MK4 Rear Differential Installation

[davamor]

Hi everyone. My name is Dave. This is my first post but I have to start somewhere I guess. I got my MK4 complete kit delivered Easter morning of this year and the build has been progressing fairly smoothly, though I'm having to jump around in the build manual due to missing parts that keep me from completing the manual in the order it's presented. I gather from the posts that I'm not alone in this.

I'm currently installing the rear differential. It's a Moser 8.8, 3-link and I'm having trouble getting the lower control arms to join to their mounting points due to an alignment problem. I can get three of the bolts through the mounts and arms, but I can't finish the 4th bolt. I can get it through the first side of the mounting bracket and through the lower control arm, but the other side of the arm is offset from the hole of the other side of the bracket by an eighth of an inch preventing the bolt from exiting.

I've tried everything I can think of to change the alignment but I can't get the final bolt all the way through. (note...profanity, even liberally applied, has not proven to be effective either). Has anyone encountered this...and if so, how did you resolve it?

[GoDadGo]

I used a large Phillips Screwdriver to align mine.
I was able to muscle the control arm bolt holes around before slipping the bolts in.
Shown below is that Factory-5 3-Link installation video which may or may not be of help to you.

https://youtu.be/H_n5ZJJHrjE

Good Luck, Watch Your Pinkies & Don't Throw Tools!

Steve

[egchewy79]

I think I ended up drilling out one of my holes. I had about 1/8" off as well.

Edit: I re-read your OP and was thinking of a different bolt. for the control arms, I had to play with the angle of my floor jack a bit to get it all to line up.

[nucjd19]

Agree with the above. I was doing a lot of adjustments with the floor jack and wiggling. It took me a good few hours to do it solo and would have been a big help to have an extra set of hands. I think I also used a screw driver to help pull it into position like Steve. I remember it being harder than I thought it should when I was doing that part of the install. Don't give up.

[cob427sc]

It's easier if you have a large drift pin (tapered shaft punch) and you can push it all the way through to align the holes, then tap the bolt back at the same time pushing out the drift pin. Works to align everything and keeps it there while the bolt goes through.

[Todd Baumann]

If you change the height of the rear end up and down and then lift or push down on the opposite side it usually helps align the hole for you at some point.
Does take two or so people with all of the wiggling but you shouldn't have to re drill any holes.