Re: Struts from hell, and the power antenna

["Arun Rao" <rao@frisbee>]

On Mar 20,  1:04pm, Stephen I Jagernauth wrote:
> Subject: Struts from hell


> Haynes just says 'pry the ball-joint loose" showing a picture so no special
> tools needed.  Only thing I did not try was compressing the springs on the
> car?  Is this the trick?  BTW, I'm replacing oil-filled original struts with
> Boge Turbo Gas, also replacing the strut bearings, bump stops and boots so
not
> practical to do this on the car.

	Do you mean the lower balljoint, which is connected to the strut
	assembly via a knuckle?  If so, the procedure is straightforward
	(just did it this weekend) if not physically easy:


	1. Remove bolt from knuckle (needs to be replaced, 10.9 hardness,
	   dealer-only item).

	2. Get a four to five-foot long lever : I used a GI pipe  as a
	sleeve on a "pitchfork" ball joint separator. Get the end of the
	lever on the underside of the A frame (?) and lever the balljoint
	down: unless you're very strong, you'll have to stand on it.  The
	ball joint will separate and the strut assembly will work loose.


	To get the strut out, you also have to separate the tie-rod end: if
	you don't want to ruin the balljoint there, use a screw-type
	separator.  Then remove the three nuts on the mounting apron
	under the hood, and the whole assembly will fall down (I mean
	literally: you need to hold it firmly and it's pretty heavy).


	But the entire procedure is unnecessary if you're only changing
	the strut cartridge. VW/Audi (and probably all front-end shops)
	have a special tool that allows you to unscrew the cartridge without
	even jacking up the car: replacement looks like a ten-minute job
	going by Bentley.  I'm due to have mine done at Sears when they
	get my cartridges in (cheap Gabriels): both fronts for $80
	*installed*.


	And, about your power antenna .....

On Mar 20, 12:09pm, Stephen I Jagernauth wrote:
> Subject: Broken Pwr Antenna
> I'm trying to fix the little bugs with the 5KT.  The power antenna does not
go
> up.  I removed the clear hose attached to the base of the antenna in the
trunk
> and there is no vacuum present with engine running.  Is the antenna
> vacuum-operated?

	Coincidentally, I have mine out right now (original Bosch). It's
	electrically operated, and the clear hose is a water drain.
	(Yes, I thought it was vacuum operated when I saw the hose, too!).

	Mine went up one day and wouldn't come down. The nylon "cable"
	inside is broken: Joe Garibaldi (are you listening, Joe?) described
	his clever fix to me at our Bay Area quattro meet a few weeks ago:
	maybe he can enlighten us both.

	Or maybe we should both just go buy ourselves new Harada's ...

	-Arun