Weiß Beater: a budget iX build

[nando]

I'm curious how long those plastic bag and duct tape cv boots last. At least you're not lowered. I made myself a cv boot changing jig that cuts my time and frustration down 80%. Makes it a 15-30 minute per side job. I can take pics of it if you're interested.

I've done it with duct tape before. I give it about a week, lol.

Doesn't look like it's too bad of an ix - solid shape. Just really dirty and poorly maintained. I bet it will serve you well!

[unloadedak]

Can't wait to buy this from you in the Spring :)

If it runs good during the winter you might have to force me to sell it ;)

I'm curious how long those plastic bag and duct tape cv boots last. At least you're not lowered. I made myself a cv boot changing jig that cuts my time and frustration down 80%. Makes it a 15-30 minute per side job. I can take pics of it if you're interested.

I’m curious as well haha! It won’t be used as a daily so I feel like they should last me the winter…. I hope. I think I’m gonna send them to Axles Unlimited in NC but yes, let’s see that jig!

I've done it with duct tape before. I give it about a week, lol.

Doesn't look like it's too bad of an ix - solid shape. Just really dirty and poorly maintained. I bet it will serve you well!

Lol, I’m fine with touching up the boots after a week’s worth of driving if it keeps the car on the road for the crap weather. The car is actually very well maintained it just has one or two bad areas. For instance, in 2007 @ 160k the TC was replaced, it’s now what damn near 2016 and it has 167k. It also looks like it got dampers, control arms, tie rods at 100k. I did timing belt because it’s last one was at 138k and in 2001! It’s had a ton of work done to it but the axles seemed to slip by.



Well fingers crossed; it’s running awesome now, it wasn’t the alternator or water pump or any accessory. I think it was just the belt tensioner not having enough tension. I’m an M20 noob , I wish I could stuff an S52 into this with little effort.

I took it on a long test drive and it was excellent except for about 30 seconds of front axle clicking noises; after a sharp right hander they shut up for the remaining 30 minutes. I also went to the car wash and began to clean of what is probably 3+ years of dirt off of it as well. IMO it cleans up pretty damn good. Dents, dings, chips, surface rust, etc here and there but for an all season car from the Midwest, it’s minty. Oh and it got a sport steering wheel courtesy of a buddy!

[spiDmang]

nice score!!!

[unloadedak]

Got it running just in time... lots of snow on Thursday. I was going to bring the iX home with me Wednesday night, but I didn't since I assumed the snow wouldn’t stick..

I woke up to about 4” sticking and still falling. I attempted to drive the M3 over to get the iX and well; I made it about 3 car lengths out of my garage. Falken Eurowinter HS449s are SHIT on ice.

I couldn’t move at all; completely stuck. Over an hour of shoveling and about 20# of cat sand and I got the M3 moved into a parking stall. Went to grab the iX with the gf car and it has performed flawlessly so far, hit 168k xmas morning.

[rzerob]

That's why I bought my ix. I got my first one as a beater and there was snow on the ground and it handled well but I wasn't pushing it. On my way home I got on it and was amazed how the ix performed in the snow. I said to myself I have to always have one of these in my life.

[stonea]

Sub'd for when you get tired of maintenance and decide to start modding it.

[TimKninja]

you got one HELL of a deal for $800!!

Thinking Ill sell my Mk4 Jetta and get an IX for next winter after looking at all these build threads.

What are you driving around with no plates ?

[unloadedak]

That's why I bought my ix. I got my first one as a beater and there was snow on the ground and it handled well but I wasn't pushing it. On my way home I got on it and was amazed how the ix performed in the snow. I said to myself I have to always have one of these in my life.

That's how I feel all over again.. I forgot how amazing they are in the snow. It has already been through two snow storms and I don't think I'll ever sell this car so long as I live in a cold climate.

Sub'd for when you get tired of maintenance and decide to start modding it.

HAHAHHAHAHA. see below

you got one HELL of a deal for $800!!
Thinking Ill sell my Mk4 Jetta and get an IX for next winter after looking at all these build threads.
What are you driving around with no plates ?

Do it! These cars are amazing when the roads suck. I still haven't had time to go get it registered. I've got another week or two until I'm driving illegally. No worries!






My next plan of maintenance is obviously front axles and that will turn into a complete front end refresh/cleaning that will consist of removing the whole front subframe and oil pan while replacing;

• axle rebuilds: send to axles unlimited in NC for rebuild/boot
• diff reseal
• drive shaft x5 guibo mod
• oil pan gasket
• oil filter housing seals
• front strut tubes: blasted, painted, wheel bearings, bilstein hd, 9mm spring pads
• ball joints & lcabs
• sway bushings & links
• tie rods & steering guibo
• plus all of the little while you're in there parts and new hardware

Then once that is finished, I will begin to gather parts for a rear subframe refresh including;

• OE subframe bushings & RTABs
• bilstein hds & e46m RSMs
• 10mm spring pads
• wheel bearings
• TC to dshaft guibo
• rear stainless brake lines
• sway bushings & links
• recently acquired TMS rebuilt driveshaft
• plus all of the little while you're in there parts and new hardware

I am in the middle of purchasing a bunch of random iX bits and pieces to make this build easier and here is what I'm hoping to have by late January; parts were posted for sale on a fb group in Kansas and my buddy Kingston is gonna grab the parts for me!

• front strut housings: complete with control arms
• front axles in pretty good condition, one torn boot from teardown
• TMS rebuilt rear driveshaft (~1k miles)
• oil pan
• steering rack & knuckle
• iX getrag 260 & 3.91 front diff (not sure what i'll do with these, i'm enjoying the auto and the TC only has about 9k miles on it)

I'm planning to get all of these parts blasted, painted, refreshed, etc... and ready for install when winter weather threats are over. The overall goal is to make the car feel tighter/more planted (it's solid but kinda loose/floaty now) without making it feel all fuhraze with solid bushings everywhere like I typically do, and give it a bit of a lift with the spring pads, ~6mm. I will install the better axles before doing everything else though and send in my duct taped ones for rebuilds.






















SOOO yeah
It's becoming a project..

[rzerob]

Switch the front housing of the auto tc with a manual tc and you have a manual tc with 9k miles on it. The best of both worlds. I just recently found this out and I am so glad I wasn't able to sell my rebuilt auto tc. Though I doubt you are intimidated by it the manual swap is easy. I did mine completely by my self in a weekend on jack stands. Had I had a lift I think I could have got in done in a day. I loved the car even more when it was manual.

[unloadedak]

Switch the front housing of the auto tc with a manual tc and you have a manual tc with 9k miles on it. The best of both worlds. I just recently found this out and I am so glad I wasn't able to sell my rebuilt auto tc. Though I doubt you are intimidated by it the manual swap is easy. I did mine completely by my self in a weekend on jack stands. Had I had a lift I think I could have got in done in a day. I loved the car even more when it was manual.

whoa... i did not know this.
i thought they were totally different. looks like 27 00 1 226 476 is about $390 though :( i might wait to find a cheap manual tc to tear apart.

i did love my old 5 speed iX but i'm not turned off by the auto in this one, yet.

i think i'll refresh... front >>> rear >>> cylinder head >>> 5 speed

[stonea]

I actually kind of like the auto in my 325i.

[nando]

yeah, take that extra 10% torque loss from the AT, and add another 10% loss for the AWD.. the ix needs to be a 5 speed. :p

[Kershaw]

http://imgur.com/oN6i3A7.jpg

I built it from scrap around the shop using just a bandsaw. Just clamp the base to your bench. It's important to have both of the clamps. They sit on the middle of the cv axle, so the cv joint hangs off the side. The benefit to this jig is that the axle is held firmly in place. The wood, as opposed to a metal vise, has give that increases friction. The axle doesn't move at all. And since it has 2 points of clamping, the axle is held level. All this allows you to manipulate/open the circlip and wack the joint with a brass hammer. Makes it very easy. Pre drill all your holes, and make sure the 2 screw clamp is a bit shallow for extra tension and the 4 screw one sits flush with an axle in.

[nando]

that's a nice jig! definitely, being able to hold it still and level makes a huge difference. if you try to do it without hoding it down somehow, it's a nightmare. a jig like that can turn it into a 5 minute job instead of fiddling with it for 5 hours..

[Kershaw]

Yep. I made this on my fifth cv joint job. I had been fiddling for an hour, remembering all the nightmares of previous jobs, I said to myself, "I have a full woodworking shop around me. I know I can do better than just trying to clamp this stupid axle to the bench." After 30 minutes I had the jig. 15 minutes later the axle was fully put back together.

I have struggled with a frozen cv clip for 6 hours before. It was my second cv joint job. The first axle took an hour. The second... What a frustrating experience and it was getting late in the day by this point. I didn't realize that I couldn't just keep wacking the joint off. It'll pinch the circlip and it won't move freely. Now if I don't get it, I always check to see if the circlip moves freely. If it doesn't, it gets a tap on the end to move back and free the circlip so it can rotate and expand properly.

It's a very tedious job, but after doing 8+ axles I'm getting fairly competent with it.