Front strut mount replacement 'How to'

astrolumen - what kind of spring compressors are those?

I really like that spring compression tool. What brand are they? Link perhaps?

Thanks,

Jeff

Jwheelwr said:

I really like that spring compression tool. What brand are they? Link perhaps?

Thanks,

Jeff

Click to expand...

They appear to be exactly the same as the one's available locally from Princess Auto, about CDN$30 for the set when on sale (which is often). Just used the same units for my install - worked well. Be nice if they had a second ball-detent to hold the retention pins in the retracted position, and maybe a hex head in the opposite end so you could still torque them "upside down"... but for the price, highly recommended.

http://www.princessauto.com/tools/automotive-tools/auto-repair/8023104-strut-spring-compressor



Astrolumen has added an extra nut so that he didn't have to install them upside down.

I had the exact same thing happen to me that astrolumen had happen. My OEM struts with 45K would not rebound after the top nuts were removed. I have since replaced front and rear with Bilstein TC's, and have reached the same conclusion: Short-cuts are not worth the risk. Get yourself a good set of spring compressors, like the one's pictured below or in the Vortex how-to that allow you to clamp onto four coils on opposite sides. I found a used Milwaukee electric impact wrench on E-bay that proved to be more than just a luxury as the springs were very difficult to compress otherwise. The metalnerd spreader is also a must.
Just my two cents, for what its worth.

I am very interested in the "spacer" (1J0 412 311 A). What is the dealer reason for its existence, is it for vehicles that get 17s or something?

I just put 205/65/16s on the beetle. The speedo is now perfect (according to TomTom) and the rpms are a little lower, but the tire rubs a bit in front in hard full turns going down the ramp in the parking garage at work.

I bought the metalman full suspension kit because at 170k the struts and shocks and hardware are surely shot. I guess I will pick up these spacers too. I assume these are just for the front, if so, will the rear of the car appear lower or will it be you just cant really tell?

I also ordered control arm bushings, any tips in how to remove the old ones, I have a compressor and will pick up a air hammer if that is the way to go. I am good with the torch, but dont want to ruin the undercoating....

I have never compressed a spring before and would like to attempt this. I am wondering which spring compressor to use. Which of the styles mentioned in this thread is better?

Style (A) used by Wingnut, is able to capture four coils and looks like the one available from Princess Auto for $25 here: http://www.princessauto.com/vmchk/tools/automotive-tools/auto-repair/2920186-strut-coil-spring-compressor?keyword=spring+compressor



Style (B) is not recommend by Astrolumen but gets a "for the price, highly recommended" vote from Fitzski it apparently requires some extra tinkering to get it into place, possibly upside down, and then you can only fit it around three coils? It can be borrowed for free from the Canadian Tire parts counter, or purchased from Princess Auto for $50. This one seems much more beefy than style (A) but if it does not fit properly then that is a safety issue.



Style (C) has extra spring retaining hardware which someone mentioned but it grabs using two fingers on one end of the bolt but only one finger on the other end. Seing as this one costs $75 and looks questionable I do not think it is worth the spending $75 at Canadian Tire (click for picture): http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoTools/GeneralAutomotiveTools/PRD~0251147P/Strut%2BSpring%2BCompressor%2BKit.jsp

After composing this post and looking more closely at the pictures I think I just answered my own question and will go with style (A).

Thank you Wingnut for the write-up! I am really looking forward to getting rid of the clunk in the left front strut bearing, replacing the rotted and shortened right front strut mount and adding the spacers. Will post pictures unless explicitly told not to.

I don't really think one is better or worse than the other. The hooks on both are pretty beefy, so definitely go with whichever gives you greater confidence.

The one advantage I see to "mine" is the retention pins being easy to use. I don't see such a feature on Wingnut's tool, and the PA description mentions the use of U-bolts to capture the spring - that sounds awkward in practice.

I can't really determine what is at fault with the spring compressor in Astrolumen's post... not sure what I'm missing there, but FWIW, using the same tool upside down, I was able to get 4 coils easily vs the 3 that he got. I was able to get sufficient compression to remove the strut (and install the new one) without lowering the subframe.

My comment about "for the price" just meant that I could see a couple of "easy" updates that would make it better: be nice if there were a second ball detent that would hold the pins open, and having a hex head in the shaft end would make some techniques a bit easier.

Edit... here's a pic of mine in action (note... grabbed 5 coils on each side, not 4 as indicated above):

I have used all 3 styles, and the first, though cheaper, has slipped off the coil for me. Only one side of the hook was holding on, but now it was at an angle. Im glad I had another pair to use, but those went and did the same thing! I like the one with the pins more since it has a retainer for the spring. The u-bolts are a bit overkill and tedious to use.

Both styles are available for sale at Princess Auto (at least in their catalogue).

One more thing... I *love* my cordless impact gun... Removed all bolts, front and rear, including the strut top nut without needing to counter-hold the damper shaft, with ease. Was very handy for winding in and out the spring compressor. Not a substitute for a good air wrench in terms of outright power, but for the shadetree mechanic, it's SOOOOOO much easier to keep and maintain, much quieter, infinitely portable, and makes tire swaps and rotations a breeze!

Makita BTW450 18V LXT Lithium-Ion 1/2" Cordless Impact Wrench

You guys rock! Thanks for the quick responses!

Je, thanks for sharing, that is the type of situation I am trying to avoid.

Fitski, great picture! One question, with the bolt heads at the top, how did you tighten them? I have a set of swivel-head-box-end-gear-wrenches that might work. I guess it will make sense once I am in there.

I tightened them by hand.

Get the compressor on and set the retention pins, grab the bolts and turn by hand to take up the slack, then jack up the control arm a bit, tighten a bit more, jack, tighten, jack, tighten... No problem.

Or, do what Astrolumen did, and put some nuts on the threaded end that you can put a wrench on easily.

Whoever was wondering if the uppper strut bearings can cause clunking noises other than when turning the steering wheel, yes indeed they can! Check out the blown apppart bearing on the right, it was a surprise, because the one on the left is the siezed/clunking one. Turned out the one on the right had be causing a nasty clunking noise whenever starting from a stop, or when lugging the engine (which I don't do on purpose) but I thought my clunch was going, or perhaps motor mounts... nope, something relatively easy to replace: (click to enlarge most of the photos) (EDIT: turns out the clunk was from the strut itself, the new mounts made the clunk go away for a few weeks but it came back. changed the strut a few months later.)


I was delighted to find all the rusted parts because I had ordered all new parts:


The tough part was the spring compressors... On the drivers side I tried to capture four and five coils, and do the "jack up lower control arm, tighen spring compressors by hand" thing. My fingers hurt by the time I was done. And I also scratched up the inside of the tower pretty bad, covered it up with a little spray on rubberized undercoating.


So on the passenger side I captured only four and four coils and left room to get the 19mm wrench up there. I think I am going to feel it in my shoulders tommorow.


I might try a different set of spring compressors that will mount with the bolt heads on the bottom next time, these were too long to mount that way... I might have been able to mount the spring compressors the proper way if I removed a sway bar end link bolt but they were not budging and I did not want a broken end link bolt so I pressed on thru with what space I had. That reminds me, anyone trying this, make sure to jack up both sides of the car, otherwise the swaybar will prevent the side you are working on from drooping completely.

Anyway, the payoff is great, $100 in parts and the car no longer makes any clunking noises, and sits about 20mm higher in front. Also saved $200 in shop labour charges according to my last bill. Also the satisfaction of knowing the job was done right will all new parts, I think last couple of times I had it in for the classic wheel bearing clunk they only replaced the bearings and nothing else.

I wonder if I need new struts, they are supposed to be gas presurized right? The drivers side could be compressed easily and would not return to full extension unless pulled out manually, then it would stay there on its own. The passenger side would not stay up past three inches from full extension. Both sides pass the bounce test, barely, the passenger side being slightly worse than the drivers... if it gets worse, I think I could handle doing the struts.

space between strut mount "stop"

It seems to me, that if there is a "space" between the strut tower and the strut "stop" then that means that the strut bushing is worn. There should be no space at all when installed new, because the upper part of the bushing is held against the underside of the strut tower/fender when the "stop" is tightened down with the lock washer.
I think it is a sign that your bushings are worn when you can see a gap.

Also, I added the spacers that wingnut referenced (called distance piece in ETKA) worked out very well.

I covered the hex head of the strut top with some duct tape to prevent water from entering - the old strut hex heads had rusted and would not hold the 7mm allen. I ended up having to fight the nuts off (insert joke here).

Thanks WingNut for the fine thread and, as always, great pics.

JMason said:

Thanks for a great write up. Should there typically be a space between the "stop" and the strut tower (inner fender) with the wheels on the ground? I just put in new struts, without new mounts and have a 3/8" gap in this area. It doesn't look right to me.

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NarfBLAST said:

Also the satisfaction of knowing the job was done right will all new parts, I think last couple of times I had it in for the classic wheel bearing clunk they only replaced the bearings and nothing else.

I wonder if I need new struts, they are supposed to be gas presurized right? The drivers side could be compressed easily and would not return to full extension unless pulled out manually, then it would stay there on its own. The passenger side would not stay up past three inches from full extension. Both sides pass the bounce test, barely, the passenger side being slightly worse than the drivers... if it gets worse, I think I could handle doing the struts.

Click to expand...

Congrats on getting the job done - looks like it was in desperate need of attention!

re: threading the spring compressor by hand - some oil on the threads helps them spin, and some gloves help you grip. It was tedious, but not difficult. There can be some binding against the right side of the strut perch, but if you're careful with doing each side in balance, you can keep the compressor clear.

As mentioned, you could also put a pair of nuts on the end of each compressor, which would let you use a wrench comfortably. A gear wrench is perfect for a job like that.

re: the damper - definitely sounds done. Being able to compress it by hand is normal, but it should come back to full extension smooth and steady (and stay at full extension).

And buy a good jack! The scissor jack is marginally better than the OEM "widow maker", but with the amount of work you're doing on your car (brakes, suspension, etc.), investing in a good trolley jack is well worth it!

I plan on welding a nut on the end of the rods for my compressors. I never take off the clamps anyway and it will make using an impact to compress them on the car MUCH easier.

I HATE banging my knuckles around doing 1/8 turns inside the top of the tower.

I have the "type B" compressors (black steel hooks, Princess Auto). I'm hoping to install them upside down. I think bayshorecs idea of welding on a nut is great, but I don't have a welder. Instead I'm thinking of jamming two nuts tightly together, if I can get them to align, so much the better. If they don't loosen while turning, it should work...

Will post if it is successful or not...

neimis said:

I have the "type B" compressors (black steel hooks, Princess Auto). I'm hoping to install them upside down. I think bayshorecs idea of welding on a nut is great, but I don't have a welder. Instead I'm thinking of jamming two nuts tightly together, if I can get them to align, so much the better. If they don't loosen while turning, it should work...
Will post if it is successful or not...

Click to expand...

Just did this today. It works, and works great. Definitely the best way of doing the Golf suspension. When you compress the passenger side spring on the car and disassemble it before taking the strut out, you don't have to drop the subframe.
When I jammed the two nuts together, I tried different combinations of nuts, also upside down, etc. until I managed to have them come out perfectly aligned when they were tightened. This let me slip my socket over both of them, and they tightened and loosened the bolt with no problem whatsoever.
Thanks to bayshorecs for sparking the idea.

I wish we could have had this discussion a few months ago, as I too was uncertain as to which type of spring compressor to buy. As a first time user I opted for style A which again proved unsafe, the top claw was too wide to grip the upper coil. IMO style C would have been a better choice like shown here.
http://fortuneman.tripod.com/suspension/install.htm

Oh, and like Narf said, do jack up both sides regardless of which side you are working on.
This was not clear to me at first. The same holds true for the rear which is much easier.

Where did you get the spacers, part J10 412 311A? I checked 1stvwparts.com and the number came up empty in their search.

my dealer had them within a few days, $14 each though.

chromeBuddha said:

Where did you get the spacers, part J10 412 311A? I checked 1stvwparts.com and the number came up empty in their search.

Click to expand...

You can find them here also:
http://www.tdiparts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=36_111&osCsid=jitqhe9oaqopivjch7de5b5ub7

Thanks Wingnut,
Just replace the front mounts on a 2002 Jetta TDI. It was easy when you have great instructions.
The strut piston did slip down and I used a ss hose clamp the push it up into place.

Thanks again Wingnut.

I have use your directions to replace the alternator on the jetta also. Great How to's

How do I know if I have to add those spacers

sask tdi said:

How do I know if I have to add those spacers

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It is a matter of preference. They add 10mm to the front ride height.

NarfBLAST said:

It is a matter of preference. They add 10mm to the front ride height.

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Thanks for quick answer

Am doing my struts on the 2003 A4 Jetta TDI today. After getting the first one off I found this (pic/ link) solid nylon "snap in" part on the strut shaft under the rubber bumper. Anyone know what this does or if it should go back in?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38773047@N03/3912080683/

I have no idea. On my '04 Jetta when I replaced the struts, there was nothing like that in the strut assembly.

--Nate

2TDIguy said:

Am doing my struts on the 2003 A4 Jetta TDI today. After getting the first one off I found this (pic/ link) solid nylon "snap in" part on the strut shaft under the rubber bumper. Anyone know what this does or if it should go back in?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38773047@N03/3912080683/

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that could possibly be a spacer installed at the factory to prevent the suspension from settling during shipping. if so, the dealer should have removed it.
personally, i wouldn't reuse it. my 2001 golf didn't have anything of the sort. just make sure you use the correct bump stops.




has anyone run into the problem of "stripping out" the shaft where you put the allen wrench to prevent if from spinning?

"has anyone run into the problem of "stripping out" the shaft where you put the allen wrench to prevent if from spinning?"

mine did. I drenched them in penetrating lube, attached vice-grips to the shock shaft, and used an impact wrench set on high for about 5 minutes straight. The nuts did eventually break free and unthread. The vice grips probably didnt help but put a small amount of resistance on the shaft from turning free - I dont think it was necessary.

ta79pr, did you have to replace the struts? or could you get the nut to tighten back?

tuscTDI said:

ta79pr, did you have to replace the struts? or could you get the nut to tighten back?

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I was replacing the struts. I think I saw in one of the ETKA images that there is supposed to be a plastic cap that snaps into the allen socket in the strut shaft to prevent water from getting in there and corroding the socket and causing a later strip. I covered my new ones in a nice tape to try and prevent future corrosion.