Advice Needed - changing front suspension

Hi,

    front top mounts are buggered so got the following parts for doing the front suspension. Is there any advice or pitt falls I need to look out for before I start the work.

    Not wishing to lower it.
    Also  planning on keeping same springs, car has done 74k. I am aware of the need to get a garage to set camber and tracking after the work.

             PARTS
     2 febi top mounts
     2 spacer tubes for above
     2 boots
     2 bumpstops
     2 front shock absorbers –gas

If you mark the strut/hub before you fit new you'll get the camber pretty close on reassembly - spray of white paint or something

The top bolt has cam washer, if you use a centre punch and mark the position of the cam it should be spot on on reassembly.

thanks for that.

by the way bought the dash vent kit a while back, great solution to the vinyl lifting. cheers

Yep, you'll definitely need to reset the camber and tracking afterwards, if you're replacing the top mounts then the ride height will be slightly altered, and tracking is very sensitive to ride height. It changes even more with camber changes. So I'll echo the previous advice, mark it before disassembly and then when you put it together again it won't be too far off, meaning that you can safely drive for a little while and then make the trip to get it adjusted properly.

Sounds daft, but some people forget, when you undo the big strut nuts make sure you turn the nut and not the bolt.

cheers for the advice, its often the daft ones that catch you out.

Update - DJheap22 got bits from AVC; SACHS gas inserts, febi top mounts and bump stops and spacer and travelled across to my place to do the swap.

 

Remove wheel and jack up car, use axle stands; (note the new genuine VW period alloys :wink: )



mark top bolt on both sides with an hacksaw;



slacken main strut nut but don't undo it too far;



Old shocks leaked most of their oil out and bump stops knackered;


Compress spring, undo centre nut and remove bits one by one keeping in order. Don't miss the washer under the spring plate. Undo the big centre cap and remove the old oily bits. Clean out the muck and small stones from the struct whilst you've got it off the car, making sure the drain hole is clear.
Reassemble with new bits;



Refit to car with top bolt lined up with the marks made eariler, make sure everything is tightened up and the brake hose clipped back in. New top mount has practically no gap compared to 1.5cm+ on the old ones;


Everything came undone OK and went back OK. The old shocks appeared to be the original ones so hopefully these will now last another 20 years

for reference this was what the old topmounts looked like

Hi i jus read as i am about to change my suspension,

any advice,  i got the KONI SPORTS KIT

35-40mm

4x  DAMPENING ADJUSTABLES
4x  SPRINGS
POWERFLEX BUMPSTOPS
…2x Febi Top MOUNTS — going to get


is there anything else i need???

was gonna do it eith my mechanic but he jus told me hes gonna be busy for 1-2weeks n i need it done, he is gonna ask garage he knows, if they can do n for a good price.

is it easy to doat home or ……????

thanks alot

Yea its DIYable.

Took us about 1:15hr a side. You need a few basic tools like the ring spanner shown in the pic for the top mount, and the spring compressors. Also a long 'breaker' bar is useful to 'crack' the nuts and start undoing them. A standard socket rachet doesn't really give you enough leverage on the tight strut bolts.

Ideally you also need a vice fastened to a sturdy bench and a 'stilson' type wrench to undo the retaining cap to remove the old shocker, thats propbably the hardest DIY bit and they are often rusted on or FT.

Carefully remove all the nuts, washers, collars etc in order and place them somewhere safe in the same order, so you can put them back in the correct sequence, esp the little washer under the spring seat thats sometimes buried in the remains of rubber bump stop.

If doing the rears make sure you can get the lower bolt out before you start, if not get replacements beforehand as you will have to hacksaw them off. Also I've come across lowered rear springs that dont sit in the rear shocker spring seat properly and are also too short, the spring can move around even when the strut is reassembled.

If the above makes it sound difficults its not, its basically a straightforward bolt off/back on again operation.

Hi Guys… with the Febi top mounts… I am just doing a replace… should there be a washer under the top nut on the shaft and the metal of the strut mount?

It seems to me that metal to metal on the strut mount is a bit odd… and wont it crush the bearing under heavy load???

It just does not look right?

Thanks

MARK

From memory starting at the top;

plastic cover disc
large @22mm retaining nut
large flat washer
collar thats stop bearing being crushed
top mount
spring plate
smaller washer that sits on the machined recess on the strut
rubber bumpstop
plastic dust shield

hope this helps

Excellent descriptive how to, this will defo come in handy next month when i change my top mounts might even do the whole lot !! as in springs / gas struts !!!

Why not iv no history with the car and it bangs like hell when hitting a sleeping policemen or pot whole even at around 15 mph

Regards