Heavy duty replacement. The mainshaft bearing thrust plate in stock VW Vanagon transaxles is too soft, allowing the outer race of the mainshaft bearing to wear into the steel thrust plate and the magnesium front housing. We have a soltuion. Weddle Industries manufactures a heavy duty replacement, made from high quality, heat-treated steel and precision-ground to the proper thickness. The Weddle plate provides a much larger thrust surface than the stock VW plate, and will greatly extend the life of any rebuilt transaxle by eliminating the mainshaft movement that would otherwise occur. Installation requires careful machining of the front housing, as per the included instructions. 

Tech Tip: For high performance applications, we recommend shortening the shoulder on the reverse idler shaft so it won't contact the outer race of the front mainshaft bearing. This shoulder was originally intended to keep the bearing from rotating in the gear carrier housing, but we have seen this rotation locking feature cause failures when the bearing is subject to extreme shock loads.

091-311-514-A, 091311514A