Front Final Drive, Removing And Installing: Removing

-- Loosen the wheel bolts.

-- Lift the vehicle.

-- Remove the front wheels.

-- Remove the left and right front wheel housing liners. Refer to FRONT WHEEL HOUSING LINER .

-- If the vehicle has air spring dampers installed, loosen the connection for the air line -1- and let the air out. Tighten the connection to the tightening specification. Refer to OVERVIEW - FRONT AIR SPRING SHOCK ABSORBER .

Fig 1: Hooking In Tensioner Hooks VW552 On Both Vehicles Sides In Upper Opening Of Wheel Housing And In Upper Control Arm

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-- Engage the Tensioner Hooks (2 pc.): VW552 in the upper opening in the wheel housing -arrow A- on both sides of the vehicle and into the upper control arm -arrow B-.

-- Lightly pretension the control arm so that the ball stud in the ball joint does not get damaged.

-- Remove the noise insulation underneath the engine/transmission.

-- Remove the impact guard under the front final drive, if equipped. Refer to Body Front .

-- Remove the bracket for the noise insulation.

-- Remove the front driveshaft. Refer to FRONT DRIVESHAFT, REMOVING AND INSTALLING .

-- Remove the heat shield from the front final drive -arrows-.

Fig 2: Identifying Heat Shield Bolts -Arrows- And Shield

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-- Remove the right and left drive axles. Use the 14 mm Bits: T10099/1 to loosen the bolts if necessary.

-- If equipped, remove the heat shield -1- on the steering gear -2- -arrows-.

Fig 3: Identifying Heat Shield -1- And Universal Joint -2-, Removal

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Refer to OVERVIEW - POWER STEERING GEAR .

-- Turn the steering gear all the way to the right.

-- Remove the bolt -arrow- from the universal joint -1-.

Fig 4: Identifying Bolt -Arrow- Of Universal Joint -1-

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-- Release and remove the connector -1- on the Servotronic Solenoid Valve -N119-.

Fig 5: Disconnect The Harness Connector -1- From The Servotronic Solenoid Valve -N119-.

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-- Remove the coolant pipes -1- from the left longitudinal member, if equipped. Remove the nut -arrow A- and the bracket -arrow B-.

Fig 6: Identifying Coolant Pipes, Nut & Bracket

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Only for V6 TDI Engine

-- Remove the pressure line -1- from the bracket on the cylinder head in order to loosen the bolt -arrow-. Refer to OVERVIEW - STEERING COLUMN .

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Tightening specification: 20 Nm

For All Vehicles

-- Engage the Engine Support Bridge - Spindle: 10-222A/11 in the engine support eyes -arrow- on the left and right sides of the vehicle.

Fig 7: Hooking Spindle 10-222 A/11 In Eyelets Of Engine Carrier On Left/Right Vehicle Sides

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-- Insert a block of wood -A-, approximately 300 mm long, into the Engine Support Bridge - Spindle: 10-222A/11 bracket.

Fig 8: Placing One Wood Block Of Approx. 300 Mm In Length In Each Bracket Of Spindles 10 - 222 A/11

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-- The bracket must face toward the rear.

-- Tighten the wing nuts on the Engine Support Bridge - Spindle: 10-222A/11 . While doing this, the wood blocks must be supported on the subframe -B-.

-- Mount a floor jack to the Engine and Gearbox Jack: VAS6931 .

-- Place the Engine and Gearbox Jack: VAS6931 under the engine support and lightly press against it.

Fig 9: Identifying Installation Of Subframe Using New Bolts

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A - Wood Block

-- Remove one of the rear bolts on the subframe -arrow-.

Fig 10: Identifying Removal Of Rear Bolt For The Subframe -Arrow- From Both Sides Of Vehicle

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-- Secure the subframe. Refer to OVERVIEW - SUBFRAME .

-- Remove the subframe bolts -arrows-.

Fig 11: Identifying Installation Of Subframe Using New Bolts

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-- Remove the left and right coupling rod -1- from the stabilizer bar.

Fig 12: Identifying Coupling Rods On Left/Right From Stabilizer Bar, Removal/Installation

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-- Remove the threaded connection on the air spring damper or the suspension strut on the lower control arm. At the same time, lower the subframe using the Engine Support Bridge - Spindle: 10-222A/11 approximately 50 mm in direction of -arrow- to remove the bolt -2-.

-- Install two M14 x 1.5 x 90 bolts, for example Bolts: N 104 281 01 , to secure the engine support to the body on the left and right sides -2-.

-- Remove the Engine and Gearbox Jack: VAS6931 from underneath the engine support.

-- Place the Engine and Gearbox Jack: VAS6931 under the subframe and lightly press against it. Place the wood support -A- underneath the subframe and -B- under the front final drive.

Fig 13: Placing Engine/Transmission Jack V.A.G 1383 A With Universal Transmission Adapter 1359/2 Under Subframe And Lightly Press Against It

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-- Secure the subframe with a strap.

-- Remove the Engine Support Bridge - Spindle: 10-222A/11 from the subframe.

-- Carefully lower the subframe and the front final drive to -a-, approximately 200 mm.

Fig 14: Measuring Dimension Between Body And Fastening Surface Of Subframe

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-- Measure dimension -a- between the body and the bolting surface on the subframe.

-- Remove the bolts and the nuts -1 through 3- that attach the front final drive -A- to the subframe -B-.

Fig 15: Identifying Bolts With Nuts For Front Final Drive On Subframe, Removal/Installation

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A Second Technician Will Be Needed In Order to Remove the Front Final Drive

Fig 16: Identifying Front Final Drive Rearward Between Subframe And Engine/Transmission, Removal

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-- Remove the front final drive -1- toward the rear between the subframe and the engine/transmission:

-- Tie up the left drive axle first.

-- The second technician can then remove the front final drive from the mounts inside the subframe.

-- Guide the right drive axle out of the flange shaft.

-- Lift the front final drive over the steering gear and guide it out toward the rear.