wt1sl

I'm replacing my right rear (passenger side) axle and cv joint using a Raxle axle based on great reviews online. I've found lots of info on replacing the front axle/cv, but less help on the rear axle. After talking with Raxle, they are selling a lot more front axles than rear so perhaps rear axle repairs are less common - makes sense since the rear axle doesn't have to deal with the additional stresses of steering.

Forgive me in advance for being long winded - I will be. I hope this thread will prove useful (and I hope I don't embarrass myself as a relative noob to this level of repair. So far:

2002 A6 Avant Quattro (C5) with 99K.

Symptom: noticed a little rattling/clanking from the left rear corner of the car but it went away. Next day, backed out of the driveway and lost all power - engine was running, in gear, but the car wouldn't go. Also, lots of rattling from the right rear corner. Got car to curb and parked it. Tried to drive the car - reverse and foward - but car wouldn't move. When in Park or Neutral, no unusual noise. In F or R, rattling sound that increased / decreased with the throttle. Shut it down and took my truck out instead.

Did some research, learned that if a failure causes drive train failure to any individual wheel in the Quattro system, no wheels will get power.

Today I took the kids out (11 and 14) and had them help me chock/jack/jack stand the car and remove the wheel. We could turn the hub or axle (with some binding) but the other wouldn't turn. That is, if I turned the hub, the axle didn't turn. If I turned the axle, the hub didn't turn. The boot was 100% intact. I noted a bulge in the boot and felt a bearing inside. At this point, I don't know if the axle broke or somehow the CV joint failed, but either way I'm taking the cleaner/easier path (and not much more expensive) and ordering a Raxle axle/cv combo ready to install. As a bonus, Raxle sends tools to help that are returned when the removed axle is sent in to get the core charge back - I guess Raxle remanufactures these axles.

Here's hoping (tip back the whiskey glass) that the PB Blaster, proper tools, info on this site, and my Bentley manual help me get my Quattro road worthy and save me some cash (recently retired, cash is in shorter supply than it used to be).

It'll be a few days before I get to work, but if anyone has any links to good/clear instructions or helpful advice, feel free to pipe in.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

It's maybe $80 for a NEW Rzeppa joint plus another $10-25 for the boot kit including the axle bolt. Raxles you're getting a rebuilt axle with unknown outer CV (what you call a CV joint is really a Rzeppa joint) and inner joint. Most likely cleaned and relubed/rebooted joints.

wt1sl

SloopJohn: Thanks for the input. It's the first negative comment I've heard of Raxles after lots of forum research. I ordered the Raxles last week and expect it Wednesday. Next time I'll look into the Rzeppa and other CV options.

One edit to my original post: "Symptom: noticed a little rattling/clanking from the left rear corner ...". Should be RIGHT rear corner ...

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Lots of guys on this forum have had good luck with axles…they at least tend to give you the right axle/length, etc.

My point was that I would rather replace either end of the axle that came on my car (my 4.2 comes with triple spider on the inside and a big Rzeppa on the outer side) than risk a rebuilt axle. There is a lot more labor with cleaning, inspecting, and relubing or replacing the end bits, but my time is cheap.

wt1sl

The Raxle brand replacement axle/cv arrived as scheduled. Raxle includes two loaner tools that aren't commonly in a tool box: a 17mm allen wrench head for a 1/2" breaker bar to loosen the axle nut, and a 12mm 10 point star socket for a 3/8" ratchet wrench removing the bolts on the inner end of the axle. Per Raxle's website, they use all new CV joints. I'm not going to cut my boots open to confirm it, however.

Turns out the inner (transaxle vs wheel end of the axle) bolts on my axle are
10mm 10 point stars. Luckily, I already had this tool on hand after reviewing several DIY axle/cv repairs. I'll make sure to get this note to Raxle.

Tools list (so far):
Rubber mallet (to knock axle out of hub)
Breaker bar
3/8" ratchet
20" extension and 3" extension
Torque wrench
8mm allen head socket for ratchet (remove 3 bolts holding heat shield on)
PB Blaster, if needed
Blue thread locker, if needed
17mm Allen head socket for 1/2" breaker bar
10mm or 12mm 10 point star head socket

I've got the wheel off, the axle bolt off, and the heat shield removed. I haven't loosened the exhaust system yet or any other parts to make room to remove the axle as noted in Bentley. I'm waiting to see if/what I need the room.

I do have one problem that I'll ask in a separate post for clarity.

wt1sl

In order to loosen the bolts holding the axle to the transaxle, the axle can't turn, or any effort trying to turn the bolts just causes the axle to turn. Normally, the parking brake (for a rear axle) can be set or a helper can hold the brakes while loosening the bolts. The helper method is best because they can release and hold the brakes allowing you to turn the axle to get access to each bolt.

However, my axle turns independently of my hub. Something is broken inside the outer boot. Therefore, holding the brakes doesn't stop the axle from turning. The only solution I can think of is to clamp the axle in a manner that the clamp rests against part of the suspension or ground preventing the axle from turning. However, I am hoping for better solution that doesn't risk damaging the axle so I can get my axle core charge back ($100). Any ideas?

blink

Can you vise grip the tube, and as it rotates, whatever the vise grip meets, will hold it. I would not use the same measure to reinstall the new one, but at least the old unit is removed.

wt1sl

Vise grip or clamp is the only thing I've come up with. I am concerned it will damage the axle and that'll cost me $100 core charge with Raxle. Maybe some rubber tubing jaws will be sticky enough to hold the axle still but soft enough to not damage the axle.

blink

Those are pretty tough tubes. Another option is a pipe wrench. Worse case scenario you end up with some jaw marks on your core.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

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