Axel Bolts

[rtl5009]

Are the rear axel bolts reusable if you torx them to spec or are they crush to yield aka one use only?

TIA

[mholme]

They are torque to yield bolts, designed to be used once.

[blmlozz]

They are torque to yield bolts, designed to be used once.

agreed. You can reuse them if they're in good shape and torqued slightly lower if you're in a bind, but I would not exceed 80mph with re-used bolts.

[Vegas34]

Audi and Bently, etc say to never reuse the front or rear axle bolts, but I have for a while. My boy with an B6 A4 has 2 reused front bolts for almost 3 years now...so I'm not sure how vital it is to use a new one EVERY time to remove your axle for whatever reason...

[jms-4]

The bolt is designed to stretch, hence the massive torque spec. Once metal stretches the first time, it loses it's strength. Take a paperclip and straighten it, then bend it in half a straight a bunch of times. What happens? Eventually it breaks.

My issue is that after doing some CV boots, when I use the new bolt, I can't get it completely torqued to spec, even with a 5ft extension and a friend. I can't get the 180 degrees, but rather closer to 90.

[*Blue-Angel*]

I thought this thread was about cv axle bolts. But the correct term here is collar bolts.

Yeah I would never reuse them. You should always use new collar bolts.

But in response to the comment above. I can only stretch them 90degrees as well. Manual says 180. Raxles says 90..................Dont know what to do. Ive used a 3' breaker bar and I still cant get them to budge.

[drkenan]

I've always felt like a girlie for not being able to get those torqued to 180 - glad to hear someone else has that problem. I also had a helluva time trying to torque the flywheel bolts when I changed my clutch.

[jms-4]

I even went out and bought a breaker bar that is rated up to 500lbs of torque and still couldn't get it to go past 90.

I'm not worried about leaving it at 90 degrees

[*Blue-Angel*]

Id love to see a poll thread of those you actually did torque it that much and what they used to do it.

[julex]

Id love to see a poll thread of those you actually did torque it that much and what they used to do it.

Axle bolt? I did... not a big deal with heavy duty ratchet and few feet of iron pipe :). Just apply as much force as you can, I usually just literally either jump or hang off the extension until it is torqued to spec.

Now the flywheel bolts are different story. These suckers are impossible to torque to specced value as couple of things work against you... engine is usually sitting on some crate so with enough torque it will start moving/tilting, that's after you overcome the problem of crankshaft spinning along with the bolt (24 mm socket+ratchet+some pipe on crank bolt will stop it from moving) and on top of that flywheel is surrounded by engine pieces that will prevent you from using short sockets and with extensions it is impossible to apply enough torque before the socket slips off...

Seeing how the bolt looks...is there a special socket out there that will both utilize bolts outer hex pattern as well as tap inside star pattern?

[bw86]

Id love to see a poll thread of those you actually did torque it that much and what they used to do it.

I torqued it to spec. I had to use a 5 ft piece of pipe over my breaker bar.

[Tiluleshpingen]

i have reused my a4 front axle bolts twice and no problem for over 3 years, at most speed ranges 25-120mph and track days also

[skinnytirez]

Sounds like some of you need to hit the gym!

X2 for reduce- reuse- recycle!

[julex]

Sounds like some of you need to hit the gym!

X2 for reduce- reuse- recycle!

Hehe, unfortunately gym would have nothing to do with ability to troque Axle bolts. If anything, the fatter the dude the better as he could just lean/slump over/sit on breaker bar and exert far more power than moderately built/fit person :)

[woody9wood]

I torqued it to spec. I had to use a 5 ft piece of pipe over my breaker bar.

X2

Just replaced both axles last week. I thought at any minute the freakin' bolt was going to snap. The longer the pipe the better ;)