Author Topic: suspension overhaul 16v  (Read 2106 times)

Offline Diluxe

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suspension overhaul 16v
« on: 29 August 2006, 13:24 »
thinking of doing a suspension overhaul on the weekend front & back & replacing the ancillaries.

is there anything else i should replace whilst I've got the struts off? is it a one man job or do i need to recruit another person? any marks i need to make?

are these all good parts, or is it worth investing in anything else.

cheers

front bump stop
http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=641

strut mount front
http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=410

strut mount kit rear
http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=425

rear bump stop rear
http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=629
« Last Edit: 29 August 2006, 13:32 by Diluxe »
1997 16V

Offline rubjonny

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #1 on: 30 August 2006, 09:37 »
Sounds fine, you may also want to get 2 rear spring plates:
http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=430 £4.89 x2 (part 7, rear)

Ans also these bits from VW:
1H0 512 149 rear rubber spring seat   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£2.46 (x2) (part 12, rear)
8D0 512 097 rear snap ring      Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£0.09 (x2) (part 21, rear)
N 022 150 1 front strut nut      Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£1.41 (x2) (part 12, front)

http://www.moddin.net/images/temp/golf/frontsusp.jpg
http://www.moddin.net/images/temp/golf/rearsusp.jpg

Its a 1 man job, but dont expect it to be easy, rears should not be a problem but the fronts can be a right sod!

For a start you need spring compressors to dismantle the shock once its off.  Getting them off in the first place is the tricky bit though, you need to hold the strut still with an allen key whilst you spin the nut somehow, I found that my old bolts were 21mm, and one side needed a 7mm allen key and the other needed 6mm!  Also my new strut bolts were 22mm :grin:

I managed to get one side off using a spark plug socket with a 7mm key with a big handle on I got from halfords, but the other side was completly solid, and belt my allen keys.  In the end I took it round to a mate who got a windy gun on it!  If I were you I'd pop into a local garage and give em £5 to loosen both top bolts off for you :)

P.S. I found a 22mm lambda probe/diesel injector socket online with had spanner flats, with a big hole in the side which made doing the top nuts up again a doddle :)
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Offline AudiA8Quattro

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #2 on: 30 August 2006, 12:06 »
Camberley Auto Factors do a 21mm and 22mm socket with a cut out, they are on the shelf as a diesel injector tool and a lambda tool.
FOR DIY GUIDES GO TO <br>www.volkswagenaudi.co.uk<br/>BRAKES, SUSPENSION, CV JOINTS

Offline Diluxe

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #3 on: 30 August 2006, 12:44 »
thanks for above,

what does "1H0 512 149 rear rubber spring seat   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£2.46 (x2) (part 12, rear)" actually do?


was having a look around yesterday underneath the car and i notice that the rear shock is attached directly to the rear beam by one bolt, if i undo that bolt wont the rear beam come up? and prevent from pulling the shock out...............

cheers
« Last Edit: 30 August 2006, 12:53 by Diluxe »
1997 16V

Offline rubjonny

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #4 on: 30 August 2006, 12:56 »
It locates the top of the rear spring, with age they spread and allow the rear to sag.
If you remove the bolt with the car on the ground it will indeed make the rear drop quite alarmingly, so you defo do NOT want to do that  :grin:
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Judderi

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #5 on: 31 August 2006, 12:09 »
support the car on axle stands.

Offline Diluxe

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #6 on: 02 September 2006, 14:42 »
changed the rears and then it started chucking it down with rain.

will finish fronts tomorrow, but took 2 hrs for rear,went over a couple of speed bumps and instead of getting that slight bounce the cars now nice & stiff at the rear ,the bump stops were really perished and where only  1/4 of the length of the replcaments, i really cant beleieve the difference.

got some spring clamps, if i detach the shock from the hub will i lose all my tracking?
cheers guys
1997 16V

Offline rowlers

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #7 on: 02 September 2006, 16:39 »
you betya!

the camber will need checked as well, I found that if you push the hib/disk toward the car when tightening the bolts back up the cmaber wasn't as far out, in fact one side didn't need adjusted.

out of interest, are bump stops a necessity? ( I feel a complete tw@t admitting it but I forget to replace my rears!)


Offline rubjonny

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #8 on: 02 September 2006, 19:22 »
on a mk2 yep they are an essential part of the suspention, especially the rears!
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Offline rowlers

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Re: suspension overhaul 16v
« Reply #9 on: 02 September 2006, 22:04 »
Oh sh|t :huh:


Why are they so important, what do the do?

Best get them installed then eh!