Propshaft Overhaul

[s2driveruk]

I reckon the ebay specials will be fine to be honest, they are probably normal motor factor supplier stuff - my scorpio cv's were. I actually have them on the bench still as the cv's on the replacement prop looked in great shape still...nice and smooth rotation etc so decided to just swap the centre bearing instead.

[Rusty]

Yeah, the prop I got off Sal looks like it should just be slotted in there! Not sure I'll replace anything on it, have heard people say that if it ain't broke then don't fix it but I've never managed to do that

[Error404]

me neither!

can you re-grease the joints at all?

[s2driveruk]

yeah thats all i plan to do on mine, clear out the old stuff and put in some new, bolt up and go

[Rusty]

Fill it full of CV joint grease.

I was thinking about the rubber density and the thrust from the gearbox being transferred to the diff and had a few ramblings about it. The propshaft is a fixed length and thus, unlike a BMW item cannot be adjusted for car/engine/transmission variations both model (4pot/6pot, big diff, little diff, cardboard box) and manufacturing tolerance build-up. The Audi prop uses the CV joints to take up any differences in length, the adjustment procedure posted by mr. Avant indicated that the prop, whilst held true by a simple jig, is moved to its maximum fore and aft position and then bolted down in the centre of this movement, thus allowing the best amount of movement for the CVs. The CV joints can't transfer any real load (other than the squidging of the grease, thus raising the issue of grease viscocity and makup) until they're at their maximum deflection and thus bottom out, I don't know what the total movement of the CVs is but again there is a section in the adjustment guide that covers the sag that the prop should be able to achive at its centre and the shims required to correct the positioning of the CVs. So to me that indicates that in most daily driving and in 3rd upwards you shouldn't be taxing anything if the prop is correctly fitted and adjusted, interesting to note that the shimming is as a afterthought fix to any untoward noises! Hard launches where everything lurches might be different and having the Powerflex rear diff bush is just as bad as having the wrong centre bearing. I would guess that limiting the movement of the diff and engine is a good thing as it will mean that the CVs would not bottom out and thus not transfer any load. The BMW item has no on the move ability to adjust for load so any load is direclty tansferred front to rear allowing for some slip in the adjustment nylon collar.

The rubber allows the sizeable ballrace to move fore and aft, the ballrace should be farly bulletproof as it's not taking much sideloads as discussed earlier. The rubber will perish or be damaged, as per the OE bearings on our cars at present, thus leaving the prop unsupported. If the bearing did fail then I doubt there's enough strength in the rubber to halt the roatation of the prop, propelled either by 300+ftlbs or the movement of over 1.5tons of car. Secondly, if it did fail then the cage of the bearing holder would hold it in place and the noise of this being machined away would alert even the deafest of drivers to a slight malfunction of the pull-over kind. Have the knackered bearings on the cars caused catastrophic failure? I don't remember seeing it and there have been some severely knackered bearings posted in the pics!

[s2driveruk]

can definately confirm that an out of alignment rear diff and prop do make a bit of a racket/warble...i think might be best to bolt it all up, with the diff bolts finger tight to allow the diff to self-align before tightening up properly. no launching just allow it to sit square to the cv's etc......

[Rusty]

No need, the CV joints take up the slack. What you need to do is to make a bracket that holds the prop straight and level. I thought about a thick plank with some wooden 'V's and a few straps to hold the prop to it. Make it using some scaffold as a template and then it's straight.

[s2driveruk]

no, its key that the diff is square to the prop too as there is an oval bolt hole on the passenger side rear arm.....

[popdemonic]

Anyone knows were to get the CV boot with the golden cap.Do they sell seperate?

[burny]

and then the 2 bungs tapped out

Hi

I have an Audi 200 quattro, and I am stopped just before this step.
I have removed the clips, but I cannot remove the bearings.

Could you tell me how did you manage this, please?
which tool did you use?

Thank you

[RAOUL]

Has anyone actually got the part no. off their original bearing? I got a "rough" quote off the chaps that Rob (GT500) mentioned and they wanted nearly £400 to fully refurb my prop!

[GT500]

Wow!
They have gone up a tad!
I can get you the number tomorrow, Don't think it will help as no one else has found them anywhere other than Propshaft clinic...

[RAOUL]

Wow!
They have gone up a tad!
I can get you the number tomorrow, Don't think it will help as no one else has found them anywhere other than Propshaft clinic...

"Hello.
Thanks for your enquiry.
The cost to refurb your propshaft will depend on what is
wrong with it.
if it is the c.v.joints at either end these cost £125.00 ea
to replace including the c.v. boot.
u/joint will cost £52.00 & c/bearing will cost between £48 to £86
depending on which type is fitted.
turn round time is usually 3 to 4 days.

regards

peter"

[RAOUL]

Someone posted that Pete at Quattro Corner quoted £200 for a centre bearing, having given him the number. Surely if the bearing has a part number on it would that not suggest it may have been available?

[S2central.net]

phook