a new one.

The hub is also pressed into the wheel bearing, it wont just come out, and you'll usually wreck the bearing removing it, meaning you need a whole new bearing

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

sooo, if I buy a new hub, i'm then gonna need to get a new bearing cuz i'll destroy it? damn

 

[aragorn]

Yeh, tbh if theres 1mm of runout in the hub then i'd want it replaced anyway, along with the bearing.

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

hmmm, just wondering how to relpace the hub without ruining the bearing etc, cuz I can't replace a bearing at home...and the car isn't exactly going anywhere at the moment lol

 

[jezzy]

pull the hub out then hit with hammer and it will just fall out.
it worked for me when changing cv boot, seems a bit extreme to change drive shaft if its just the boot?

 

[aragorn]

remove the upright and take it to a local garage.

They'll press in a new bearing for about 15-20quid if you supply the bearing and hub.

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

@jezzy. I can feel play in the shaft, and it's been running dry for months due to all the grease having fallen out lol; best to be replaced - got a second hand one cheap anyway.

@Aragorn: Might be the thing to do, yeah :S Don't suppose you're extremely helpful and have the hub / wheel bearing (front N/S audi S3 8L APY) part numbers to hand?

 

[aragorn]

what year is it, i'll look it up tomorrow.

Probably use someone like All German Parts though, rather than the main dealer.

 

[IGI]

Im with aragon on this one would replace hub flange rather than skimming and the wheel bearing..... as hes metioned to remove the flange it will split the bearing leaving the inner part of bearing attached to flange

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

cool, thanks guys. So driveshaft I think i'm all good. As regards the hub / bearing;i'll just fully disconnect the upright and get somone else to press off the old hub and bearing and press in new ones

 

[jezzy]

15 quid boot has now turned into a lot of money. lesson learned.
let us know how you get on bud and good luck

 

[IGI]

cool, thanks guys. So driveshaft I think i'm all good. As regards the hub / bearing;i'll just fully disconnect the upright and get somone else to press off the old hub and bearing and press in new ones

sounds like the best idea for you as u seam a little uncertain of the job at hand:thumbsup:

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

cool, cheers guys. @jezzy - only £40 for new driveshaft, so not bad - and bought the car with the shaft in it's current condition; so knew I would change it at some point...have just been busy (read lazy) up till now :S

 

[S3SYD]

As mentioned have you removed the bottom ball joint?

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

errr, no, i haven't actually. I undid the three nuts below it (I know these should be left to tracking etc, but I'm getting everything retracked afterwards anyway) so didn't see the point in undoing the ball joint....have I missed something?

 

[jezzy]

i know that feeling (to busy lol)
always have time for performance upgrade
never anytime to fix problems :-(

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

i'm the opposite!! never time for performance upgrades, because always fixing the problems!

 

[jezzy]

yes undo the top nut on the ball joint and seperate it from its seat. ( a ball joint seperater helps or a crow bar)

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

I'm confused, how will that help things if the upright is already disconnected from the lower wishbone by ways of the three 16mm nuts?

 

[jezzy]

then no it wont help if you have already undone the 3 bolts that hold the ball joint to the wishbone.
Pull the hub towards you and hit the shaft with a hammer hard, bit of wd 40 wont hurt. if your changing the shaft and hub dont worry about using the wood.

 

[jezzy]

For those reading this post, if your changing boot or shaft and dont want to redo alignment, dont undo the 3 bolts that hold the ball joint in place, just undo the top nut on the ball joint.

 

[Squirrelofdoom]

cool, ok, i thought after all this I was going mental and missing something obvious too!!! At least i'm not I'm planning on a WD40 soak tomorrow morning and then another go after work. at least I should be able to get the shaft sorted, hub might have to wait a tad longer. But with the car on stands, at least I can fix the self levelling mech, fix the rear washer, clean the throttle body, refurb the turbo....and on, and on, and on

 

[Simplicity]

first of all make sure the bottom of the hub is separate from the wishbone + free to move (sounds like it is). The turn the steering all of the way to the left. Put the hub nut back on a few turns (to protect the end of the drive shaft when you hit it) the get a second person to hold out the bottom of the strut and give the end og the drive shaft a good hard smack with a hammer. This should free it up for you.


Tim