Volkswagen Workshop Service and Repair Manuals

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

• ‒ → Swivel ball hub and ball cage.
• ‒ Press out ball cage in direction of arrow.
• ‒ Press balls out of cage.

Note:

The ball hub and joint are paired and must not be interchanged.

• ‒ → Tilt ball hub out of ball cage over ball track (arrows).
• ‒ Check joint housing, ball hub, ball cage and balls for indentations (pitting) and signs of seizure.

Note:

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:

• ‒ → Insert ball hub over both chamfers into the ball cage. The hub can be installed in any position. Press balls into the cage.
• ‒ Insert hub with cage and balls at right angle to the joint.

Notes:

• ◆ → When inserting ensure that the wide spacing -a- on joint housing is aligned with the narrow spacing -b- on the hub after swivelling in.
• ◆ Chamfer on inner diameter of ball hub (splines) must face larger diameter of joint housing.

• ‒ → Swivel in ball hub, whereby the hub must be swivelled out of the cage (arrows) far enough to allow the balls to fit into the ball tracks.

• ‒ → Swivel in the hub with balls by applying firm pressure on the cage (arrow).

Checking operation of constant velocity joint:

The constant velocity joint is correctly assembled when the ball hub can be moved by hand backwards and forwards over its entire axial movement range.