Drive Shaft Refurbishing

Discussion in 'Transmission' started by Gtinick, Oct 25, 2021.

  1. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    Hi, I have a pair of drive shafts from a 1991 16V GTI. I would like to have the option of either doing it myself or if I feel too lazy then send/take them to a recommended rebuilder - preferably someone who supports this forum.

    I have been looking a refurb kits and can find plenty of stuff for the inner joints but nothing but boot kits for the outer joints. My logic says that surely the outers have a much harder life so would surely have greater wear and need replacing sooner. Any knowledge gratefully received including sellers not the requisite bits.
    Oh and I think they are the 90mm shafts??

    Tank you.

    Nick
     
  2. Tristan

    Tristan Paid Member Paid Member

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  3. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    Tristan, Thank you for the prompt reply. I have them in my shed so I’ll check in the morning plus i’ll follow your link.
    I thought that 16V GTI’s were 90mm but I know little about drive shafts - as yet!
    Nick
     
  4. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    mk2 gti 8v and 16v have 100mm shafts. try to source GKN if not genuine joints
     
  5. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    As always thanks RJ.
     
  6. valvemiester

    valvemiester Paid Member Paid Member

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    As Tristan says above try vwheritage or gsf, euro car parts, autodoc, or a local auto parts store if you have one.
     
  7. Rustbuster

    Rustbuster Paid Member Paid Member

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    D290FADB-72DC-4E91-8424-80B77F9A5B48.jpeg I did mine not too long ago. I’d strip them down, I.e. strip the joints themselves down. The balls and cages come apart completely and once degreased you can look for any signs of wear or scoring. Only if damaged in that way would I replace them unless they were rattling before you took them off? Then reassemble them with a good quality cv joint grease with a high molly content. Picture above is of process of disassembly.
     
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  8. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    Rustbuster,
    Brilliant - especially the photo. These drive shafts are my original ones that have been hanging about the shed/gloryhole for too long. They will be my next winter project. I'll do as you suggest and strip them down and inspect them before I order any new parts. (There is some discernible play).
    Plus thanks to Tristan and RJ I'll even buy the correct size!!
    Thanks again.

    Nick
     
  9. Rustbuster

    Rustbuster Paid Member Paid Member

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    There’s detailed guidance on stripping the joints down in the Bentley manual if you have access to one. If not there are tutorials on YouTube on how to do it. Just make sure you mark all the individual cages so you can reassemble it in the same order. Seem to remember that the inner joint was easier than the outer to take to bits and put back together. Also (from memory) there are a few circlips on the drive shaft that hold the joints on to the shaft and they recommend replacing after on time use. Don’t forget you’ll need new gaskets for the outer face of the inner joint where it bolts to the cup on the gearbox. Easy job all in all.
     
  10. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    Rust buster. Again thank you. I don’t have the Bentley Manual but I see that it’s available - at a cost!! Could be a Christmas present for my son whose car this is. As RJ has advised me to use GKN parts I have been having a look at the cost and availability of all the required parts. GSF can sell you a complete drive shaft for less than 60 GBP!!! I do wonder what their quality is and how long they would last? For me you disregard the advice of RJ at your peril.

    Thanks again.

    Nick
     
  11. Rustbuster

    Rustbuster Paid Member Paid Member

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    That’s incredible, £60! You’d be paying that just for the circlips, gaskets and grease to refurb your old ones. Amd you are spot on, RJ is the Messiah. Let us know what they’re like if you do buy the £60 ones?
     
  12. PhilRyder

    PhilRyder Paid Member Paid Member

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    Our new driveshafts were £105 the pair from J&R. They sell direct or through eBay. Even come with grease. It really doesn't make rebuilding worth the hassle.
     
  13. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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  14. PhilRyder

    PhilRyder Paid Member Paid Member

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    Delete your cookies before searching again. Or, a good trick is to put stuff in your basket, leave it there, and quite often a few days later you will get an email with a discount code to give you a nudge.
     
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  15. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    Phil, Thanks for the advice. I’ll try and remember to do that. I had heard about the trick of using the basket to get a deal but not the bit about cookies.

    I found good quality parts from GKN and similar - Meyle from Heritage Parts. It worked out at about 280GBP for both shafts plus paint and cleaning materials. Just how can it be done for so much less? I know about the economies of scale but……….

    Cheers Nick
     
  16. NateS2

    NateS2 Paid Member Paid Member

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    It is daft how cheap the new shafts our. Your old ones may be fine though to be honest. Mines on 180k and there's heavy polishing but no grooves or oval balls so they're fine. I had the shafts powder coated and manually stripped and painted the CV's. Its messy and its a faff but quite satisfying
     
  17. Gtinick

    Gtinick Paid Member Paid Member

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    Nate, Thank you for the reply. These shafts have done about 110 k miles and could do with a strip down, checking and a rebuild the extent of which will depend on the checking. They are my next project after the under car fuel system is finished. Parts for which are now getting both expensive and increasingly difficult to find.
    If the cv joints prove to be ok then i’ll do the same as you, namely powder coat the shafts and new grease and boots all round.
    Thanks again.

    Nick
     

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