Rear suspension removal

Hi All, am trying to remove the rear suspension bolt from the rear axle on a H reg GTI cabriolet, but the bolt is so tightly seized on it will not move what so ever. I have tried to lubricate it, hammers it out, put a 6 sided socket with breaker bar but not getting that much leverage due to being on axle stands, but still not movement. Anybody on here have any clues or ideas to removing the bolt? Thanks for your info & advice in advance.

Are you talking about the bolt that goes through the lower shock mount? If so, have you undone the top mounting? If you've got tension in the shock then it might make it harder to remove. If it is loose at the top, try tapping the bottom of the shock mount that might crack off any rust. I usually resort to a load of heat when something won't shift, so you could always try that!

Oh the bottom bolt problem…. what a pain that is…

If you need to replace the bolt get the right type as it hold up the rear of the car!

Briano1234 has a good guide here..

How to replace your Rear Struts | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum


Make sure you coat he new bolt in something like copper grease etc or it will rust itself in there again over time..
 

mark1gls said

Oh the bottom bolt problem…. what a pain that is…

If you need to replace the bolt get the right type as it hold up the rear of the car!

Briano1234 has a good guide here..

How to replace your Rear Struts | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum


Make sure you coat he new bolt in something like copper grease etc or it will rust itself in there again over time..
 

Thanks for the kudo's,

your quote,

Make sure you coat he new bolt in something like copper grease etc or it will rust itself in there again over time..
 

is half correct…..

You have to follow the Egyptian method of installation
MUMMIFY that sucker with PTFE tape head to thread, then slather it with  Never-seize….

I learned this lesson in 1984 prior to me having a Sawzall, and I will tell you I never had to fight that bolt again ever….

Well I will say that I usually have to fight that bolt on new to me cars when I replace the shocks on the rears.

But I can still remember the Blisters from having to use a taped hacksaw blade on it the first time…and the craps in my hand and shoulders….that only a half a bottle of Jamesons relieved after.

sounds like a hard task to
remove a shock absorber
surely there must be an easy
way

every thing sounds so hard
might as well chuck the towel
in before i start car not even here
yet already struggling in my mind
set but plenty help at hand and advice

If its really that bad and all other methods aren't working then the only option is to put enough lengths of tube together to make the breaker bar work.

Breaker bar, jack handle, scaffold pole.

Basicly get it to move and if it shears then well it shears, not the end of the world as it has a nut on the end anyway and isnt a blind thread.

Get yourself some replacement 10.9 hi tensile bolts and nuts to replace it with in advance.

I've just had exactly the same issue but on the front end of an e46 bmw. The bolts had never been touched and they thread blind into the cast steering knuckles without a nut.

I got bolts 15mm longer than original and prepared myself for several hours of drilling if it sheared, fortunately with almost 2m meters of leverage it didnt shear but came out slowly, then just drilled the threads out and nutted the other end.

Basicly if its a nut and bolt it doesnt matter if you shear it, just get your replacement first and I dont mean something in a pack of 10 from B&Q

Hi all, i have been lubricating it for past few days, and also when i put the 6 sided socket on, it sometimes tend to slip. So its not only me who has had this issue thought i was the unlucky 1.

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Get replacement bolts and use a hacksaw blade to cut thru the seized one, inside of the axle mount, taking care not to cut the axle.

I've spent ages with penetrating fluid, ever longer breaker bars, big FO hammers, all to little effect. Just admit defeat and cut them out.

Are you replacing the shocks?
If so just get an angle grinder on the inside edge of it all the way though

The whole issue is that the Through Bolt that holds the shock gets rust bound inside the metal bushing of the Rubber shock mount.

The Grip of the rust on that bolt is tighter on that than a politician wanting to give you a TAX break.

When you get the nut off, you usually and for me always break the vulcanization between the rubber shock mount and the internal steel slotted bushing and the Grip is still there, but the center bushing will rotate inside the rubber and you can't get anything to Creep in to the innards no matter what you try or do.

You as in my thread have to either cut the bolt, or Torch it out or Grind the heads and nut, to bend the bracket to free the bitter ends as there is no other way. It is a Fact of life on anew to you car, as I had this happen on my 81 diesel that was only 4 years old when I changed my shocks…which is where I was then and decided to resolve this for the next time…(I am a car keeper), and for the next 16 years that I owned it, I never had any issue getting the new bolts out.



Cutting the heads and nuts off to bend the bracket.


Starting the Mummification process, that is wrapping the bolt in PTFE tape (Teflon) then slathering it with never-seize to prevent it from rust seizing.




Same bolt removed after a few years on the car mummification works and makes changing the shocks the second or third or 4th a whole lot easier.



This is a right of passage on ownership, we all have been there and done that a time or three.

It is a whole lot easier with a Grinder or Sawzall than a single hacksaw blade taped and hand driven….

Blimey it was hard work taking / cutting the bolt off. Had to cut it in angles to break it in half, now will mummify it to make the new bolts easy to remove. Thanks very much with this, as I dont know how or what to do.