Front Shock Replacement: Workaround or Tool needed

[Iain Mannix]

Did the same recently, without the VAG tool - used an air
chisel on the nut, came right off.  Minimal damage to the
stock nuts - they could have been reused easily if needed.

The Bilsteins should have their own nuts, though - put those
back on with a big pair of channel locks.


Iain

On Mon, 12 Nov 2001, Richard Justin Andrews wrote:

> jack up the car a couple inches and use a pipe wrench..
>
> this works.
>
> HTH!
> rich
> '86 4kq
>
> i'm assuming this is a type 44 car?
> At 01:04 PM 11/12/01 -0500, you wrote:
> >This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
> >this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.
> >--
> >[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> >And my second question for the day:
> >
> >I bought 4 Bilstein HDs  and started to swap out the old ones over the
> >weekend. I thought I would do the fronts first, since the "top down" method
> >seemed so easy....
> >
> >Well, once I got in there, the big problem is the threaded collar holding
> >the shock in. Bentley calls for a "2078" (book  is at home- maybe is a
> >"2079") which must be about a foot long hollow spark plug wrench sort of
> >thing, except its business end fits into a hex shaped recess about 30mm in
> >diameter on the top of the collar. Even my local friend who has massive
> >collection VAG tools from a VW dealer that went belly up in NY state a while
> >back did not have the tool.
> >
> >Any other ideas? I figure I could abandon the top down approach, remove the
> >strut and spring, and try to get it off with a pipe wrench on the bench, but
> >if you know a better way, or want to lend or rent the right tool, please let
> >me know!
> >
> >I'm trying to get the beast back on the road for a Thanksgiving trip:
> >DC-Chicago-DC.
> >
> >Thanks again
> >
> >Tom F.
> >91 200q20v Avant
> >and a bunch of Vanagons
>
>