Axle flange and tap/die question

[ranchero]

OK, after a splendid roadtrip over the weekend in Central Colorado (Salida, Crested Butte, Kebler Pass, Marble, Carbondale, Aspen, Independence Pass, BV), I departed, or attempted to depart from the only stoplight in my quaint little town, Salida when I heard a loud thunk. Uh-oh methinks. I had enough momentum to coast across the intersection and stop. Found that the driver's side inner rear cv joint was separated from the trans. OK, not so bad. Bungeed up the shaft and locked the rear diff so I could make it the 1/2 mile to my house. Glad that didn't happen at 12,000 ft on the way up Independence Pass!

Upon closer inspection, two of the bolts are bent such that the CV joint won't likely be useable, but more troubling is that when the those bolts popped out of the axle flange, it stripped the last several threads of each hole.

So now to my questions. I think that I can just tap the holes (M8 right?). I've had the experience of breaking some cheap taps before. Can anyone recommend a source for a quality (read lifetime) tap and die set?

Also, if I can't successfully tap the holes, is the axle flange replaceable in the car?
Thanks!
Steve
_________________
'90 Westy Syncro EJ25 (money pit #1)
'96 FZJ80 (cheap by comparison^^)
'13 Golf R. Daily driver.

[glutamodo]

Sounds like you were fortunate that it waited til you were almost home before it went. I remember one trip in my 62 bug where I drove from Ft Collins, down in the mountains over several passes and finally coming out by Pueblo, then driving back up I-25 to FtC, and got to the offramp in town when I heard the death rattle of a loose rod - too bad it the darn ramp was under construction and it was one lane, had to keep driving til I got out of the cone zone, and it was right as I did when the rod threw. Still it was only a few miles from home.

Another time I drove up into Central Wyoming, on some back roads and then back down to Fort Collins in my Baja bug, and at an intersection just a mile from the VW shop I worked at, went to take off from a stop, and spun the splines on a rear drum. Quick tow to the shop and quick fix. Either of those could have been a lot more of a pain had they happened further from home.

Anyway, you're lucky to have a Syncro that could lock the diff on it! Most people would be SOL anywhere. Odd failure though, I wonder how long those bolts might have been loose...

For quality taps, I've always just gone with Sears Craftsman. Sometimes I'll machine the top millimeter or two off of the tap if it's going into a hole that doesn't have much room behind it. Good luck with the rethread.

I don't know how-hard / or-if you can swap the flange in the car though.

-Andy

[?Waldo?]

Swapping the drive flange is easy in the car and would be a better solution than trying to fix the damaged threads. In order to fix the threads properly you should run the tap into the good threads first (from the back) and so removal would be necessary anyway. If you start from the damaged side it is unlikely that the new threads will match up well with the old threads that were still good and you will end up with a severely weakened thread.

Andrew

[gears]

Yeah, it's difficult enough keeping those bolts tight, much less with looser threads. A used replacement flange shouldn't cost much.

[ranchero]

OK, anyone know where I can find a used axle flange? Will I need a one specific to the 094 trans or is it the same as an 091?

I think I'll try to tap the existing flange as a temp fix as well.
Thanks for your advice
Steve
_________________
'90 Westy Syncro EJ25 (money pit #1)
'96 FZJ80 (cheap by comparison^^)
'13 Golf R. Daily driver.

[gears]

091 & 094 are the same.