Anyone fitted their own coilovers and had to use the M14 driver???

[h100vw]

Jimmy, is it M14 the spline tool you need?

Gavin

[Jmac]

The M14 is only for the pinch bolt on the hub carrier, the spreader tool fits in the slot at the back of the hub carrier and gets turned which opens the hub carrier to alllow you to get the strut out, some rough folk out there use chisels and all sorts of stuff but the proper spreader is the go and this cant be bought in any tool shop. It gets used on any application that uses the strut and hib carrier set up like that, all mk5, Jetta, polo, MK4 , A3 etc etc and ive even used it on BMW mini , u can mess around with out it but like i say a pain without it, ive seen them sold on Ebay. Its a must have, one of the best and most used tools i have.
Jmac

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

Me cheat,,, have taken the front struts out about a dozen times, I just use a 3/8ths socket drive, it does fine has it only has to hold it.
For the spreader part I ground down a centre punch.
Just put them back in last week after mucking about a bit more with them.
The biggest problem I have is with the springs being 200mm long, 65mm wide & being 350lb rated with keeper springs,
these are a pain in the verbial.

[Jmac]

Eddy , agree with the holding , you concentrate on the nut for tightening. Torque to 65Nm then a 90 degree angle. Like i say loads of methods ive seen with spreading it but by far the best is the right tool, well suppose that can be said for all jobs really.
Eddy , you could probably whistle and they will come out now hey!!!!

Cheers
Jmac

[leitch]

Me cheat,,, have taken the front struts out about a dozen times, I just use a 3/8ths socket drive, it does fine has it only has to hold it.
For the spreader part I ground down a centre punch.

Yeah likewise... Big hex head to hold the bolt and loosen from the nut side. Might be tight though if it's the first time they've been pulled and theres a bit of surface corrosion around.

Eddy , you could probably whistle and they will come out now hey!!!!

Sure does get easier the more you pull them out, even without the right tools (though as Jimmy says the right tool always makes a difference).

[Eddy]

The M14 is only for the pinch bolt on the hub carrier, the spreader tool fits in the slot at the back of the hub carrier and gets turned which opens the hub carrier to alllow you to get the strut out, some rough folk out there use chisels and all sorts of stuff but the proper spreader is the go and this cant be bought in any tool shop. It gets used on any application that uses the strut and hib carrier set up like that, all mk5, Jetta, polo, MK4 , A3 etc etc and ive even used it on BMW mini , u can mess around with out it but like i say a pain without it, ive seen them sold on Ebay. Its a must have, one of the best and most used tools i have.
Jmac

Hoyhoy.

I must admit that the ground down centre punch was akward, so just had a look on Ebay & found the tool that Jimmy speaks of $19.50 + 17.50 postage, bloody ridiculous postage, but might get one anyway.

[Jmac]

Do it Eddy, you wont regret i promise that , i use it on tons of applications mate.

Cheers
Jmac

[brad]

Bolt with flats ground on the sides?

[gotboost?]

Well it finished before it even started... Checked the size of the nut at the top of the struts and I didn't have a socket that size... Off to SuperCheap tomorrow evening, me thinks!

[leitch]

Save yourself the hassle and get new strut tops and bearings from VW. Swapping them over is a massive pain in the ass and odds are your old ones will crap out soon enough anyway once you lower the car.