suspension change walkthrough/ help need

[stuosb 0]

sorry if this has been done i had a search but cant find it.

 

looking to change my suspension and was wondering what i need to undo etc in order to get the old off and new on.

 

i am changing the whole thing not just the springs so no need for a compressor yeah or do i need to compress the spring in order to get the bolt up into the engine bay

 

thanks

 

stu

[corozin 0]

Not wishing to seem unhelpful but if you need the whole procedure for this writing up in detail then it may be a little bit past your ability to do the swap even if someone does write it up.

 

Suggestions:

a) Have a go at doing one of the rears first, as they are less complicated to change than the fronts. If you get as far as dismantling the top mounts, make sure that you lay the top mount componants out in the correct order so that you refit them in the same order and don't bugger it all up. Do the job piece by piece (documenting it as you go as that may help you) and if you think it's getting out of hand just stop - and start reassembling it before you have a 3 wheeled catastrophe on your hands.

 

b) Lay your hands on a Bentley manual (or even ETKA diagrams) as these show you where the bolts etc are. Bentley is better as it advised the torque settings where those are critical.

 

c) A decent garage will be able to do this job in about 2-3 hours. Consider just paying them to do it. It might be worth the £200 just to save yourself the worry and hassle? Will save you buying a spring compressor just for one job.

 

HTH - really,

John

 

p.s. Don't forget to get your alignment reset afterwards (another reason to choose step 3 above)

[stuosb 0]

sorry i have done a lot of work my self and i am competent but always with a haynes. im really looking for a brief fly over as to what to look out for and what is essential when doing it thats all.

 

thanks

[davidwort 0]

at it's simplest, it's one bolt at the bottom and a couple of nuts on the top of the shock at the back each side, then one nut on the top and two bolts at the bottom (to the hub) on each side at the front.

Do that and you'll have all four legs out, you'll need a spring compressor for disassembling the fronts as well as a slotted socket tool to remove the top spring cap retaining nut.

[Crasher 3]

If you buy a Weitec kit from C&R, you get full instructions.

[A1 VR6 0]

It's also important to support the hub at the front with an additional jack or something when you undo all the bolts. As has been said rears are the easy but you will need additional tools for the front. It may pay you to go to a garage or tyre fitting centre and get them to undo the nuts on top of the front strut with their air wrench and them nip them up again and drive home slowly - that's what I did the first time I carried out this job, then when you finish the job go back tighten them up as much as you can and get them to air wrench them up again otherwise you will need a slotted socket and a long handled allen key.

 

HTH,

Bill

[corozin 0]

Not forgetting the 22mm deep socket required to undo/tighten the front top mount bolts. A normal 22mm won't reach it.

[Critical_Mass 10]

So is a spring compressor and a wheel alignment needed if im changing just the spring disc (no. 7 on ekas diagram) on the rear?

 

Whats the torque setting for the upper strut nut and anyothers on lower strut?

[Storm Monkey 0]

Ideally you need a 22mm box spanner, as you need to get an allen key through the top wrench, into the top of the front strutts. I don't have one, and couldn't find one, so cut the top off of a long 22mm socket, and jammed it in a pair of mole grips. It was rough and ready, but worked.

 

If you are lowering, and its a late VR, you may need new front spring discs. You do if you fit H&R springs (which I can recommend, with Koni TA's). Don't forget you will almost certainly need a full set of new bump stops and top mounts. Mine were practically dust when they came off, and if lowering, you'll need to trim the rears, and get golf mk4 GTI fronts (bump stops, that is).

 

I had never attempted suspension before, but it was not difficult, with only the ETOS diagrams and torque figures (sorry, cant remember them, but they came on a sheet of paper with the dampers anyway).

 

With the Koni's, the top plates needed to be drilled out a bit, but not difficult. The only problem we had was that the front top bolts were seized, asd neither WD40 or a blow torch would shift them. :shock: In the end, we drilled the old suspension strutt top thread out, and the nuts fell off. From there it was plane sailing. If you are not practiced, then leave yourself about a day (including cups of tea, shopping for the wrench you just broke etc), and when you have the alignment sorted, make sure you get a full camber and alignment done.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Phil

[stuosb 0]

thanks ill have a go this weekend

[ReekieVR 0]

How did you get on stuosb ? Am swithering whether to try this procedure myself....

[Yandards 0]

Not forgetting the 22mm deep socket required to undo/tighten the front top mount bolts. A normal 22mm won't reach it.

 

That and any new nuts from VW might well be a 21mm size now; along with the 18mm, instead of the old 17mm, bottom bolts for front and rear.

 

Some pics below, points to note are the differing sizes of spring disc for the front (if you have an 93 on VR you will need to order the early type one) the design difference in the bearing bush for the front suspension (plastic instead of metal) They layout of the rear suspension top mounts is from left to right and does not show the bottom rubber bush that sits inside the wheel arch.

 

This is not a complete set of pics by anymeans just some I had knocking around.

[cardboard 0]

dont mean to hijack this but maybe it will help stuosb anyway

 

i have read up on changing the suspension on my corrado and recon i can handle it, i have been advised to get new top mounts when doing it as well so have got them ordered.

 

i realise you need a deep socket to undo the nut in the engine bay but doesnt this need an alen key aswell? and also some one mentioned a special slotted socket for removing slotted nut that holds down spring top plate on front suspension leg?

 

can anyone help me understand more about these tools? etc? do GSF sell them or can anyone recomend them to me or take a photo so i can see what they look like many thanks

[cardboard 0]

How did you get on stuosb ? Am swithering whether to try this procedure myself....

 

if your still watching this and havent done yours yet then i managed very easily. need the slotted socked from GSF but only 9quid. took me 3hours to do the lot and change the mounts. can help you if you need

[was8v 0]

Just to add to this thread to avoid confusion, the diagram above (reproduced below) is for the 16v and G60 corrados up to 1992 which have the MK2 golf style slotted nut setup.

 

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VR6s and other post 92 cars don't have the slotted nut setup, they use a normal nut as per the diagram below. Hence yopu dont need the slotted nut tool.

 

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[BEGBIE 0]

Hi, I am replacing my H&R springs this week and am getting the MK4 top mounts and replacing the rear bump stops. I was wondering if anyone can tell me how much I need to cut the bump stops down by? I am getting a local garage to do the work and I would like to make sure I give them the correct info on what to do.

 

BTW, I am also buying new bearings for the fronts; is there anything else I should replace in there?

 

Many thanks,

Craig.

[boost monkey 0]

Not sure why no-one mentioned this (or maybe I missed it) but the guy is clearly happy from using Haynes manuals as per his second post, so why not point him towards the Mk2 Golf Haynes?

 

AFAIK, the suspension stuff is pretty damn similar?

 

22mm drop ring spanner will be equally as effective as a long reach 22mm socket by the way, unless you need a socket to attach a big breaker bar to get thr torque on it.

[davidwort 0]

Hi, I am replacing my H&R springs this week and am getting the MK4 top mounts and replacing the rear bump stops. I was wondering if anyone can tell me how much I need to cut the bump stops down by? I am getting a local garage to do the work and I would like to make sure I give them the correct info on what to do.

 

BTW, I am also buying new bearings for the fronts; is there anything else I should replace in there?

 

Many thanks,

Craig.

 

Koni simply say cut the stops down by the amount you are lowering the car from standard, what are H&R's, about 35-40mm drop?

[fla 9]

Not forgetting the 22mm deep socket required to undo/tighten the front top mount bolts. A normal 22mm won't reach it.

 

That and any new nuts from VW might well be a 21mm size now; along with the 18mm, instead of the old 17mm, bottom bolts for front and rear.

 

Some pics below, points to note are the differing sizes of spring disc for the front (if you have an 93 on VR you will need to order the early type one) the design difference in the bearing bush for the front suspension (plastic instead of metal) They layout of the rear suspension top mounts is from left to right and does not show the bottom rubber bush that sits inside the wheel arch.

 

This is not a complete set of pics by anymeans just some I had knocking around.

 

Should the centre hole in the black top plates here be greater than the shaft diameter of the shocks? If so, how much should it be opened out to?

 

edit: how do you add pics from a previous thread? :?

[fla 9]

Think i'm making some error here - i've loosened and removed the top strut nut (engine bay) but the lower two bolts connecting to the upright are giving me grief. Both ahve been loosened, although the lower i had to tap through. The problem now is that the drift is stuck in the slot because the shock wants to push it down still further. I've used some spring compressors, but there is not enough room to grip more than two loops of the spring which doesnt really reduce the tension. How do you allow the wishbone to drop further so the bottom of the shock comes free? I've supported the car on the jack and an axle stand and placed some wooden planks below the wishbone to stop it slamming down when free.

[zak 0]

you could try and undo the anti roll bar droplink from the wishbone, this will free the wishbone up.

[fla 9]

Yep, thanks for that. Thought this was a 3 hour job for all 4, three hours later i still havent taken off the first one :roll: The surprising thing tho is that in the KB, Bentley and the Canadian forum, there doesnt appear to be this problem with removing old suspension.

[zak 0]

i can't remember if i had that problem when i removed my standard suspension but i may have had both sides on axle stands so wouldnt have had this issue.

[fla 9]

Good point, maybe i should have raised it from the front and put both sides on stands rather than just the one side.

[cardboard 0]

yeah i had the car elevated with a trolley jack under the wish bone. let that get as low as possible then i undid the bolts s holding the suspension to the hub and just pulled the suspension down and out