Fitting a new front & rear silencer

[hiltow]

Car is a standard 1986 1.6GT (i.e. with the larger fuel tank and space-saver spare wheel).

I need to fit a new exhaust system to my car as the baffles have given up on the original unit after 25 years. The new exhaust will be the standard unit from VW. However, I've read that the rear axle has to be dropped to allow the pipe to clear the axle when removing / fitting.

I had the axle repainted a couple of years ago, so don't want it marking when taking the exhaust off. Then again, I really don't want to have to dropt the axle again either (I'd rather leave it undisturbed unless absolutely necessary).

I could easily wrap something around the axle so that it doesn't get scratched, but I was wondering if it is possible to remove the exhaust without dropping the axle down if the car was driven onto a hydraulic lift and raised up high? Has anyone done this?

[eamon1.3]

Dont need to drop the axle, the two boxes join near the axle so they can be taken out seperatly. Joint can be a pain to split but if the system is scrap you can just cut it

[hiltow]

Cheers, but the rear section has a crook in the pipe running towards the front of the car between the rear silencer and the joint eith the mid-section. The crook in the pipe takes it up over the axle and back down to meet up with the mid-section. It's this crook in the pipe that's the potential problem as the length of pipe between the rear silencer and joint to the mid section might be too long to wangle over the axle without catching the body. The old pipe can always be cut off, but that stillleaves the peoblem of getting the new one fitted.

[eamon1.3]

Ive took one off before without droping the axle, took a bit of wiggling but came out, so in theory a new one should go in?

[hiltow]

Cheers for that - being able to get the rear exhaust section out without cutting into pieces and dropping the axle bodes well!

[Nate]

if it is a genuine VW part, it is possible that it may come all as 1 section. it is quite common for the original 'zorst to be 1 complete section, then the rotten bits get chopped out and replaced as and when needed. youmight find that a replacement genuine one is all one piece. if it is, all you would need to do would be to cut it just infront of the rear beam and then rejoin it with a sleeve once on the car