Suspension HELP AGAIN

[corylang@dccnet.com (Cory Langford)]

Well I have spent the last two days redoing everything on the front of my
'79 and I have run into a small problem.

It seems the last bunch of owners really had some strange ideas about
suspension for vw's.   One of them decided to lower the car in the front by
cutting out the spring perches and rewelding them down about an inch and a
half.  Then someone else decided to put in SPAX lowering springs.  No
wonder I have been bottoming out all the time :)

So this weekend the car got two new controller arms and all new bushings, 2
new wheel bearings, new ball joints, new tie rod ends, installed a 16V
stock front sway bar, lower and upper stress bar, and I was going to get
new struts but this is where I have spent most of the last day and a half.

I managed to get the nuts off the strut bearings, and the springs off. I
CAN NOT get the damned caps off to pull the strut carts out.  I have taken
the ones with the screwed up spring perches apart no problem.  I have a
second set of blown struts sitting here and I wanted to install the carts
into them.  HOW can I get these caps off.  They seem to be rusted on solid.


Also, I have heard you should put oil down inside the hosing before
installing the new carts.  What type?  Just plain engine oil?

Finally, my Bentley does not seem to have a torque setting for the nut on
the top of the strut that the bearing is held on with.  Is it important to
torque it down to a specific value?  I can see how you could do that with
using a 22M offset wrench and the Allen key.  I was just going to tighten
it down as much as I could and leave it at that.

Any suggestions on how to get the old carts out so I can reuse the housings
would be appreciated.  I guess if I can't get it done in a couple days I
will have to go order in new struts with housings.


Cory Langford
'86 turbo project - running, just needs tuning :)
'79 Cheap Ass turbo daily driver - Restore in progress...
'65 Ghia - The next project in the garage