Volkswagen Workshop Service and Repair Manuals

The joint should be dismantled to renew dirty grease or for checking the balls and ball tracks for wear and damage.

Removing:

• ‒ → Before dismantling mark position of the ball hub in relation to the ball cage and housing with an electric scriber or oil stone.
• ‒ Swivel ball hub and ball cage.
• ‒ Remove balls one after the other.

• ‒ → Turn cage until the two rectangular windows (arrow) are aligned with the joint housing.
• ‒ Lift out cage together with hub.

• ‒ → Swing segment of hub into rectangular cage window.
• ‒ Tilt hub out of cage.

Note.

The 6 balls of each joint belong to one tolerance group. Check stub axle, hub, cage and balls for indentations (pitting) and signs of seizure. Excessive backlash in joint will be noticed as a knock during load changes. In such cases the joint must be renewed. Polished areas and ball track marks are not a reason for changing the joint.

Installing:

• ‒ Press half of the total amount of grease (55 gramme) into the joint housing.
• ‒ Install cage with hub in the joint housing.
• ‒ Press in the balls one after the other from opposite sides whereby the original position of the hub to cage and joint housing must be restored.
• ‒ Fit new circlip in the hub.
• ‒ Distribute the remaining grease in the bellows.