[Vwdiesel] Front strut mounting

[Patrick Dolan]

There is a VW special tool, and there are many, many aftermarket ones as well.  They are called spring or strut compressors, and come in a couple of versions:  the kind that mount in a vice and pull the spring down onto a cast ring (the original VW version);  the kind that use a pair of independant hooks that tighten a clamp bolt onto two sides of the coil (very inexpensive) and many variations on above that use air or hydraulic power to do this in a hurry.

It is not the shock "strength" that carries the weight, it is the coils themselves.  The shocks merely dampen their motion (to prevent bounce).  There are a large number of aftermarket suppliers of stronger, longer and shorter springs to fit our struts.  Eibach, Koni, Shine Racing and so on.  Almost any "performance" aftermarket site will have them.  You also will want a decent set of matched shocks (Bilstein, Koni, KYB, etc.) that are often sold as a set witht the springs.  You can't use the pickup stuff because it has a very different rear suspension.

Look on vwvortex, vwdiesel, tdiclub and so on in the classified sections, and you can get them new from vendors, or quite often used from members.



----- Original Message -----
From: adamo robison <adamanderr at hotmail.com>
Date: Friday, May 1, 2009 8:38 am
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Front strut mounting

> 
> is there a special tool need to replace front and rear shocks on 
> our old rabbits. its time for mine.  also can i buy higher rated 
> shocks since i carry a lot of weight in my poor rabbit. maybe the 
> truck versions?
> 
> > From: tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net
> > To: matt_lisa at sprynet.com; davevw at yahoo.com; vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:03:49 -0500
> > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Front strut mounting
> > 
> > We did them at the shop all the time with a chisel punched in 
> there. It does 
> > take some patience, though.
> > 
> > Tony
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > 
> > > lol, I tried the screwdriver trick!  Let's just say there's no 
> way that 
> > > puppy is coming off without the special tool.  That clamp is 
> tight!  I 
> > > have one on the way.  It's only $15 for it, so not too much 
> harm done.
> > >
> > > I also had to order new swaybar bushing clamps, as VW changed 
> them in 
> > > MY2002.  I didn't realize this when I ordered new bushings, so 
> now I get 
> > > to wait on those as well.
> > >
> > > -Matt
> > > http://matt_lisa.home.sprynet.com/
> > > 
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> > Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
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> 
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