Re: Need some help! Stuck suspension bolts...

[thescirocco@juno.com]

On Fri, 07 Dec 2001 19:22:30 -0500 "John C. Worden"
<scirocco@powerlink.net> writes:
> 
> I agree with using an impact gun, but you are disassembling them 
> while they are still in the car?  

No, I take the whole assembly off, compress the spring, spin the nut off,
remove the spring, clamp my ViseGrip chain tool on the retainer, with the
strut in a big vise, I remove the retainer. 

(And then... You just swao in the new cartridge, after adding a little
oil.)

> I loosen the nut a bit, remove the strut assembly from the car, 
> compress it and then take it apart.  I still don't think it would be 
> safe to take the thing apart still attached to the car.
> 
> John

You can actually take them apart on the car.

With the wheel on the ground, remove the 22mm strut nut, and then jack
the car up, separating the strut assembly, then un-bolt the strut, remove
from the car, replace the cartridge.

The tricky part is getting it back together, reverse of removal...

On Fri, 7 Dec 2001 17:17:27 -0800 "Randy B" <sirocco@telocity.com>
writes:
> > Peter wrote:
> > With the wheel on the ground, remove the 22mm strut nut, and then 
> > jack the car up, separating the strut assembly, then un-bolt the
strut, 
> > remove from the car, replace the cartridge.
 
> Wait, be carefull, I have tried this before.
> If you do not have a LOT of suspension travel (swaybars) you may get 
> the whole thing stuck in there.
> When the spring (stock that is) is allowed to fully lenghten it can 
> jam the shock in between the axle and tie-rod.
> I had to remove the tie-rod end to get the system off the car
> once...needless to say I didn't do the other side this way.
> You definitely DONT want to do this with the rears, they will jam in 
> the axle and you will have to drop the axle to remove them.
> I did this in a wrecking yard once...with both of them...DOh! and 
> all I wanted were the top spring perches.

Wow, that's crazy, sounds like bad luck...

I don't recommend doing it like that, but it actually works.
I first learned about this from Randy Block, on r.a.m.v.w., and that's
how he does it.

I'm not recommending this method, but in a pinch it will work.

One time, I went to crank the front strut nut down on my GTI, and I
accidentally left the air-impact gun on OFF.
Instead of tightening the strut nut, it came off...
Having the car jacked up allowed the strut assembly to fully extended
itself.

Not wanting to mess with the alignment, I was able to center the strut
shaft into the strut mount, with my long 3mm allen, as I very carefully
lowered the car and the strut shaft went right in and then I cranked the
strut nut down with my impact gun.

This was very difficult and I recommend using a spring compressor
instead.

Sorry about the long post, but I wanted to clarify everything I said.

Peter - <http://thescirocco.com> - http://tttuning.com/ , Peloquin LSD,
http://quaifeamerica.com/ , http://www.magnecor.com/ -  
Bear, DE 19701               
 '79 Scirocco 16V 25 049
'83 GTI 37 505
'84.5 Scirocco 42 133
'84 GTI 63 348  - SciRollers: '79 70 900, '84 Black, '88 Red - 
http://feedbyte.com 

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