Removing and installing drive shafts with triple roller joint AAR3300i (bolted on) — VW
Removing and installing drive shafts with triple roller joint AAR3300i (bolted on) on VW: 17 steps, 2 torque figures, engines CLPA, CLSA.
Removing and installing a front drive shaft with the bolted-on AAR3300i triple roller inner joint on the Passat B6 (3C2, 2005–2010). The inner joint is unbolted from the gearbox flange shaft, the swivel joint nuts removed so the wheel bearing housing can be pulled off the suspension link, and the outer joint pressed out of the hub with a remover held on by three wheel bolts. The risk on this job is the wheel bearing: once the hub bolt has been loosened, the car must not stand on its wheels, and with weight on it the bolt may be turned no more than 90°. On refitting, the inner joint bolts go to 10 Nm diagonally first and then to final torque in the same sequence.
🧭 Before you start
Loosen the hub bolt with the car on its wheels, then raise it and remove the noise insulation. Unbolt the inner joint from the flange shaft, remove the swivel joint nuts, pull the housing off the link and press the shaft out of the hub with the remover. Refit the shaft into the hub splines, bolt the swivel joint, tighten the inner joint bolts diagonally to 10 Nm then to final torque, refit the insulation and tighten the hub bolt with the wheels off the ground.
Fits: VW Passat B6 (3C, 2005–2010)
Don't miss
- Do not turn the hub bolt more than 90° with the car on its wheels.
- Never load the wheel bearing once the hub bolt is loose, or it will be damaged.
- Do not let the shaft hang on its joints at an extreme angle.
- Tighten the inner joint bolts diagonally, first to 10 Nm, then to final torque.
- Check the bellows are not damaged or twisted after bolting up the swivel joint.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 10 Nm (7.4 lb-ft) | Place inner joint of drive shaft in position and tighten bolts diagonally |
| 120 Nm (89 lb-ft) | ⚠ Wheel bearings must not be subjected to load after bolt securing drive shaft to wheel… |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- ⚠ When removing and installing drive shafts, do not allow them to hang free and stop against joints due to excessive bending. — Loosen drive shaft bolt at wheel hub:
- ⚠ Wheel bearings must not be subjected to load after bolt securing drive shaft to wheel hub has been loosened.If wheel bearings are loaded with weight of vehicle, bearing will be damaged. This reduces the service life of the wheel bearing.It is not permissible to turn drive shaft bolt more than 90° anti-clockwise if vehicle is standing on its wheels.Do not attempt to move the vehicle without the drive shafts fitted as this would damage the wheel bearing. If it is necessary for a vehicle to be moved, please comply with the following instructions:Install an outer joint instead of the drive shaft.Tighten outer joint to 120 Nm. — Remove wheel. — 120 Nm (89 lb-ft)
- Remove lower noise insulation 50Assembly overview - noise insulation.
- Unbolt drive shaft from gearbox flange shaft.
- Remove nuts (arrows).
- Pull wheel bearing housing with swivel joint out of suspension link.
- Pull drive shaft out of wheel hub.
- To be able to press out drive shaft (3), secure remover T10520(1) to wheel hub using 3 wheel bolts (2).
- It is essential to follow specified sequence. [Note: At the end of the procedure or for pressing out drive shaft further the spindle must be moved to its original position in order to deploy the hydraulic force!]
- Insert drive shaft.
- Guide outer joint into wheel hub splines as far as possible.
- Bolt swivel joint to suspension link (arrows). [Note: Ensure that bellows are not damaged or twisted.]
- Place inner joint of drive shaft in position and tighten bolts diagonally to 10 Nm. — 10 Nm (7.4 lb-ft)
- Tighten multi-point socket head bolts to prescribed torque, using diagonal sequence.
- Install lower noise insulation. 50Assembly overview - noise insulation.
- Tighten drive shaft bolt at wheel hub:
- ⚠ During this step, vehicle must not be standing on its wheels.The wheel bearing can be damaged by the weight of the vehicle if the bolt is loosened. — Install wheel and tighten bolts or nuts .
🎬 Related video tutorial
Independent AUTODOC tutorial for the same job, filmed on a different model (CADDY 3 Van) — the technique carries over, the fasteners and figures on this page are the ones for your car.
How to change cv joint on VW CADDY 3 Van
Other VW procedures
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- Pulling out and pulling in wheel hub with wheel bearing
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.