This guide covers replacing a front CV shaft on a Gen 1 VW Amarok (2010 to 2022, both the 2.0L four cylinder and 3.0L V6). It does not apply to the new generation Amarok released after 2022. If you are still deciding whether an Amarok belongs in your driveway, read my guide on buying a used Gen 1 Amarok first.
The Job at a Glance
- Jack the vehicle up with both front wheels off the ground, support it on stands and remove the wheel.
- Soak every fastener in penetrating oil.
- Free the brake and ABS lines from their mounts.
- Disconnect the sway bar link.
- Remove the bolt joining the strut to the lower control arm.
- Wedge a flathead into the rotor and crack the inner and outer CV bolts.
- Separate the upper control arm ball joint.
- Drop the CV shaft down between the strut and lower control arm.
- Feed the new shaft in and start every bolt by hand.
- Reassemble, torque everything, and torque the strut bolt only once the vehicle is back on the ground.
Full detail on each step below, including the bits that will fight you. Each step links to the exact moment in the video, so if you are stuck mid job you can jump straight to the footage.
Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour if you know the job (1 to 2 beers).
Symptoms of a Failing Amarok CV Joint
You will usually get warning before a CV joint lets go completely:
- Clicking on full lock. The classic sign. A rhythmic click or clack when turning tightly, especially under power.
- Clunking on takeoff. A knock when you accelerate from a stop or shift between drive and reverse.
- Vibration at speed. A worn inner joint can cause a shudder under load.
- Grease flung around the wheel arch. This is the one that got me. A split boot spits grease over everything inside the arch. Once the boot has a hole in it, dirt and water get in, the grease gets out, and the joint's days are numbered.
If you catch a split boot early, you may get away with a boot kit and a regrease. I've never done the boot kit on my Amarok and TBH it's probably not worth the effort. If it has been slinging grease for a while, replace the shaft. More on that decision further down.
Tools and Parts You Will Need
Tools required:
- 17mm socket
- 19mm socket
- 21mm socket
- 27mm socket
- M12 spline (triple square) + 6" extension
- 19mm spanner
- 21mm spanner
- 6mm allen key
- 2 beers
You will also want:
- Trolley jack, plus jack stands under the chassis rails. Non negotiable. You do not want the vehicle coming down on you.
- A second trolley or bottle jack to sit under the lower control arm
- Rattle gun (impact wrench) if you have one, it saves your arms
- Flathead screwdriver and a soft mallet
- Torque wrench, if you are doing it to factory spec
- Penetrating oil (Inox, Rust Off or similar)
- Blue Loctite
- Degreaser and a hose for the cleanup
- Gloves and plenty of rags. CV grease gets everywhere.
Parts:
- Replacement CV shaft, or a boot kit with fresh CV grease if the joint itself is still healthy. I've never done the boot kit on my Amarok and TBH it's probably not worth the effort.
- Inner CV bolt kit, part number N10523402. That is a 6 pack of spline bolts with 3 locking plates.
- Outer CV hub bolt, part number N90625101.
On the bolts: the CV bolts and their locking plates are stretch bolts, officially single use. If you are ordering a new CV shaft, order the long outer bolt (N90625101) at the same time, it does not come with the shaft. That said, new bolts may not be an option in the bush. If you are reusing them, clean them up properly and run blue Loctite on both the inner and outer CV bolts.
On the shaft itself: genuine Volkswagen CVs are substantially stronger than aftermarket options. If you head off-road, even a used genuine shaft will outlast a cheap aftermarket one. And a money saving tip: the left and right front shafts on a Gen 1 Amarok are the same part, and they are the same across the four cylinder and the V6. Wreckers will often tag them left and right, but it is one shaft that fits both sides. Just make sure it came off a stock vehicle that has not lived a hard life.
Step by Step: Replacing the CV Shaft
1. Get the vehicle up safely
Park on a flat, level surface. Jack the vehicle up using the factory jacking pads and put jack stands under the chassis rails. Get both front wheels off the ground, not just the side you are working on. You will need to turn the axle and change where the wheels are pointing to reach the inner CV bolts, and you cannot do that with one wheel planted. Remove the wheel. Check your jack stands, and do not put your fingers anywhere you would not put your crown jewels. (watch: 0:43)
2. Soak everything in penetrant
Hit every bolt you are about to touch with penetrating oil. It frees up rusted or slightly seized fasteners before you snap them off with a rattle gun or a spanner. Cheap insurance.
3. Free the brake and ABS lines
Disconnect the brake line and ABS wiring from their mounts on the strut and control arm. You are about to move the suspension through a lot of travel, and you do not want either of these under tension. Keep an eye on them for the whole job. (watch: 1:18)
4. Disconnect the sway bar
Undo the sway bar link. Keep the nuts and bolts from each step together. It is the worst when they get mixed up. (watch: 1:26)
5. Remove the strut to lower control arm bolt
This bolt can take some convincing. Hold the rattle gun on it and let it slowly work itself out. (watch: 1:41)
6. Crack the CV bolts
Wedge your flathead screwdriver into the rotor vanes so the whole assembly cannot spin while you undo the outer CV bolt (watch: 1:57). The inner spline bolts may need the flathead trick again to crack them. Rotate the shaft and crack each spline bolt individually before fully removing any of them. If a bolt is being stubborn, there is probably dirt packed into the head. Seat the triple square bit with a gentle tap so you do not round the bolt. (watch: 2:25)
7. Separate the upper control arm ball joint
Undo the ball joint nut. If the stud spins, hold it still with a 6mm allen key down the top while you work the nut with a spanner. Once the nut is off, a few love taps with the mallet will pop the joint free. (watch: 3:39)
8. Drop the shaft out
The shaft will probably still be seized in place. Encourage it with the flathead and soft mallet until it pops free. Keep that second jack under the lower control arm. If you are struggling to do something at any point in this job, raising or lowering the arm will almost always help, just be cautious not to lift the whole vehicle off your jack stands doing it. Drop the arm slightly, pull the strut aside a touch, and manoeuvre the shaft down through the gap between the strut and the lower control arm. (watch: 4:00)
Two warnings here. First, do not pull on the CV shaft ends. The joint can pop apart and the bearings will go loose inside the boot. Handle it as one unit. Second, keep watching those brake and ABS lines. Do not crush or stretch them while you wrestle the shaft out.
9. Feed the new shaft in
Reverse the process. Raise the jack under the lower control arm to bring the shaft up to height (watch: 5:52). Get the inner flange threads to just catch on the diff output flange, then stop. Do not go full send on the first bolt. If it cross threads, your day gets a lot worse. Start every bolt by hand, rotate the shaft, and work around the flange evenly. (watch: 6:59)
10. Reassemble the suspension
Fit the outer CV bolt, reconnect the upper ball joint, and fit the strut to lower control arm bolt loosely, do not torque that one yet (watch: 6:38). Refit the sway bar link (watch: 8:07), then tighten the upper ball joint nut, using the 6mm allen key trick again to stop the stud spinning (watch: 8:38). Remount the brake and ABS lines and check your work (watch: 9:02).
11. Wheel back on
Handy trick for lining the wheel up: pop the centre cap out of your rim so you can see the hub through the middle. Get the wheel hanging on the hub centre, then spin it to line up the bolt holes. The bolts go straight in instead of you playing a guessing game with a 30kg wheel. (watch: 9:34)
12. On the ground, final torque
Lower the vehicle. Now tighten the strut to lower control arm bolt with the suspension loaded at normal ride height. Tighten the wheel bolts. (watch: 10:19)
Torque Specs and Reinstallation Checks
Full disclosure: in the video I do this as a bush mechanic fix. No torque wrench, everything done up tight by feel. That is not the official procedure and it can go wrong, so I am not telling you to do it my way. If you want to do it by the book, here are the factory specs from the VW manual:
| Fastener | Torque |
|---|---|
| Inner CV flange spline bolts (N10523402) | 10 Nm initial, then 50 Nm + 90° |
| Outer CV hub bolt (N90625101) | 150 Nm + 180° |
| Upper ball joint nut | 110 Nm + 180° |
| Strut to lower control arm bolt (eccentric) | 50 Nm + 90°, vehicle on the ground |
| Sway bar link (coupling rod) | 110 Nm |
| Wheel bolts | 180 Nm (M14 x 1.5) or 110 Nm (M12 x 1.5) |
Remember that every bolt in that table with an angle after it is a stretch bolt, officially single use, locking plates included. If bush circumstances force a reuse, clean them properly and use blue Loctite.
Before you drive:
- Use degreaser and a hose to clean off any excess CV grease from the repair.
- Go over every fastener with a spanner. All of them.
- Check the brake line and ABS wiring are secured in their mounts and clear of anything that moves.
- Take a slow test drive. Full lock both directions in a car park, listening for clicks. Then a short drive checking for vibration.
- Check all your work with a spanner again after 100km.
Replace the Full Shaft or Just the Boot?
Just the boot if you caught it early. The boot is split but the joint is quiet, there is still clean grease in there, and no clicking on full lock. Pull the shaft, clean the joint out completely, repack with fresh CV grease and fit a new boot. Again, probably not worth the effort, you need a specialised tool and it's messy AF. I've never done just the boot.
The full shaft if the joint is clicking, the boot has been open to the elements for a while, or the grease that came out is contaminated with grit. Once dirt gets into the bearings, no amount of fresh grease saves it. Given the labour to get the shaft out is identical either way, a replacement shaft is often the smarter call. A genuine shaft from VW is over $1,300 for the part alone, but a good used genuine from a wrecker or an aftermarket shaft typically runs $100 to $300. If you head off road, spend that money on used genuine over cheap aftermarket, the genuine unit is substantially stronger and will outlast it. You do not want to do this job twice.
On the Amarok, split CV boots are a known weak point. If you take yours off road, get in the habit of glancing at the boots whenever you are under the vehicle. And if your Amarok is lifted, read the diff drop question in the FAQ below, because too much droop is a common cause of split boots on its own.
FAQ
How do I know if my Amarok CV joint is failing?
The most common signs are a clicking noise when turning on full lock, a clunk when accelerating from a stop, vibration under load, and grease sprayed around the inside of the wheel arch from a split boot. Grease in the arch is usually the first visible sign and the best time to act.
How much does an Amarok CV joint replacement cost in Australia?
A genuine CV shaft from VW is over $1,300 for the part alone, before a workshop adds labour on top. A good used genuine shaft or an aftermarket one typically costs $100 to $300, and because the same shaft fits both front sides on the Gen 1, and is the same on the 4cyl vs the v6, sourcing one is straightforward. Doing the job yourself brings the total down to the shaft, a set of new bolts and an afternoon in the driveway. For off road use, a used genuine shaft is the smarter buy, it is substantially stronger than a cheap aftermarket unit.
How long does it take to replace a CV shaft on a Gen 1 Amarok?
Budget 30 minutes to an hour if you know the job, or 1 to 2 beers in the traditional unit of measurement. First timers should allow longer, the inner spline bolts and the strut to lower control arm bolt are the usual time wasters.
Can I drive with a worn CV boot?
Short answer: not for long. The boot itself is not the problem, it is what happens next. Grease escapes, dirt and water get in, and the joint wears rapidly. A split boot caught early is a cheap boot kit. A split boot ignored is a full shaft replacement, and if it fails completely you are losing drive to that wheel. If you're not driving a 4banger manual, you're going no where with a busted CV.
Is a CV joint the same as a CV shaft on the Amarok?
Not quite. The CV shaft (also called a driveshaft or axle) is the full assembly: an inner joint, an outer joint and the shaft connecting them, all sealed in rubber boots. On the Gen 1 Amarok you generally replace the complete shaft as one unit rather than an individual joint, which is also the easier DIY job. When it comes to Amaroks, you're either term is probably referring to the entire assembly.
Are the left and right CV shafts the same on a Gen 1 Amarok?
Yes. The front left and right shafts are the same part on the Gen 1, and the same shaft fits both the four cylinder and V6 models. Wreckers may label them left and right, but it is one interchangeable part.
How much lift can a Gen 1 Amarok handle before it needs a diff drop?
Here is the measurement that matters. Jack the front up so there is no weight on the wheel and measure from the centre of the hub to the guard. If that distance is more than 565mm at full droop, you are past the operating limit of the CV joint and you need a diff drop. Running beyond that angle does two things: it works the joint at the edge of its range, and it can pinch the boot until it splits, which is when grease starts spinning out everywhere. If you are planning a lift, factor the diff drop into the build rather than finding out through a torn boot.
Watch the Full Job
The full video shows every step of this repair on my own Amarok, including the stubborn bits the manuals do not warn you about. Maintenance is not the glamorous side of 4WD touring, but your car will break, and knowing how to fix it is part of the lifestyle. If you are researching the platform more broadly, start with my guide on buying a used Gen 1 Amarok.