RE: Playing with suspension bits

["Fry, Larry" <LEF@chem-tronics.com>]

In case Colin's advice on the "bolt" that holds the axle onto the hub has
confused any of the new-to-the-mechanical-bits-people on the list, it isn't
a bolt...it's a big nut.  (those two terms cannot be used interchangably)
The rest of his advice is spot-on and well-written.  I would add that when
you use the pickle-fork to release the ball joints/tie-rod ends, you WILL
destroy the rubber dust covers.  So, have new ones handy.

Larry   sandiego16V

-----Original Message-----
From: Colin [mailto:cwass99@home.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 4:00 PM
To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
Subject: Playing with suspension bits


Hi,
     I noticed a couple questions and comments around taking the front end
suspension and associated bits apart and thought I'd comment based on some
very
recent experiences.
     First, if you plan to remove the axle as part of this adventure, loosen
(just a turn or so) the bolt that holds the outer end to the hub.  You'll
really want to do this with the wheel on the ground and the parking brake
set. 
A breaker bar with a 30mm socket on the end is a good idea, that bolt is
tough.
After you get the car on jacks (or a hoist if you can get to one) you should
probably leave the axle attached at both ends, although you can also loosen
(but not remove) the bolts holding the inner end to the differential if you
want.  There are only a couple reasons you might want to remove the axle at
this
point.  I'll point them out as we go by.
     The most difficult part working with things that connect to the control
arm is probably going to be the balljoints.  A couple things you probably
want
to keep in mind if you need to take them out.  First, if the balljoint is
held
in place with a clamp (no nut on top of the balljoint, big bolt running
across
the front) as it is with mine, you absolutely have to remove that bolt.  The
balljoint has a groove cut into it that the bolt passes through.  It was
moderately rusted on mine and a major pain, but you really need to do this. 
Second, you really should spend the $20 or so and get a pickle bar.  Get the
kind you can beat with a heavy hammer, not the kind that fits on an air
hammer
(unless of course you have a compressor and air hammer).  I've heard it said
you can pop out the balljoint by beating on the lower control arm with a
big hammer.  I've never tried this, so I don't know if it will actually
work. 
It seems a bad idea to me, though, because you'll have to remove the drive
axle
first and you run the risk of bending the control arm when you start hitting
it.  If that happens, you'll probably never be able to get the alignment
right
without replacing the arm.  Finally, you'll also need to remove the front
anti-sway bar to disconnect the balljoint from the hub.  The only warning
about
the pickle bar is to make sure the prongs aren't going to go through the
dirt
shield and possibly hit the rotor, because you'll have to really hit it to
break the ball joint free if it's been there for any length of time.
     If the balljoints aren't new, you'll probably want to replace them
regardless of what else you had planned.  They're quite inexpensive and
enough
of a pain to remove that you don't want to do this more than necessary.  If,
like mine until recently, they've still got the factory rivets in, you'll
want
to remove the entire control arm for that.  You can drill the rivets out on
the work bench this way and it's a lot easier.  The remaining things
attached to
it are quite easy to deal with.
     Do not remove the control arm mounting hardware until after you've
broken
the balljoints free.  Otherwise you run the risk of overextending the inner
CV
joint and that will cost.  You could, of course, remove the axle and release
the back half of the control arm before tackling the balljoint, but it gets
really wobbly at that point and you'll probably need all the leverage you
can
get to free the rest of the pieces.
     If you're planning to remove the hub the next bit you want to go after
is
the outer tie-rod end.  If you chose wisely, the pickle bar you used on the
ball
joint will work here as well.  If you don't plan to replace the end, grease
the
prongs on your pickle bar to reduce the chance of damaging the boots on the
tie-rod end.  If you split one, you have to replace the entire end.  If you
do
replace either or both tie-rod ends, very carefully mark where it sits on
the
tie-rod before you remove it.  You'll still need to have the alignment done
(after replacing a tie-rod end it's unavoidable, I think) but you'll be able
to
drive it over if there's no highway involved without too much worry.
     The other important not to miss thing you'll need to remove to pull out
the
hub is the brake assembly.  Easiest way is to get the 2 19mm bolts holding
the
entire unit to the hub, slide it free, then wire it to something not being
removed.  You probably don't want to let it hang by the brake line.  
     The strut/sping don't attach to the control arm, they bolt onto the
hub/bearing assembly.  If you mark the relationship between the strut mount
plates and the hub, you can probably get away without an alignment.  You
really
should get one done if you've disconnected this many suspension parts, but I
saw a pretty good tutorial on a DIY alignment check (on the web site) that
will
probably cover you if you're very careful.  Work on the nuts, not the bolts,
especially on the top of the mount.  You'll notice the upper mount bolt is
eccentric.  If you start cranking on the bolt head instead of the nut,
you'll
probably damage things you'd rather not have to replace.  Penetrating oil
(Liquid Wrench, or whatever) is definitely going to be your friend here.
The
top of the struts are attached (at least on my 87 8v) with two little bolts
and
are very easy to remove.
     How you approach the last few bits depends on what you're doing.  If
you
plan to pull everything out, do the strut to hub connections before you do
the
top mount bolts for the strut.  The two pieces together are heavy enough to
be annoying and difficult to handle effectively.  With the lower control arm
out
of the way, you should probably remove the axle just before you actually
disconnect the strut from the hub.  The good news is that with the ball
joint
out, you can move the hub quite a bit and it makes pulling the axle out
pretty
easy.  Then, when you remove the strut to hub bolts, you catch the hub
before
it falls on the ground and when you remove the upper strut bolts, you catch
the
strut.
     Some other useful (IMHO) things to keep in mind.  If you're replacing
the
struts it costs about the same to have a garage disassemble the strut/spring
and reassemble with the new parts as it does to rent the spring compressing
tool for a week-end.  Around here, anyhow, it cost me $40 to have new struts
assembled with new springs and renting the tool would have been $35 for the
week-end.  You really!!!!! do not want to start undoing the spring retainer
on the top of the strut without either compressing or cutting the spring. 
You will get seriously injured.  This is also a good opportunity to check a
bunch of things including the differential seals, brakes, etc.  Finally,
don't
undo or remove anything that you don't absolutely have to.  The more things
you
fiddle with here, the more likely you are to need alignment, break other
things, etc.
     I apologize for the length of this post, but I just went through all of
this and I wanted to pass along the benefits of my misadventures while they
were still fresh in my mind.  I learned the hard way (for example) about
over-extending the inner CV joint.  I learned about the bolt on the
balljoint
clamp the hard way as well, after beating up on my pickle bar for over an
hour
with no results.  The second balljoint took about 10 minutes to release once
I
knew the trick.  Finally, before you start seriously working on your car,
get
the book.  I have the Haynes book, and it's not bad, but I've heard
Bentley's
is better (at the very least, Bentley's doesn't assume 'roccos, Jettas, etc
are
all the same as far as I've heard).

Cheers,
Colin



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