The rear wheel bearing is secured by a snap ring or circlip on models with IRS. The circlips are made of spring steel and can be reused if they are not deformed or rusted.
Rust affects the clamping range, so that the circlip no longer fits tightly in the groove and may come off. Do not take unnecessary risks and replace the circlip if it is rusted.
Circlips are not included with wheel bearing sets, you must always order them separately. If you order wheel bearing sets before you have even disassembled, it is advisable to order the circlips immediately. It would be a shame to have your work interrupted if you can't reuse the old circlips.
In the Syncro version of the VW Vanagon, the circlips mentioned here are not used for the wheel bearings, but they are used to secure the viscous coupling bearing and the axle bearing in the gearbox.
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