Tool help - triple square (xzn) vs spline

October 22, 2018, 09:47 AM

I bought a winter beater mkv Jetta that needs some work. I finished up rebuilding the rear and now I'm moving on to the front. It needs hubs, and according to the interwebs, the bolts are metric 12 spline. I did some Googling and can't figure out if an m12 triple square is the same thing or not. I don't think it is, but everytime I searched for an m12 spline socket I kept getting results for triple square.

I'm new to these German cars so excuse my ignorance. Any help would be appreciated.

October 22, 2018, 01:56 PM

Krazeehorse

I found SAE #12 spline sockets in 3/8" drive.
https://store.snapon.com/Shall...-Socket-P633907.aspx

October 22, 2018, 02:31 PM

dogmush

Spline and XZN (Triple Square) are not the same thing. Or rather, XZN is a type of spline drive. XZN has triangular splines, and generally when someone say "spline drive" they mean rectangular splines, like a transmission input shaft or CV Shaft.

However, I pulled the VW Manual and what you actually need is an XZN. Amazon sells a couple sets with several common sizes for ~$20. like so

FWIW, the manual calls to use new bolts on the bearing housing and torque them to 70NM (52 ft-lbs) + 90 Degrees.

October 22, 2018, 02:41 PM

Woodman

BelMetric https://www.belmetric.com has all kinds of metric bolts, nuts, studs.

October 22, 2018, 02:53 PM

220-9er

Spline Drive/Triple Square is what you are looking for, like this used one on ebay. These fasteners are used a lot on German cars instead of Allen bolts.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Vintage...=142631447535&chn=ps

FTSM8C is the Snap-on part number for the one that fits an 8mm bolt.

The newer part number for these is FTSM8E.

https://store.snapon.com/Tripl...-Socket-P631925.aspx

Here is a whole page of them out of the catalog.

https://store.snapon.com/Tripl...Sockets-C796471.aspx

October 22, 2018, 03:28 PM

dogmush

The wheel bearing assembly to bearing housing bolts on that Jetta are 12mm.

October 23, 2018, 04:13 AM

AirmanJeff

Awesome, thank you everyone. I bought a triple square set when I got this POS and I thought it would be weird if those bolts were something different. This car has been an adventure for sure.

October 23, 2018, 04:16 AM

AirmanJeff

quote:
Originally posted by dogmush:
Spline and XZN (Triple Square) are not the same thing. Or rather, XZN is a type of spline drive. XZN has triangular splines, and generally when someone say "spline drive" they mean rectangular splines, like a transmission input shaft or CV Shaft.

However, I pulled the VW Manual and what you actually need is an XZN. Amazon sells a couple sets with several common sizes for ~$20. like so

FWIW, the manual calls to use new bolts on the bearing housing and torque them to 70NM (52 ft-lbs) + 90 Degrees.

Thank you for the info! Just got my torque wrench back from pmel so she's gtg. Lots of one time use bolts on this thing!

October 23, 2018, 06:36 AM

Rotndad

quote:
Originally posted by AirmanJeff:
Awesome, thank you everyone. I bought a triple square set when I got this POS and I thought it would be weird if those bolts were something different. This car has been an adventure for sure.

Prepare to be weirded out then.. VW/Audi use Triple Square, Torx and Allen head bolts. That is one of the reasons I dislike the cars and working on them.

October 24, 2018, 12:02 PM

AirmanJeff

quote:
Originally posted by Rotndad:
quote:
Originally posted by AirmanJeff:
Awesome, thank you everyone. I bought a triple square set when I got this POS and I thought it would be weird if those bolts were something different. This car has been an adventure for sure.

Prepare to be weirded out then.. VW/Audi use Triple Square, Torx and Allen head bolts. That is one of the reasons I dislike the cars and working on them.

I had to buy a bunch of torx bits too (good ones, not the junky chinese crap). These cars are an adventure for sure, but I only paid $100 bucks for it. I'll probably end up putting about $1500 into it, so I'll have a decent winter beater for under 2 grand with all new brakes/hubs/shocks/struts and other misc things (needs headliner and other smaller interior items). Car has about 110k miles on it and it's the 2.5 motor which I have heard is the most reliable of this generation.