suspension VW

Right mate, had similar issue on my B5.5 few years back. Turns out some Passats came with different uprights - cast iron ones use 20mm ball joint taper, but aluminium uprights need the 15.5mm or 16mm cone. Your 54 plate could have either depending on build spec. Worth checking what material your hub carrier is before ordering more parts.​

I struggled with this exact problem on my mate's Passat! The cone sizes are proper confusing on these B5.5s. If you've got the alloy uprights you need 15.5mm cone arms, but iron uprights want 20mm. Best bet is to check your VIN with a proper parts supplier - saved me loads of hassle when I did mine.​

The lower rear arms on B5.5s are nightmare for this - reckon VW changed suppliers mid-production or summat. Mine's an 03 plate and needed 16mm cone. Double check if your car's got the 15.5mm, 16mm or 20mm taper before buying owt else.​

@tom_smith Exactly that! My neighbour had 02 Passat wagon, dealer tried selling him 20mm arms but turned out his had 16mm. Proper rip off if you don't check first.

@A. M. Might sound daft but can you measure the taper on your old arm with calipers? I did that when I couldn't find right part number - measured the cone at widest point. Helped me figure out I needed 15.5 not 16.​

Had this ages ago with my dad's Passat TDi estate. The parts bloke said early B5.5s sometimes got mix of parts from B5 and newer stuff, suspension arms included. We ended up taking old arm to motor factors and they matched it up properly.

@GaRy_A That's proper helpful about the upright material - never knew that was the difference! Explains why my brother's Passat needed different arms to mine even though both B5.5.

@A. M. This happened to my cousin's Passat round 2019. He found a helpful thread on some forum saying later 2004 models mostly had the alloy uprights with smaller cone. Might be worth checking yours if it's later 54 plate?​

Honestly the whole cone size thing on these is ridiculous. I went through three different part numbers before getting right lower arm for my 2003 1.9 TDi variant. Would deffo recommend measuring old part like @liam.o.conn said or just get VIN checked.​

@sophie_j Tell me about it! Spent half a day at breakers yard once trying to find compatible arms. Bloke there reckoned the 16mm ones were more common on 2001-03 models but then VW switched suppliers. Complete lottery unless you know exact spec.​

@A. M. Mate if you're still stuck, try checking if there's any part numbers stamped on your original arm? Sometimes they've got em near the ball joint mount. Helped me when I was doing mine - just searched that number and found right replacement straightaway.

with this: bought "universal fit" lower arms off eBay for my 04 Passat estate thinking they'd work since listing said B5.5 compatible. Ball joint cone was too small, wouldn't even go in the hole properly. Wasted forty quid and had to order OEM spec ones in the end.​