TECH: Koni install questions

[vwtype53 at yahoo.com (Ben Harder)]

Cathy,

 I'll give you the very basic procedure, but please look in the 
Bentley for some more details...

The front strut assembly is one-piece, and can be removed from the
car quite easily... at the base of the strut housing you must remove
the two alignment bolts and then the two small nuts at the top of the 
strut on the strut bearing (these are 13mm I believe and keep the strut
bearing in place).  You have to slide the strut off the steering knuckle
and then the strut housing can be manipulated out from the car.

Once the strut is removed, the fun begins.  Use a spring compression
tool to attatch to the spring and compress the spring until it is loose
withing the assembly.  Using an impact gun and 24mm socket, remove
the nut at the top/center of the strut bearing.  With this nut removed you
can remove the strut bearing and the rubber bump stop and then the spring.
The worst part of the job is to now remove the collar on the strut housing
which holds the strut insert in the housing.  A local shop may be needed
to apply the proper form of "persuasion" to get this mother of a collar off!
It is usually a problem on old cars... ie. your mk1 most likely.
But, once off, you can remove the old insert and install the Koni.  Just
be sure to use the proper spacer that Koni supplies...

Well, hopefully this is a start and helps out somewhat.
Please feel free to poke fun of my half-assed tech procedure, or simply
correct and add to it!  ;)

Ben



--- C Boyko <roccit_53@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Okay, I admit it, my cars are spoiled. So the last suspension came in a box, 
> all assembled, and "just bolted on". That means I learned a few things not 
> to do. Anyway, now it's time for the next car, and it's suspension is "some 
> assembly required" with one of those picture sheets where words should be. 
> (Konis)
> I think I have the back figured out ( I have to ream out the hole in that 
> top plate, but otherwise it's normal I think???) , but it's the front I'd 
> appreciate a tech procedure for, since the strut is an insert and I've never 
> dealt with that. It's the "out of the car" assembly that concerns me, I'd 
> like to just put it in once...
> Cathy
> 
> 
> BTW, I measured wheelwell height on a few of the cars. As it stands now, 
> Klaus is a full 2 1/2 inches taller at the wheelwells than the headache. 
> Though I'll miss the "no jack" oil changes, this suspension can only be a 
> good thing.
> 


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