Front Suspension Removal

[Martz]

Hi

I have just replaced the rear suspension on my 8v (project Ghetto) and have done so with ease, well chuffed with myself! Anyway, the front one is being a little fooker! Just referred to my haynes manual and I need a special tool, anyone know a way round this?

Appreciated!

Martz

[oakgreengolf]

top nut can be a b!tch if you have not got the right spanner although this will do the job http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=290290954192.

The rest is fairly straight forward 

[xcore]

even some swan neck spanners dont fit, i used some molegrips on a socket with the allan through the middle

[Dan34]

even some swan neck spanners dont fit, i used some molegrips on a socket with the allan through the middle

Yeah i did the same as that seemed to work 

Dan

[The Mighty Elvi]

Trust me I KNOW how you feel.  I managed replace the rears on my Valver, no pobs.  Came to do the fronts and after chanting the tried and tested..'By the power of grayskull!!!'  I managed to loosed the lower strut bolts.

By by God...not even Garth himself could undo the top mount bolt.

Younger viewers go here...http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/g/garth.htm

I fashioned a long alan key that fed through a long socket which was held by mole gripps.  But no matter how hard I tried It would not budge without slippiing.  Do I invest in the VW 'special tool'. Probably not,  I'll go down to my mate garage and get the Bxxtard of with the air gun.

Hurrah!!

[Steve_B]

Spark plug socket (13/16") was ideal for this, with 7mm allen key. As only the short part of the allen key sitcks out, I used the lever from my trolley jack as an extension on the allen key. It takes a while but  works.

[Dolly]

air impact gun or my trusty 18v snapon impact gun.

where in the world are you, ill happily help if your in the region of the westmidlands.

[DarnPB]

I can't remember the size of the large nut at the top. 22mm possibly?
But you could fit a socket over the top of it and grip it with a large pair of mole grips, then turn the 7mm allen headed thread with an allen key.
I have the correct tool for the job but I don't live near you.
If you are going to bin the strut, then you can drill the allen headed thread part out of the nut and remove it that way. Butchery, yes, but it does the job and you will need a new nut. The threaded part is very soft metal, so it's easy to drill and also easy to round off if the allen key you use has passed it's sell by date.

[Rodriguez]

I've gotta do mine soon and I hadn't given it a second thought!  I've always used an impact gun.  Life was SO much easier when I worked in a garage.  Damn credit crunch

[Diamond Hell]

I've gotta do mine soon and I hadn't given it a second thought!  I've always used an impact gun.  Life was SO much easier when I worked in a garage.  Damn credit crunch

If you're lacking facilities and you're not too far from Bristol give me a shout when you want to do your struts - we have airlines and we're not afraid to use them (except after 10PM as it gets the neighbour's backs up).