The axles are even in the 10/00 VW Dealer price book.  Only $375 each
list!  For listmembers, it goes down to about $300 each.  Unless the
angle is significant, I can't see the need. . . .

Rennie

VolksDragon@earthlink.net
Los Angeles

86 syncro

Derek Drew wrote:
>
> OK. Here is the first list report on the special heavy duty 16" rear axels
> available for Vanagon.
>
> BACKGROUND
>
> Most all Vanagons in the world use axels that are 27mm thick and have 100mm
> Lobro CV joints stuck on the ends.
>
> In the rear of the vehicle only, the factory offered a rare option for a
> special axel that is 30mm thick and had 108mm Lobro CV joints on the ends.
>
> These heavy duty rear axels were offered primarily on the 16" version of
> the syncro on the rear axel only.
>
> The part number for these heavy duty axels is:
>
> VW: 251 501 203 G; LOBRO: A 153 15 01 13 010
>
> This part number yields a Lobro axel just like the regular 14" axel, except
> that it looks mighty beefy.
>
> In order to install a pair of the 108mm rear CV joint axels it is
> neccessary to install a special flange on the transmission and at the drive
> axel at the wheel.
>
> These two parts are 094 517 285A and 251 501 265, respectively
> (Gelenkflansch and Radwelle). No other parts except the Gelenkflansch and
> Radwelle need to be changed to install the beffy rear axels and
> installation is not difficult.
>
> The factory cost to order an axel is something like $1,000 a pair, but
> non-factory sourcing of these Lobro parts should bring the cost down
> considerably from this silly figure.
>
> Likely, there are only one or two Vanagons in North America with these
> 108mm oversize rear axels, (possibly one that hit our shores in the last
> couple of weeks if I read this list correctly).
>
>  From the emotional reaction I had while looking at these axels, I know
> that if I had them on I would go around proudly saying "Check out my big
> axels!" to anyone who would care to listen, until such time as I lost all
> my friends.
>
> The oversize axels are the same length as the factory axels.
>
> The part number for the 108mm CV joints, which are the same on either end, is:
>
> VW: 443 407 331D, LOBRO: 4988
>
> At this time, we do not have any data suggesting that the above heavy duty
> axels provide any increase in angle of operation. For syncro folks desiring
> to lift the vehicle a better choice in rear CV joints might be the smaller
> Porsche 930 joints sold by Weddle, which do promise increased range of
> articulation and to not require a swap of Gelenkflansch and Radwelle so far
> as I know.
>
> I happen to have one of these oversize Lobro axels in my garage in
> Washington DC, but have not decided on a course of action pending more
> investigation of the question of maximum operating angle. If it were not
> for this question, it would seem that at replacement time, and with
> suitably inexpensive supply of parts, that the list might want to begin
> installing 108mm rear axels from now on when their 100mm CV joint axels
> wear out.
>
> Rumor had it (unconfirmed) that the South African vans have the 108mm rear
> setup as standard, in which case they have already moved to this sensible
> position and can therefore kick sand in our faces.
>
> As to the mystery of the axels being in my garage, basically a set got
> mixed into regular 100mm CV'd rear axels in a shipment to Bus Depot of all
> places. Bus Depot never knew about this. A list member bought this set but
> never installed it, and eventually sold it on ebay for whatever the market
> would bear. The new owner went to install them, and hit a brick wall over
> the lack of the proper Gelenkflansch and Radwelle to which to affix the
> axels. This member contacted me with his problem and we met at the
> Mid-Atlantic year-end meeting in DC a couple of weeks ago, where I assumed
> the burden of having them around.
>
> ________________________________________________________
> Derek Drew                              New York, NY & Washington, DC
> derekdrew@rcn.com
> Email me for Viscous Couplings
> '90 Syncro Westfalia...
> ...seen off-road at http://www.tiu.net/~des/vw/drew/index.html
>
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