[Vwdiesel] Strut service w/o alignment

[James Hansen]

cool deal Nate.

Can't you just use a spring compressor and shrink the spring enough with the
car on jackstands to R&R the bearings?
I know when I have had mine out to do the struts, I was only out a fine hair
after cleaning and marking everything well enough to do the reassembly as
close to the way it was as possible.  I never really paid any attention to
whether or not you could do the bearings without dropping the strut off....
Even so, it should be possible to get it all back the way it was with enough
center punch marks and wire brush things clean, give a light coat of
contrasting fresh paint so you have paint shadows to reassemble to.
-James

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vwdiesel-admin at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-admin at vwfans.com]On
> Behalf Of Nate Wall
> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 6:50 AM
> To: Val Christian; weasel
> Cc: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Strut service w/o alignment
>
>
> I tell you I stopped into one of those tire places
> (NTB) and asked, "How much to replace the struts and
> strut bearings in my '85 VW Jetta" and they said
> $475.00! (I do not think that included the alignment).
> So I bought the tools and planned on renting a spring
> compressor to do it myself, but happened accross a set
> of front strut units w/ springs and new bearings,
> complete and assembled, off an '89 jetta that the
> engine seized up w/ 2,000 miles on the struts AND new
> rear shocks were thrown in too (KYBs). I got these for
> $150.00 and just swapped them out! and paid $50 for an
> alignment. One of the better e-Bay deals I got!
>
> --Nate
> --- Val Christian <val at swamps.roc.ny.us> wrote:
> > > Well as you an others have pointed out ( and I
> > discovered for myself this m=
> > > orning ) The strut has to be removed to change the
> > bearings ( and making an=
> > >  alignment pratically manditory )  It will not
> > drop far enough so that I ca=
> > > n compress the spring while leaving the strut
> > attached at the control arm. =
> >
> >
> >
> > I tried this a couple of months ago, on my A2, and
> > it worked:
> >
> > -remove tierod for steering
> > -loosen ball joint retaining nut and remove
> > retaining bolt
> > -remove CV joint nut
> > -drop strut down through tower
> >
> > Alignment was just fine afterwards.  There were a
> > couple of problems:
> >
> > -ball joint didn't want to come out of  knuckle.
> > Lots of persuasion.
> >  Using a drag link socket, and a hammer, allowed me
> > to spread the knuckle.
> > -loosening things on a 12  or 13 yo western ny  car
> > took more time than
> >  it probably would have taken me to set the front
> > end up right again.
> >
> > I think I'd do it the same way next time, though.
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> > Val
> >
> >
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>
>
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