Possible to remove rear shock with wheel attached?

Dakloog

Active member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Location
Cedar Lake, IN
TDI
2003 Jetta GL TDI
Hello all,

I have an '03 ALH in desperate need of some attention. After months of collecting dust I have purchased the car from a friend lacking the funds to clean her up. I've just started ripping out the suspension and replacing with the ECS street coilovers and in the process have found several lose bolts and missing parts (byproduct of a previous half assed Raceland install). I successfully installed the two front struts and one rear shock and spring and have now run into a bit of an issue... I bought the car with tuner bolts and have been swapping them for standard 17 mm bolts as I've gone, however one bolt on the final wheel is stripped and no matter what I try I can't seem to get the damned thing off. So that leads me to my question, is it possible to uninstall the old shock and spring and swap them out with the wheel still on? I'd rather not risk driving it to a tire shop as the spring appears to have been heated and hardly stays in position while sitting. I cant imagine how easy it'd be for it to fall out with the roads out here...

Thanks for the help
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
If it has the stock lug bolts with hollow heads they are easy to drill out. Find a good bit and drill into the bolt shaft. The bit should be just small enough not to grab the bolt head and continue on.
Thankfully it doesn't take too long, or much, so long as there's stock lug bolts.
After the heads off you should be able to get the shaft out with vice grips fairly easily.
Then you can order new bolts as needed.
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Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Or get a cheap 12 point socket that is just a tad small and hammer it over the lug and then hit it with an impact wrench. 3/4 in socket is what I used.
 

Dakloog

Active member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Location
Cedar Lake, IN
TDI
2003 Jetta GL TDI
I've tried most everything short of drilling it out, they are female 9 or 10 point star bits with a male key to remove them. Thankfully its only one thats stripped. Could be worse I guess. The socket and hammer is what I last tried, got the socket on good and used my cheap harbor freight corded impact to get it off but wouldn't budge with that and the sockets stuck on there real good. Not really wanting to drop the money on a better impact just to try as I dont use them much. I was hoping I'd be able to get the shock and spring installed with the wheel still on then take it to a buddy with an air impact to get the bolt off
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
Ask a buddy to let you use it, or turn it up a bit. Can hot it with pb blaster from both sides to give it a little movement assistance.

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Last edited:

mjydrafter

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2015
Location
dsm, ia
TDI
2004 Jetta Wagon
I've tried most everything short of drilling it out, they are female 9 or 10 point star bits with a male key to remove them. Thankfully its only one thats stripped. Could be worse I guess. The socket and hammer is what I last tried, got the socket on good and used my cheap harbor freight corded impact to get it off but wouldn't budge with that and the sockets stuck on there real good. Not really wanting to drop the money on a better impact just to try as I dont use them much. I was hoping I'd be able to get the shock and spring installed with the wheel still on then take it to a buddy with an air impact to get the bolt off

Sounds like a good time for the the old pipe on the breaker bar action.


Or a good stand-n-stomp (only if you have a good breaker bar).


:)
 
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