VintageWatercooleds.com Technotes

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Wednesday, February 15, 2006 12:41:39 PM - Views


VintageWatercooleds.com Technotes :: Strut Information

 

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[What Struts Do I need?] [Strutmounts] [Installing Struts and Springs]

What struts do I need?

Well - this is a heavily debated topic. It really depends what you are going for -

Looks good - Lowering springs

  • Springs: H&R sport springs
  • Shocks: any shocks that can be lowered

Handles good - Sport springs, struts, and cup packages

  • Springs: Neuspeed Sport springs
  • Shocks: Blistein sport shocks

Rides good - OEM suspension

  • VW OEM Struts and springs - they are smooth, make sure you get new bearings and bushings when replaced


Suspension tip from Freerevving on the vwvortex

Ultimate cheap suspension : Koni Yellows and Ground Control Coilover kit. It will end up costing you around $950, but the set-up is the same as a $2500+ suspension.

I have also heard great things about Balance Racing's coilover kit, which will save you another $200, but the quality is not quite as good as the GC's. So this setup would cost you about $750 with the Koni Yellows.

You could also opt for Bilstein Sports or Bilstein HD Low (I would go with the HD Low) instead of the Koni Yellows, this should save you at least $150, bringing the cost to $600 with the Balance Coilover kit.

With the low cost of these high quality do-it-yourself coilover kits (200 for Balance, 400 for Ground Control), I would never even think about getting regular springs. GC and BR offer custom spring rates for your application and driving style, and they're both experts with A1's
 

 

Lowering springs lower the car anywhere from 1" to more than 3", Lowering the car's center of gravity, improving handling. There comes a point, however that a car gets too low. When the car is on the ground, look under it from the front. If the A-arms are bending up to the wheels - the car is too low for good handling.

More on this to come soon - I need some more information.

Strut mounts

I found out why my CV joints kept breaking....

BAD                            GOOD!!

They were so broken - the struthats were actually hitting the hood! I went through 2 outer and 1 inner CV joints. Now I still gotta replace my steering rack. 
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Installing Struts and Springs
The shocks are shot on the Titian Project Car, and the springs being OEM, are not to my liking, so I ordered a set of H&R Sports Springs, and bought some Gabriel VSP Gas Shocks from AutoZone. time to change the setup... this describes the technique I use with the help of Brian Wagner, to do my shocks and springs on my car. Hope it helps anyone into doing their shocks and springs on their cars now...

Jack your car up on one side, and remove your wheel, pop your hood open, if you have a stress bar, remove it by unscrewing the 4 upper strut assembly bolts. if you do not have a stress bar, just unscrew the strut assembly bolts on the strut tower each side of the strut bearing. (13mm)
Mark your eccentric bolt so that you may re-bolt the assembly afterwards as close to what the alignment was before, until you go get a new alignment done on the car.
Take the two assembly bolts off (17mm)
separating the strut assembly from the suspension assembly
Then unscrew the 2 nuts at the top of the strut (if not already done at the beginning), and remove the struts assembly from the car
using your spring compressor tool, compress the spring while still on the assembly.
Need the tool? - Get it here - Harbor Freight Tools Spring compressor
Note : This applies to Shocks that use the Hex key in the center of the shock shaft (like Boge's)
This tool I used, is being utilized to remove the top bolt that holds the upper assembly unto the shock. the socket is of the size of the large nut in the middle of the strut bearing assembly (O2 sensor or spark plug type (needs an upper socket Nut pattern to it), slipping in the middle a hex screw driver extension I place a 8mm hex bit, and use a 1/4" ratchet with a 1/4" socket to slip onto the screw driver extension.
While the assembly in the spring compressor, slip the hex bit into the center nut, and slip the socket unto the shaft of the screw driver extension. place the ratchet with the 1/4" socket through atop the extension, use an appropriate sized socket key, and while holding the hex screw in place, unscrew the large bolt atop the assembly by turning the socket. remove nut, bearing, upper strut assembly, then slip the compressed spring off the bottom end struts assembly.
My counters in my garage are exactly the width required to slip the bottom end of the assembly into the bracket of the strut. Then using a pipe wrench, I unbolt the top cap screw cover holding the shock inside the strut assembly.
Once the cover screw is removed, pull the shocks out from the assembly, old gunky oil may force you to use a bench vise to hold the strut while you pull on the shock and in extreme cases I have had to use (not this time) but a torch to heat the strut assembly tube to liquefy the gunk oily mixture enough for me to remove the shock. empty the oil/clean assembly.
pour about 1/8 quart into the strut assembly (once cooled if heat was used) using 10w30/40 dyno oil works just fine, it is there only to help the shock dissipate heat unto the assembly to cool the shock assembly down.
slip the shock cartridge into the strut assembly, and the picture depict when you know you have enough in the strut assembly. push the shock all the way down, if oil does not reach (I like to make a slight overflow) the top of the strut tube, then pull the shock out and add oil inside and do it again until it does reach the edge or overflow until the shock sits all the way down.
slip the centering ring atop the shock it should press all the way down, slipping edges inside the space between the shock and the strut assembly. lock the top cover nut back on, screw all the way down, nice and tight.
if you are not replacing your springs go to next picture, if you are replacing your spring, then un compress the old spring out of the tool, and compress the new spring into the tool before proceeding to the next step
Slip the compressed spring back unto the bottom strut assembly, not the beginning of the coil spring will sit properly when placed into the notch in the lower spring support plate on the strut assembly.
Slip the upper plate strut assembly and strut bearing assembly atop the shaft that is fully extended (pull on it if you have to.
Note this method applied to the shocks with a non-hex socket hole in the middle but the kind with a flat slot type end.
I use 2 close end hand wrenches, using the small one to hold the shaft in place and turning the 22MM wrench with my other end, you need to screw it all the way down until the nut stops, then you are done.
Finished product, New H&R front Sport spring with Gabriel VSP Gas shock... now go reinstall it back on the car, and repeat the process for the other side once you are done with the fronts, continue below for the rear changeover's.
jack the car in the middle of the axle (yeah yeah I know, it might bend a flexible German steel forged straight axle by lifting it this way, well my car has no shims on the rear axles and have perfect alignment. (sorry old argument!) so jack one side if you like at the time, I did mine both at the same time , its easier that way and so much faster too. do as you wish its your car! Pop your hatch open, and remove the rubber covers atop each rear shock strut tower. slip under the car and unbolt the lower bolt holding the shock in place to the body... once done remove the top one.
again close up of the tip of the shaft of my old boge's (slot type method to remove it) this may vary depending of the type of shock you buy.
vise the bottom part of the shock down, compress the spring, take the top nut off last, in that order please, unless you like flying upper shock assembly flying across the room, not mention probably your face or body. remove the upper rubber, and upper cup, slip the spring off the shock assembly. slip the shaft cover rubber item off the old shock as well.
here we have the new Gabriel vsp with the old rubber boot back on it... then slip the old or new spring unto this assembly
reverse from taking apart, reinstall upper cup unto the shock and bolt it down, all the way until the nut stops (do not go further your done!)
there you are 1 (or if you jack the rear my way, you can do both before reassembly unto the car, install reverse of taking off so top bolt on, then slide under and bolt the bottom in. tighten the top bolt afterwards and reinstall your rubber cover back atop the strut tower.. pats your self on the back, you have changed your own shocks and spring, not get an alignment and enjoy the ride.
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