Mk4 rear axle bushing disintergrated.

[Callum82]

My missus said she heard a loud bang from the rear right travelling down the M6 and it's been clucking over bumps and tracking oddly. 

I took a look last night and there is literately no rear axle bushing there anymore, no rubber or whatever it is AT ALL at the other one is badly perished. Should this have been picked up on the last MOT? I have a feeling they are originals with what's now 160,000 miles on them.

I've had a look at DIY guides for this and it looks like a royal pain in the ass so I need a garage to do it.

Does anyone know how much a garage will charge to have this done?

Is it even safe to drive to the garage?

1999 MK4 Golf TDI 110 - 160k

[Ben@VWH]

Generally a garage will charge around 2 hours to change these bushes.  If there is no bush left at all, i would not suggest driving it.

[Callum82]

Do you think it'd be easier if I replaced the rear axle with an eBay jobby that already had good bushings?

There's one for 60 quid with powerflex bushings in good condition, would that be an easier job for a garage if I just ask them to swap the axles instead of them battling to get bushes in and out?

[Wayne]

There's one for 60 quid with powerflex bushings in good condition, would that be an easier job for a garage if I just ask them to swap the axles instead of them battling to get bushes in and out?

Doubt it will be any cheaper, if anything it will be more expensive to swap axles.

[SI74]

It's never any bother getting the bush out, a garage should have a tool to do it with and if you have the balls you can give them a wee burn and they'll come out with a few taps with a hammer. Getting the new ones in takes a bit more work.

VW say the rear beam bushes should be changed at 60'000 miles.

[Wayne]

I would also recommend the vRS ones as they are a lot stronger.

[Callum82]

Cheers.

Someone is quoting me for parts today and has offered to do the work on the cheap as he's a good friend of someone I know. He doesn't have a press for putting them in but said he's got a tool for doing it. He said he needs to drop the subframe too. Sounds like more work than i'd be willing to try even with the tools.

[Rhyso]

Subframe??  urm thats on the front.......

[SI74]

Subframe??  urm thats on the front.......

This ^^

Can you even use a press to put in the rear bush.  You need to go back and ask him again about it.

More or less all he needs to do or you is, Undo the two rear beam bolts knock the beam out of the bracket, knock the bush out and fit the new one.

Read this
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=205144.0

And here's what I made up to fit my new ones but the beam was off the car