Took apart 2 stock propshafts. The rusty red one is an ’86 model, the black one is from a later van (I don’t know the year). You can see that there are a few minor differences. One important one is the machined end that houses the internal bushings. Note the thickness of the internal bushings, the newer shaft has much thinner bushings. Both units have shafts that are the same diameter so it’s the bushing housing that is a smaller diameter in the newer shaft. Also the shaft lengths differ, the older one being longer. The newer shaft has the o-ring in a groove, the older one has a rebate to hold ring.
Some more trivia:
1. the black (newer shaft) had one U-joint that looked stock and one that had a blanked off grease nipple. I am assuming orig. U-joint was replaced
2. The rusty red one, from my van and I am confident that is stock, does match the diagram I posted in previous blog entry. The black one does not match in some details.
3. both internal shafts are same diameter
4. overall length of shafts differ by a couple of millimeters. The black, (newer), shaft being shorter.
5. all the socket cap screws are the same
6. I haven’t found, and this does not mean none exist, any vw part number on both shafts
7. giubos are identical
8. the part of the joint that mates to the trans/front diff, on both shafts are as identical as machined sand cast parts can be
9. the diameter of the propshaft proper is pretty well identical on both shafts (3.155″)
10. both shafts assembled with U-joints out of IN phase
shooftie 