Few people expressed interest when i posted about how to repair the usual mk3 fault of the snapped rear hanger, there are a few solutions but here is mine. it takes about 2 hrs all in and a tea break

Parts needed

VW repair panel - 867 803 785 and its only £8.81 + vat (£10.35)

2x 8mm x75 length bolts or similar £2max ( you can go 10mm but i means drilling out more material)

middle rear bump stop rubber optional (i missed it out as it does feck all but you can fit it if you like).

2 new back box exhaust rubbers £2max

4x 8mm penny washers £1max

Tools Needed

a hack saw

electric drill + drill bits small, medium then a 8mm (or 10 to match the bolts you bought)

angle grinder (quickest way to get the old hooks off)

heat gun or hairdryer to melt the underseal.

bit of wood to fit in the middle of the hanger to drill it so it doesnt bend

a large file and a wee circle file (not essential but saves cutting your fingers or mr MOT mans).

old broken hanger on my loon did ok for 18 years - good old VW - but i have heard of them braking long before this and then the cable tie army take over usually.

new bits: vw panel, rear exhaust, 2 "O" rings and mid box one and a few long bolts (only need 2 of them)

so i got about changing the vw panel as i dont do welding, and prefer uber minimum drilling holes in things.

panel before on left and as modified on right.

then i grinded off the remaining leg on the car and heat gunned all the underseal on the sides of the original panel, but not on the floor so it remains sealed or you will just open it up to water attack, and then drilled holes through it so it looks like this: (file the edges till they are smooth)

then its a case of drill the VW panel to match and file the holes

then its a nice push up and bolt through operation (may require some hammer time action! ).

I chose to double nut it so its locked and cant go anywhere or vibrate loose :

then i put the "O" rubbers in a old tea pot with water and boiled them for about 5 min so they were lovely and soft. then they slide on nicely. and jobs a good un!

then just go give it a blast to make sure its not going anywhere and relax for another 18 years!

only thing i might do extra is give it a coat of paint and underseal round the panel for a proper job.

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by genesisGT

thats great dude

FAQ tbh :)

cheers neill!

it was the best solution i could come up with without breaking all the underseal or drilling and welding half the boot floor.

i got 2 repair panels as my hecks hanger felt fragile last time i looked at it! :sad:

feel free to move it to FAQ! i must have posted it in the wrong bit! I'm bad for that sometimes lol

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by genesisGT

This is fantastic, change your name to geniusGT.

Welding around an area that has so much underseal and sh*t everywhere is a nightmare so thanks for this.

I'm thinking I might want to get my exhaust sitting higher but I suppose it's a case of modding the back box off the car first. I'll wait and see where I end up when I improve my standard 1272cc system..

Cheers.

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by MacColl

Thats is genius!

I welded my exhaust as a temporary repair this weekend and noticed mine was looking fragile. At least I arnt going to struggle now!!

lol thanks but no more flatery

its a quick guide to something that will effect most of us mk2/3 people at some point unfortunately! and when it goes their are few options to keep you going in the mean time ( i used a bit of gate chain with a bolt through it.

Oilli i would buy the panel and get making, mine looked solid when i bought the car a few months ago but 3 bad speed bumps and it died.

Maccoll - if u have an aftermarket one which is heaver you could make a wee "U" shape with 2 stronger hooks and bolt it on in the same way made out of some 1 or 3mm steel.

I'm after a aftermarket system so if if this fails or cant take the weight it can be modified -

similarly if you want it to sit higher you could cut more off the top of the VW panel so the Legs on the U are shorter and grind more of the bottom bit on the car so its a "I I" shape than a "U" think that would work. just watch the petrol tank is the other side of the axle when your grinding! so make sure the grind sparks head towards to the back of the car as lots of mk3s have the dreaded fuel tank leak

Edited 9 November, 200817 yr by genesisGT

very nice Richard...

My heck's were like that when i bought it so my brother welded the hanger back on. if i had known they did replacement hangers i would have opted for one of them. my backbox is solidly held at the moment but if it decides to break i'll definitely get one of them panels!

I'd give it a good coat of anti-rust paint and/or underseal though or it'll go rusty quite quickly. Nice guide though!

I think I love you!

I've been rocking a jumbo zip tie since May and this solution exactly matches my technical skill level. Thanks!

Good guide !

Definately worth using the exhaust bump stop rubber as it stops the exhaust bouncing about so much and banging up into the bumper and wearing the hanger rubbers.

A few things to help people. Get some acid etch primer on the bare metal they expose and you can buy VAG underseal at a not unreasonable price. You need an underseal gun, but it gives a more genuine repair and it would give the same texture. If you were to weld it (which I would) you can get zinc weld through primer for the panel edges you won't be able to paint when it's done.

Just got back from picking up the repair panel plus some oil change gubbins and saw this post. Hmm...

^^^^^that would work just as well, its probubally bit simpler but should be as strong (hanger wise stonger). Alignment will be tiny bit different, as the holes are in the middle of the "U" not the edge but the rubbers if heated will manage that fine.

its a OEM or aftermarket choice, both work and will do the job.

Edited 29 April, 200917 yr by genesisGT

its a OEM or aftermarket choice, both work and will do the job.

Indeed. They're not quite ready with their design yet, and I've already got the proper repair panel so I'm going with your version. I don't have an angle grinder though so I'll be cutting bits off with my trusty herring hacksaw :)

Woo, just ordered me one from VW...should be here tomorrow I never knew parts such as these existed! Lol, thanks!

in the guide i said dont worry about the middle exhaust rubber on the back box!

well all this week i have been getting a headache from theexhaust tail pipe bouncing and hitting the bumper so i would recommend fitting it!!!

on the plus side the repair is still like new 5 month on

my heck didnt suffer from the bounce issue so maybe its the loons extra length?!

Edited 27 March, 201214 yr by genesisGT

I'm going to be buying this repair panel very soon, my mk3 is crying out for it... just wondered did you order it from GSF as i cant seem to find the part online..?

I got mine from my local independent VAG specialist.

ok. thanks very much

woo nice guide which i was on this forum b4 i got my polo, ended up just gettin my mate to weld a hook onto the backbox, hook onto a bolt, bolt through the boot and a rubber o to hitch um together. still havin a problem with the mid section hangin lowwww tho!

i think this post highlights the importance of people doing a job properly and the people bending bolts and sticking them on with pigeon shit dont forget things like this when buying a polo

ordered my part today, but it was £9.69 + vat = £11.14! good FAQ though

ordered my part today, but it was £9.69 + vat = £11.14! good FAQ though

well it is nearly a year on! recon that panel will be obsolite in the next year or two the rate its selling.

I just ordered this part from VW costing me £10 should be here friday I can finally get rid of that welding rod that is supporting me exhaust

Just ordered one too, dont really need it at the mo but I dare say I will in the not to distant future..

Only 1 left at the factory now

Excellent guide btw

it is now obsolite not just got off the phone with sinclair n there is one in the uk