Mk4 rear disk shield - does hub need to come off?

**Midge** · 06-08-2021,06:50 PM

One of the rear disk shields on our mk4 Golf has disintegrated. Obviously, the rotor will need to come off, but can I just check if the hub needs to come off too? Looking at photos of the part, it seems likely that is the case.

Thanks.

**jonathanfenton** · 06-08-2021,09:47 PM

What I did was to cut it, installed in 2 mins. Quick bit of spray paint down the cut for rust prevention and bobs your uncle. Purists will take hub bearing out but they are stretch bolts and should be replaced.

**Midge** · 06-08-2021,10:39 PM

Originally Posted by jonathanfenton

What I did was to cut it, installed in 2 mins. Quick bit of spray paint down the cut for rust prevention and bobs your uncle. Purists will take hub bearing out but they are stretch bolts and should be replaced.

Thanks for the idea. There is a hole in the plate that looks like the ABS sensor goes through so I assume that needs to come out?

**jonathanfenton** · 06-08-2021,10:58 PM

I might be getting confused with an A3 dust shield, do you have a picture of it?

**Midge** · 07-08-2021,07:09 AM

Originally Posted by jonathanfenton

I might be getting confused with an A3 dust shield, do you have a picture of it?

Nothing left of my dust shield but it looks like this is the one from what I can tell, and can see how cutting a small section out would help. I see some listings suggest it might be the same part for the A3. This is a pic I've grabbed off YouTube which suggests the second biggest hole is where the ABS sensor goes through.

Brake plate.jpg ABS.jpg

**jonathanfenton** · 07-08-2021,09:46 AM

Yeah they normally just have a torque bolt holding them in. Looks like it needs to come out, it’s a bit different to my A3s but principle is same, I mean looking at that, you could still cut and bend it around to get it in. These are the ones I was thinking of.

**Midge** · 07-08-2021,05:54 PM

Think I'm on a hiding to nothing Jonathan - the ABS sensor screw is rusted up to hell and seized solid in spite of a liberal dose of penetrating fluid, and it's likely it will be a destructive removal. Because the plate had completely disintegrated, I've had a go at the securing bolts but they are in a right mess and seized solid too and I can only get an open ended spanner around with the hub in place. It looks like those bolts secure the stub axle to the trailing arm too so they are going to put up a fight. The car has 70K on it and it's on the original bearings so I might wait until I next need to change the disks and do the bearings and plates too.

Thanks for the idea anyway.

**Crasher** · 07-08-2021,06:05 PM

On the Golf 4/A3 8P basically the PQ34 platform, the rear hubs have to be pulled off which leaves the bearing inner race stuck to the hub and obviously kills the bearing. This is a pain to remove so I just fit new Febi stub axles (30276 both sides) as they are cheap plus no messing around with rusty bits and their ABS sensors are cheap. I did both sides recently on my Octavia 1 which is identical, remember you MUST replace the stub axle bolts. To be honest I replaced every single part of the rear axle assembly from bolt to caliper except the beam axle itself axle which I had sandblasted and powercoated so it will last another 15 years. I was trying to find a Cupra R rear axle with the stiffer ARB but they were fetching silly money used.

**Midge** · 07-08-2021,11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Crasher

On the Golf 4/A3 8P basically the PQ34 platform, the rear hubs have to be pulled off which leaves the bearing inner race stuck to the hub and obviously kills the bearing. This is a pain to remove so I just fit new Febi stub axles (30276 both sides) as they are cheap plus no messing around with rusty bits and their ABS sensors are cheap. I did both sides recently on my Octavia 1 which is identical, remember you MUST replace the stub axle bolts. To be honest I replaced every single part of the rear axle assembly from bolt to caliper except the beam axle itself axle which I had sandblasted and powercoated so it will last another 15 years. I was trying to find a Cupra R rear axle with the stiffer ARB but they were fetching silly money used.

Thanks for the tip Crasher - I might well go that route.

Talking of beam axles, I was having a good look at ours whilst I was under there today. The rust is literally flaking off in big lumps - though I can't see any holes yet that might spell MOT failure. Certainly past the sandblasting stage and I can see me having to do something with it in the next couple of years

I see ECP do a replacement for around £255 (Starline), but I've also come across an outfit IMaxles doing them for around £100. Just wondered if you'd heard anything about either of them? The latter sounds too cheap for what is actually quite a complex fabrication.

**Crasher** · 08-08-2021,10:50 AM

That axle company sprang up seemingly out of nowhere last week, mine looked awful but after a blast and coat it looked fine. There are a lot of cheap axles and subframes for the Golf 4 as it is still (I think) made in China in one form or another, the PQ34 was a good, reliable and uncomplicated platform… something the PQ35 was not; we don’t all need multilink rear axles. We are staring to do quite a lot of full rear axle restoration and floorpan corrosion treatment on Golf 5 GTI’s now which seem to be gaining classic status and a full on total rebuild or replacement of every single part with (even new arms powder coated) and completely bushed with Powerflex new dampers, springs, bearings, hubs and calipers, drop links and anti roll bar can cost £5k! We did a standard rebuild a few weeks ago and with just Febi and Meyle parts and no Powdercoating, that was nearly £2k.