US Dollars
Classic VW Rear Axle Identification
Information. Data. Assumption. Ordering twice. Skip the last two. Before you buy wheels, tires, or a brake kit for the rear of your Classic VW, you need to know exactly which axle, spline, and bearing housing combo your car is running. This guide — and the video walkthrough below — gets you there.
Measure before you order
Order without measuring and you’ll find out the hard way: wheels that won’t fit. Brand-new tires that rub. A disc brake kit that has to ship back. Educate yourself first — then invest in your build with confidence.
Full video walkthrough
Full video covering measurement, configurations, and what to look for.
Stock US-spec configurations
Find your year range to see the stock US-spec configuration.
Measurement reference
Pull out the tape and compare. If your numbers don’t match a stock config, your car has been swapped at some point.
| Configuration | Total Axle Length | Spline Length | Bearing Housing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Axle / Short Spline 1949–1965 stock |
26 5/8″ | 2″ / 53 mm | 3 7/16″ / 87 mm |
| Long Axle / Short Spline 1966–1967 stock |
27 7/8″ | 2″ / 53 mm | 4 5/8″ / 117 mm |
| Long Axle / Long Spline 1968 stock |
28 3/8″ | 2 5/8″ / 68 mm | 4 5/8″ / 117 mm |
Long-to-short conversion
If your 1966–1968 car came with long axles, you can swap to a short-axle setup — axles, tubes, and bearing caps — and pull the rear track in by 1.25″ (32 mm).
Why bother? Deeper-dish wheels in the rear. More aggressive stance. Better visual flow front-to-rear. It’s a PRO-favorite move when style is on the build sheet.
Stock configurations vary by market
The PROs are gathering real-world data on non-US-spec Type 1 Beetles — and we need the #AirkewldArmy’s help. If your car is apart, bored, or you just measured it, send us what you found. We’ll add it to the reference here so the next builder doesn’t have to guess.
Still not sure what fits?
Measured your car and still not sure what fits? Send the numbers our way and the Airkewld PROs will spec the right wheels, brakes, or rear-end combo for your build — the first time. Built on 24+ years of Classic VW rear-end experience at Airkewld. Measure once, order once. #AirkewldArmy