What have you done to your mk4 (golf/bora) today?

[dubster99]

Coilovers came on Monday , new strut tops and bearing came today so Sunday i'll finally have good suspension and a lower ride height , any tips or tricks i should know for removing the front struts ?

Rattle gun and spreader tool, i used an old jack hammer piece and hammered it in the back to release the strut.

[aaron001au]

Rattle gun and spreader tool, i used an old jack hammer piece and hammered it in the back to release the strut.

Yep rattle gun is there ready to go , ill find some thing like a flat blade screw driver to use to spread the hub

[JackF]

Coilovers came on Monday , new strut tops and bearing came today so Sunday i'll finally have good suspension and a lower ride height , any tips or tricks i should know for removing the front struts ?

Just did this a month or so back, the strut spreader tool is super useful. For some reason when I did it the strut top nuts refused to come off with the rattle gun (terrible compressor probably didn't help), so a spark plug socket or similar might come in handy. I ground two sides off the top of an impact socket, basically you just need a socket that you can get a good grip on, with a hole in the top for an allen key.

[dylan8]

For strut top:
Spark plug socket,
Allan key,
spanner to go on the hex part of socket,
something with a hole in the end to put on the Allan key to get some leverage (I used handle of shifter)

Spindle:
Something like a wedge or screw driver.

Don't need to drop driveshafts or un do ball joints or anything like that

[pimpossible]

If you don't have the spreader tool just get the jack out of the boot, stick it between the hub and suspension mount and expand, worked for me.

[aaron001au]

ok awesome cheers for the input guys , i'll let you know how i get on , going to try and do my steering rack bush while its all apart too ....

[JustCruisn]

Socket size adapter works well as the spreader tool.

I have noticed recently my steering at low speed has a grinding sound. Thinking probable strut top bearing, but I only changed this a few months back, I was worried it was worse CV or steering rack.
Puzzled I took off the strut top cover and the 1st nut and plate, and found the 2nd nut, at the bearing, was very loose, it was free to spin with the slightest touch.
Tightened the hell out of it and steering is silk again.
So do these nuts have a habit of coming loose over time ?
Should I have used lock tight, or did I just not tighten it enough the 1st time ??

[h100vw]

Shouldn't come loose, is it a lock nut?

Gavin

[JustCruisn]

Not sure if it is a lock nut or not.
It is tapered on the underside where it meets the mount.

Number 4 in this diagram

[dylan8]

Don't think it's a lock nut, I've had one come loose once before also.
Good thing is they can't go too far, just get funky noises and play