I've just replaced the struts on my Golf 3.5 cab. The 3.5 has mk4 struts set up, so subtly different form the mk3.
As well as the strut, I also changed the top mount (rubber), bearing and cap bolt (see the diagram below). All the parts are made by Bilstean. Incidentally the diagram shows the set of parts and the order that they go together, but the shapes are not very accurate, particularly for the top mount.
When I bolted the new struts into the mount that they hang from, they were jammed. The upper part doesn't revolve the lower leg of the strut turns, but it is stiff.. But surely it shouldn't be stiff?? The lower part of the strut is only turning because it can rotate around the upper part. If it is designed to work like that, why did VeeDub bother with the bearing?
Swapping back to the old rubber top mount does free the strut to rotate, but because the top mount has collapsed it also allows 5mm of vertical movement.
I've noticed that some images & exploded diagrams show a washer between the cap bolt and the bearing. I'm guessing that this would create a gap between the spring cap and the rubber top mount. There isn't such a bearing on Autodoc, but I can see that Bilstean make a spring cap. So I've bought a couple of those, in the hopes that their shape works with the other Bilstean parts.
Any how - has anyone else been down this rabbit hole already?