VW Golf mk4 Cupra R bushing install with rear axle removal

[@Swemist]

Thanks! This is the best instructional video i've ever seen!! Renovates a Golf V5 and has replaced everything in the front and rear carriage,EXCEPT these bushings! You also do it without special tools AND put a value in making it nice...Respect!!

[@Corysdiyauto]

Swedness - Thank you very much! I appreciate the comment.

[@MegalodonX-s8g]

Perfect HD video and all is clearly visible. Only a small correction. The braking tubes shouldn't be needed to be disconnected - also according to the original documentation. Thanks. Great job.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you!

[@chrstphrr]

Excellent go through of the whole removal replacement process. Did this a few years ago to a spare axle to prep it up. 2 years before you did it, I had to hunt for days to find a forum post that described how to properly align the Cupra-R bushings (finding out how to do the stock ones is easy, it's in the Bentley manual, but the two have that different shape). Now I can point people here (psst: go to the 18-19 minute mark) instead of trying to remember which European mk4 forum thread I found it out from. Only major thing different I did, was spend a LOT more time wire wheeling and sandblasting the axle to get the rust off, and then repainted 3x over so I wouldn't be repainting any time soon. I'd recommend doing the quicker job you did with painting -- 5 or 10 years down the road, no one is gonna look under your car, or mine, and tell the difference.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thanks for the comment. The rust removal was one of the worst parts for me. Unfortunately where I live, our vehicles are exposed to salt in the winter. This causes a lot of corrosion issues. The paint that I used actually held up very well! Overall, I am happy with the results and the car handles much better!

[@stevehannon]

Great video. Many thanks. I am half way through this job. I managed to get one new bush in today and will do the second tomorrow. This video is great for my car (2002 VW Golf Mk4 GTi 1.8t, AUM 150bhp) as EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) was as per the video and I'm based in the UK with a UK spec car for those of you based here and wanting to tackle this. THIS is THE video for you. Cheers mate! :)

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you very much! I'm glad that the video helped you.

[@clickireland1113]

Well shot video thanks. TIP: For anyone thinking of media blasting think about leaving in the old bushings. Protects the bushing contact area inside the loops. Then remove old bushings. Then paint / powder coat Then install new bushes.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Click Ireland - Good tip and thanks for the comments.

[@andrewlightwood3895]

Very good working no impact guns snapping and busting things off like most do, but chuck them adjustable spanners in the bin and use proper ones

[@UpToSpeedOnJaguar]

I'm planning on swapping my whole axle for a used one in better condition. Replacing everything on it with new parts, and I definitely bought new brake lines in preparation for breaking those lol.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Yeah, the brake lines can be problematic unfortunately. Good luck with the swap! I hope that everything goes well for you.

[@deepakmahtani3061]

Great presentation. Lovely . Thanks for guiding us through this process

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.

[@deepakmahtani3061]

@@Corysdiyauto I shall be trying the same for my Octavia 1u model hatchback. They have the same frame I guess.

[@hazamihjul3308]

Great video, im replacing mine in a few weeks and this will help me more than you know!

[@Corysdiyauto]

Hazam Ihjul - Thank you and good luck with everything!

[@dansmith2372]

Nice video thank you. Very informative and thorough

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you!

[@jackgross3140]

Firstly, thank you for the incredibly clear video, well documented and easy to follow, also, I am in the process of doing the same with my MK1 Leon rear axle which is of course the same as the golf mk4 platform and I noticed that after I removed my original bushes, there was 2 what looked like cracks in the casting that worried me, and after coming back to this video I had a close look at 16:55 in your video and it seems as yours has identical marks. Would you say this is a factory defect or an actual crack in the axle. Id appreciate any help as I'm unsure wether to replace the axle or refurbish my one. I must also point out that my car has been garaged all its life and only done 40,000 miles so its possibly one of the better conditioned ones here in the UK.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you for the comment. I really appreciate it! I don't believe that those are cracks that you are referring to. Those marks look like the joint of the steel from the manufacturing process. I'm not an expert, but those ends were welded onto the main axle beam. Maybe that they are all like that?

[@jackgross3140]

@@Corysdiyauto thank you for the reply! I was wondering the same. A few people have told me this now. I think I’ll get mine refurbed 😁

[@Corysdiyauto]

Let me know how it goes. Thanks bud.

[@jackgross3140]

@@Corysdiyauto will do. Merry Christmas😁

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@jackgross3140 Merry Christmas to you too!

[@raspucin70]

Excellent vid, much appreciated, I need to do this on my '02 tdi

[@mariusandi7897]

Good job mate! Great video and for me it's well detaliated! Thanks (: !

[@Corysdiyauto]

Marius Andi - Thank you!

[@GLASSIE1988]

Very good explenaicion! It helpt me very well. Don't forget thigt evryting on with the car on the wheels. A moment key is the best to put it back. I havent one yet but i gonne buy one. I have paited it too. The clips for the brake line i diden't replace dem because they don't ware abel to get them at the dealer. They are strong enof to reuse if needed but new is better of corse. Thank you!!!!

[@Corysdiyauto]

Jonathan - Thank you very much and thanks for watching!

[@Ride_With_Jesus]

Great video! Well detailed. Thank you

[@RedondoBeach2]

Outstanding video. Your commentary throughout the video is most appreciated and value added. My 2004 GTI will undergo the same maintenance. I recently purchased new stub axles and bearings for the rear end. If you have experience replacing the stub axle and bearings, I'm interested in your advice/pointers on how to mate them together. The tolerance is so close that pressing them together looks like it will be a nightmare, even if the axle is cold soaked and the bearing is heat soaked.

[@Corysdiyauto]

I haven't had any experience replacing those stub axle bearings. Mine are original and I'm approaching 200,000 miles!

[@katyaperea7131]

¡Muchas gracias!, mi papá logro terminar su trabajo gracias a este video, muy bien explicado. Saludos 👏

[@dkesteli88]

do I have to disconnect the cable of the handbrake and brake pipes if I don't remove the entire bridge but only change the seals one by one on the crane, does it mean the diameter of the pipe when inserting the seals?

[@Corysdiyauto]

I would disconnect the handbrake cables, yes. It's better to have them out of the way.

[@mytek998]

Very nice and well explained video.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you!

[@gotze1772]

Enjoyed watching this.It helped me as well.Well done

[@Corysdiyauto]

Gotze - Thank you! I'm glad that I could help.

[@pujo28]

Great video. Where did you order new brake lines and did they arrive ready to be installed? Thanks

[@Corysdiyauto]

I ordered them from idparts.com and yes, they arrived ready to be installed.

[@pujo28]

@@Corysdiyauto thx for the super fast reply. Trying to keep my 01 Golf on the road. Just re did my front end. About to replace all the engine mounts. I’m sure at some point the rear bushings

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@pujo28 - You're welcome! It's a great car. Hopefully it treats you well and lasts a long time.

[@clickireland1113]

Keep going on the car they're great to work on. I've the front subframe outta my 2002 Mk4 1.9TDI The new bushings for it (Febi Brand) I can get for £6.99 each in the UK. So just gonna do a whole under-carriage refresh front and back. Media blast and repaint / powder-coat. Such is lockdown eh.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Click Ireland - That's a good project to do during your lockdown. Stay healthy and be safe!

[@clickireland1113]

@@Corysdiyauto Appreciate it. Have the subframe in the blaster and looking for thicker sway bar. Total underbody refresh. Looking forward to driving it like new come summer

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@clickireland1113 - I'm sure it will look great when you are done with it. You'll definitely notice a difference in handling too.

[@clickireland1113]

@@Corysdiyauto It'll be a forst for me upgrading the handling so hope I can stop there. Hardly likely. Ive a W124 rear sub out too. Must get married.

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@clickireland1113 - I love the look of the w124's. Is it a diesel?

[@nicolinjulies6484]

My golf 4 rear tires wore out on the inside tread. What do I do? Replace this bushes?

[@Corysdiyauto]

Yes, I would replace them, especially if they are original. It's a good time to replace any other suspension components while you have everything out, such as shocks, springs, and mounts.

[@tomtom3378]

Hi buddy I got to take mine off but I tried to undo the brake pipe but the nipple won't undo any tips on getting these updone as I don't want to replace the brake pipe .

[@Corysdiyauto]

Tom Tom - Those brake lines can be difficult to get off if they are corroded. Try to spray some penetrating oil on the fittings and leave it sit for awhile and then try to slowly loosen. Try to work the fitting back and forth until it frees up. If that doesn't work, then you'll have to replace them unfortunately.

[@ciprianM01]

What's the outside diameter of the bush? I would like to get a set of polybush and there seems to be two dimensions.

[@Corysdiyauto]

For my 2001 VW Golf TDI, the OD is 69mm. I believe there is also a larger size of 72mm, but I am unsure of what years are different?

[@ciprianM01]

@@Corysdiyauto thx for reply. I believe you are correct. From my rough measurements on my 02 golf gti it seems to have 69mm. Little difficult to measure but I will try to do again soon and report back.

[@jorgepedrozasilva3008]

Que diámetro tiene el buje más pequeño que usas para meter el buje de hule?

[@Corysdiyauto]

Honestly, I forget what size it was. It's been a couple of years since I did this job. Sorry I couldn't help.

[@rogosteve]

Thanks for the awesome video, I just took my beam out and removed the bushings thanks to you! Quick question, how tight should the bolts be before lowering the car to it's own weight for the final torquing? Thank you.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Steven Rog - I just snugged the bolts up and then lowered the car to torque everything. Thanks for watching!

[@rogosteve]

@@Corysdiyauto Thank you.

[@koolaidchild4765]

Did you put rust inhibitor where the bushing goes into the subframe? Or just make sure that area is smooth, grease it, then install the bushing?

[@Corysdiyauto]

No, I didn't put paint on that surface. Just make sure that the area is smooth and apply a light film of grease, then press the bushing into place.

[@IzzYChannel]

Was there a sound that the car was making since you had the bushings shot? Or how did you know that you had to change them? Thank in advance and keep it up with the good videos!

[@Corysdiyauto]

IzzY Channel - Yes, it was very loud when going over bumps in the road. It was worse when I had more weight in the car especially with two people in the back seat.

[@joseluisaguilar9896]

Very good video

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you!

[@ilirdalipi]

Great great job man. I know it took a lot of effort, time and patients for you to do that replacement at home, with the tools you could get at the moment. Nice job. Tell me what kind of bushings you used as a replacement. Original for VW Golf 4 or something stronger, more sporty , more stable, more rigid ???

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you! I used Cupra R bushings which are firmer than stock. The handling was drastically improved! If you like the OEM ride quality, then stick with the original bushings. The choice is yours.

[@ilirdalipi]

@@Corysdiyauto i would like to use Cupras too man !!! Thats why i asked you for your opinion. Thxs for reply !!!👍👍 So, cupras bushes fits at golf 4 like the original ones , without any adjusting??

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@ilirdalipi - Yes, they get pressed into the rear axle beam just as you would with the regular bushings.

[@ilirdalipi]

@@Corysdiyauto thx a lot of bro

[@Corysdiyauto]

You're welcome bud!

[@daveschmidt132]

Cory, I'm trying to figure out how to clock these Cupra R bushings. The ones I bought from a vendor are not marked. In your vid, I see the mark is 90 degrees from the elongation direction in the center of the bushing, however after they're installed, it looks like the elongation is straight up and down vertically to the ground with the axle in the correct position. Can you confirm the location of the mark to the axle? Thank you.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Dave Schmidt - The mark is supposed to be in line with the weld on the axle, which is the lower part closest to the ground. I don't know how important this is, but that's what you're supposed to do. I've had another company tell me that it doesn't matter how you install them because they are solid bushings. I would like to cut one apart at some point to see what they look like inside. I bought mine from Kermatdi and they put the mark on the bushings.

[@daveschmidt132]

@@Corysdiyauto Thanks Cory. I actually started a thread over at TDIClub on this as I have a set from IDParts and they're not marked and wondered how they're installed. I posted a few photos over there and it looks like even the Cupra R's have a gap in the rubber, just less of one. Here's the thread if you wanted to take a look (with the close up photos) forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/cupra-r-rear-bushings-orientation.512246/ . I was getting ready to install them like in this post, but your installation I think would be 90 degrees, but the hole slotting doesn't look at way in your finished install. uk-mkivs.net/topic/100211-how-to-rear-beam-axle-bushes-cupra-r-bushes/?p=2801614

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@daveschmidt132 - I contacted IDParts about these and they told me that the orientation doesn't matter. I do think that KermaTDI might be more knowledgeable on this topic. They do give a bit more detail on the bushings on their website that you can look at. I will check out your thread on TDIClub.

[@naskomarinov3181]

Where are the brake lines going to from the brakes

[@Corysdiyauto]

Nasko Marinov - From the caliper, the lines run along the rear axle and they are clipped to the axle beam near the bushings on each side. At this point, there's a threaded fitting that connects these lines to the long lines that run underneath the car and up to the master cylinder. I hope that this helps you.

[@naskomarinov3181]

@@Corysdiyauto thank you very helpful as i might have to replace my axle on jack and axle stands this weekend as runs out of MOT in few days and im not sure if i am able to, still thinking but cheers for that

[@boonev9897]

I figured out a torch on the bushing works too😂

[@Corysdiyauto]

Lol, I'm sure it does!

[@kristianm9345]

for replacing only the bushings, is it possible to simply remove coils, springs, bolts and drop the rear axle without disconnecting brake lines? or will it break the lines doing it this way?

[@Corysdiyauto]

Kristian Muldre - You can drop the rear axle by doing what you said. You'll need to disconnect the brake lines from the hanger clips on each side. This will enable you to drop the axle without disconnecting the lines and then having to bleed the brakes. Just make sure that you have new clips for the lines in case yours are rusty. They can get fragile and fall apart. I hope that this helps.

[@kristianm9345]

@@Corysdiyauto Thanks a lot! Will give it a try.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

I did this to my MK4 in about 2008. Getting the old bushings out can be soul destroying. lol. BTW, buy a set of proper spanners - all that adjustable action made me cry for your car ;)

[@Corysdiyauto]

Yes, removing those old bushings was time consuming and difficult. After everything was said and done, it was definitely worth it! I do need to invest in more tools though, haha. Thanks for watching.

[@19digupherbones]

For stubborn brake line flare nuts, use heat as well. If you dont have flare nut wrenches I found using vice grips carefully on the flats of the flare nut works well. If you dont have a torch, a good heat gun will work.

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thanks for the comment. Those brake line flare nuts can be stubborn for sure!

[@jayt8027]

Hey Cory. Do you know if the stop strut bolts need to be torqued with the vehicle under load?

[@Corysdiyauto]

Jay T - Yes, they do need to be torqued under load.

[@agarza4025]

Great vid. Very thorough and informative. Just one question.. Was the suspension making any noise? Rattling or otherwise?

[@Corysdiyauto]

A Garza - Yes, every time that I would go over a bump in the road, the rear suspension would bang around and make a lot of noise. It didn't sound good at all. These bushings really improved handling and it was well worth it. Thanks for watching!

[@jesusrivera8162]

Gracias

[@jorge45a.b20]

Muy buen video 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you!

[@hcmaclub5905]

Does it need alignment after this?

[@Corysdiyauto]

HCMA Club - Yes, it's a good idea to have a 4 wheel alignment done.

[@Atetus94]

18:08 - most important part 😉

[@Probedude2000]

What rear springs are those?

[@Corysdiyauto]

Probedude2000 - They are H&R sport springs.

[@tadekradek3544]

Dobra robota🇵🇱

[@Corysdiyauto]

Thank you!

[@davidwall6020]

Open ended and adjustable spanners are a NONNONONONOO for these brake and seized components. Other wise a good video.

[@davidwall6020]

socket sets are soooo cheap !!!????

[@AlesJezek-xw7po]

😭

[@alfaromeo4838]

i heard cupra bushings dont need to be oriented

[@Corysdiyauto]

alfaromeo - I heard that too, but I called the company that I ordered these from and they said that they do. This is why that they painted that line on them.

[@ralphenstein9105]

@@Corysdiyauto How did you find the bushes after you fitted them? I've been looking for the correct orientation of these bushes and have found 3 different answers so far! I think you may have fitted these incorrectly. If you take the cap off this bush, you can see that there is a void in the rubber at either end of the long part of the bolt hole in the middle, and I think the voids should be at the top and bottom of the bush, rather than at either side. I think the long part of the hole should line up with the weld you used in this video. It might be the case that it doesn't really matter, though!

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@ralphenstein9105 - What do you mean by "How did I find them?" There's a lot of debate on these bushings and I just went with what KermaTDI told me. I bought these bushings from them and they come with that mark put on them. That mark is supposed to be lined up with the weld in the axle beam. These have been in use for about 30,000 miles so far without any issues, so I assume that I installed them correctly? I am definitely happy with them and they perform much better than the stock bushings!

[@ralphenstein9105]

@@Corysdiyauto I just meant, what did you think of them? Glad that you haven't had any issues, and that they're much better than the stock ones. I'm doing mine at the mo. Pig of a job!

[@Corysdiyauto]

@@ralphenstein9105 - Gotcha, yeah I really like them and it was definitely worth doing. It's a lot of work, especially if you have rust issues to deal with like I did.

[@davidwall6020]

Just another moan... adjustable spanners are NOT for this type of work... otherwise no other moans,, sorry to be critical about adjustables but US people seem to use them for everything.. and they are not well fitting enough for this sort of corroded metalwork, nut heads, bolt heads etc. Nice completion of job.

[@Corysdiyauto]

That's all I had to use to get the job done and it worked. Sometimes you have to improvise. Thanks for watching!

[@charlottehendy5658]

Get some tools and make your life a little easier 🙄

[@Corysdiyauto]

Charlotte Hendy - Sometimes you have to improvise with what you have to get the job done.