As far as I know, all OEM axle shafts are tubular, about 1" diameter. You might luck out and find a label on it. Keep in mind that vibration, if due to a driveshaft, will be from loose joints, unless the shaft is bent. Try twisting each joint, and if you can feel any rotational movement, the joint is likely too worn to use.

 

You are more likely to see a label than not. At least that's the case at Pick n pulls around here. They may be covered by dirt and grime, so bring a rag to wipe them off. Part numbers are easily erased though, so don't scrub the tag too much. There aren't many axles compatibe with an auto 2000 1.8 model. Not sure with a V6 though.

 

The factors working against finding a nearly 17 yr old CV axle with the factory label still on it and CV boots in good condition...

A gnat should have a better chance of surviving in a blizzard. Now if you're looking for a 2013-2015 factory CV axle, different story.

I wouldn't waste my time...not sure how much yours is worth. Don't go throwing good $$$ after bad. Spend $250 plus labor and be done with vibration for another ~90K-110K or just be gingerly with the acceleration so the vibration isn't as bad until you have the funds saved up or can take out a mortgage to have the work done.

 

An OEM axle shaft won't be rusted and will have a label with part number. Junk yards, in my experience, don't make distinctions between OEM and aftermarket; so when they tell you they have an OEM axle and it turns out to be aftermarket, they weren't lying they just don't care. Biggest mistake I have made with my car was to allow a trusted garage to replace my OEM passenger side axle with aftermarket just because the boot was ruptured. If you can change them out yourself, maybe it's best to simply buy whatever your parts supplier recommends and try them until you find one that's OK.
There is no cheap, sure-fire solution. Aftermarket axles made to OEM specs are probably too expensive to manufacturer profitably, even in China. Having said that, here is a site that sells FEQ: https://www.europaparts.com/volkswagen/passat/b5/1-8t/parts/drivetrain/axles.html

 

OEM axles are also stamped with Audi and the 4 rings symbol. OEM doesn't have to mean original to the car either. Many people go to the dealer to buy their replacements.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

I have a FEQ half-axle on my driver's side. So far, so good. I get a kick out of the meaning of FEQ, First Equipment Quality.

 

if that's all you care about, then you'll get a kick out of the couple ***'s in my car!

(*** wheel bearings )

 

I've bought axles at yards and the original VW/Audi labels were easy to spot. If things are so bad that the label is gone then the axle is probably shot too.

You need to find one that matches the trans of your car. A manual uses different axles than an auto trans. Not sure about 1.8t vs V6 or FWD vs 4-mo but you can look up the part number for your car at an on-line parts shop and then see what other years it would fit. I'd guess most any B5/B5.5 will work as long as you don't mix manual vs auto trans and it's not a W8 but check to be sure.

Getting the axle bolt out without a tire on the car can be a challenge so bring a battery-powered impact and 17mm hex bit if you possibly can. Otherwise, you'll have to get creative to stop the axle from spinning while you try to get the bolt out. If you do that, be careful as the axle bolts are tight and things can fly around under that much torque.

 

I'm sure local climate conditions have to do a lot with longevity of the labels. I picked up two axles at Pick N Pull so far, while searching noticed most had labels still on. But not much rain around here usually (except for 3" expected today). As Iowegian said, it can be tricky removing an axle at a junk yard. If rotors are still around, you can jamb a large screwdriver in the vents and either use a caliper as a stop or whatever else you can make. It can be difficult to find wheel lugs to secure a rotor, but being it's a junk yard, you're likely to find something that will work. But I'm not against Raxles or any other alternative. Plenty of factors to consider and figure out what suits you the best.

 

I have a similar question: how can I tell if the axles on my Passat are OEM or not? The diameter of the shaft is 27.5mm, which is just over an inch, but if the cheap replacements are smaller diameter, how much smaller are they? I understand the OEM ones are hollow, but how do you tell if it's hollow or not?

I couldn't see any identifying marks as far as I looked, but here in Wisconsin everything on the bottom of the car tends to corrode.

The car has had a strong vibration at idle in "D" since I got it a few years ago. Now one of the boots is open. If it's OEM I might just replace the boot if the rest is OK, but if not, would like to get the OEM hollow axles and see what that does for the vibration.

Thanks.

 

Apart from the label, OEM axles are hollow and are significantly wider in the center section, right after the boot. A 27.5mm axle is not OEM. The FWD axles I have in the garage are roughly 32mm and the section near the boot is close to the 27.5mm. The V6 4Mo front axles are even larger. Not sure about the older 1.8T manual trans axles, I can't reach that set right now.

 

Thanks so much for that answer, PZ. From that I confirmed I had aftermarket axles. I ordered a rebuilt OEM set from Raxles, which do have the larger diameter. They taper down at the ends near the boots, which makes them easier to recognize in photos.
The vibration is definitely better more with the OEM axles, though still more rough than other cars I think.
For reference, here is a photo of the old aftermarket axle and the new one from Raxles side-by-side.

 

People talk about a vibration at idle which wouldn't be a rotational balance issue. Somebody somewhere posted that they think their vibration was caused by the shaft being longer than OEM, and somebody else posted that the inner CV join on their Chinese axle didn't have "in and out" play like OEM, both of which could potentially prevent the engine mounts from doing their job absorbing vibration. In any case, I ordered reman axles from Napa hoping to get OEM and one was a hollow shaft and the other was solid. It pained me to give them my OEM axle as a core for a Chinese unit. But they seem to be vibration free on my V6 MT FWD.

 

If anyone needs a good original VW core for rebuild, with the hollow axle, PM me. Left side for 1.8T auto trans FWD, may fit other engines, p/n 4A0 407 341 B.

 

Where in WI are you?
I'll be going back up 3rd week of December for a few weeks at least. I'll be in the Brookfield area.

 

CV Drivaxle rebuild kits are pretty easy to find. What makes them vibrate is wear, but sometimes it could be from just being cheap and sloppy I guess. I wouldn't know...I usually buy used ones that aren't too roasted, and rebuild them.