- Floor
jack
- Axle stands x 2
- 17mm lug wrench
- 17mm box end wrench
- Spring compressor tools
- Adjustable wrench
- Liquid wrench
- 10mm socket
VW TECH BY: Jeff Kil
Jack up car.
STEP 2.
STEP 3.
Take of rims.
Put the car on axle
stands so that swings arm can move freely.
STEP 4.
STEP 5.
Remove rear side cover
panels by removing these nuts in photo below.
Remove rubber dust cap
to find this (see photo above).
STEP 6.
STEP 7.
Undo nut and remove cap.
Use 17mm wrench on the
nut and the adjustable wrench on the strut top
to hold it while being undone.
STEP 8.
STEP 9.
With the nut and seat
removed you can see the strut mount which can
now be removed.
Don’t forget to remove
the lower seat as well (so it doesn’t get lost).
STEP 10.
STEP 11.
Repeat these steps on
the other side, and you will be able to lower
the rear axle.
Using an impact gun will
make removing the lower mounting bolt much
easier.
STEP 12.
STEP 13.
Put the 17mm box end
wrench inside the rear axle to hold the nut.
Use the impact gun or a
breaker bar to undo the shock mount bolt
(liquid wrench on the nut and bolt will make
this part much easier).
STEP 14.
STEP 15.
Remove assembly now.
Use adjustable wrench
to hold shock from spring and use 17mm wrench to
undo and remove nut.
· note I used a spring compressor on theses
assemblies since they are stock springs.
STEP 16.
STEP 17.
With the nut removed
you can remove the spacer and spring seat.
Remove bump stop and
dust cover.
STEP 18.
STEP 19.
With those gone you can
remove the spring to leave you with a bare
shock.
Note that some
replacement shocks will come with a lower spring
seat and some will not. You may have to remove
the spring seat by sliding it off. Ours had to
be reused.
STEP 20.
The reassembly is the
reverse. Make sure that all nuts and bolts
are tightened to the proper amount prescribed by
\X/.