Hello, Basically I am working on suspension on my polo coupe and would like to know what is the maximum torque that can be used via impact gun to tighten the bolt and what mm key to use. Do I need to remove the disc to get the whole suspension unit out? Also, what sort of tool is needed to undo the nut in order to take the strut out? Appriciate the answers. Cheers :-)

Edited 17 July, 201214 yr by performancevw

Disk can stay put chap. as for removing the strut, i assume youre referring to the castle nut on top of the strut?

You just need a 30mm socket with a big breaker bar to undo the big bolt for the driveshaft.

I assme you are talking about mk1/2/3 if you are on about removing the drive shaft from the hub because on later models it uses a different setup so you can literally remove the shock and spring in one go.

i think the confusion here is that i think you mean the hub nut (30MM) not driveshaft bolts which hole the shaft to the gearbox and are spline

If they have never been off the hub nuts can be difficult, I broke a breaker bar trying to get mine off. Ended up taking it to my mates garage who loosened them with an air gun. As for what torque to use when refitting just do them up as tight as you can or am sure the actual figure will be listed in the hynes manual.

As for the nut on the top its called a castle nut, you can buy the socket from GSF I think or you can make your own with a 13mm socket and a hacksaw.

To undo the cap with holds the shocker in to strut casing you will need stilsons, more commonly known as a monkey wrench

0Nm with a gun. Do it up with a torque wrench or you can wave goodbye to the bearings. With a wrench you would need 210Nm

Can I just ask why did you grind the bolt down?

Your suppose to put a socket and ratchet/breaker bar on the bolt and then a spanner on the nut and undo it that way. Can't imagine there would have been much problem doing that as it is a 17mm bolt and fairly difficult to round off or snap. If it was really tight a few smacks with a hammer and some penetration fluid should have sorted it.

Anyway I can see two ways of doing this now.

One would be to drill out what's left of the bolt but this is going to be a pain in the arse as its a big bolt and an awkward position unless you remove the whole axle.

Probably the easier way but would require a welder is to weld a nut onto whats left of the bolt and then undo it as if the bolt was still in tact.

Edit: actually thinking about it may be damn near impossible. However if you could get a pair of mole grips on the bolt where you have been cutting the rubber you may then be able to undo the nut with a spanner.

Edited 23 May, 201214 yr by Torrevez

Pass a hacksaw blade through the bracket and then re-construct the hacksaw. Then cut through the bolt (you may have to do this both sides of the damper bush). Once it's all cut free, de-construct the hacksaw, drop the damper through to allow you to remove the spring, then pass the damper back up and out. Then you can remove the bits of bolts. This leaves the removal job done, with rear beam intact, and all this can be done in situ.

When replacing dampers and springs on that car, front or rear, at no point do you need to touch the brakes or drive shafts. Or driveshaft/hub bolts. Etc.

Undo top mounts before jacking the car up and you don't need spring compressors either. If you forget, just jack the brake disc/drum up enough to take the weight off the top mount nuts. Just concentrate on the suspension and only undo any arms on the front that you have to, in order to get the strut down far enough to remove the spring for replacement - the damper can be passed through the hole in the front turret having simply dislodged the top mount, you don't need to remove the front strut to swap dampers.

Or even the front springs, you can swap the dampers with the springs in place.

You can spend two days taking half the car apart if you like, but there's rarely any need, and suspension is one example.

Anyway, why was the rear lower damper such an bitch? Well, sounds like yours is just too seized up, this does happen, especially if the car is an original example that hasn't been messed about with and the rear dampers have been on there longer than the Brylcreem on the headrest. If the bolt wasn't greased when fitted, and moisture got in there, then the bolt can seize inside the damper bush tube. Attempts to remove the bolt are then futile without using a hacksaw, or other cutting method you can get inside the space without damaging the axle bracket.

What are you trying to drill? And why do you need to cut both ends of the bush? Just do exactly as mikey has said and its a 30 min job, I've had the same problem and use the same method in the past

The bush isn't welded its just fused itself to the axle over the years, there's also probably a burr been put on the end of the bolt you used the grinder on. When you say the inside nut moves freely you mean it's now off the car and out of the equation?

Actually looking at those pics it doesn't look like you have taken all of the head off the bolt with the grinder

Well its not going to come out with some of the head still on there. You've cut through the other end of the bush right? As close to the axle as you can get? This should cause the inner nut and the small part of the bolt left in it to literally drop off. Then all you have to do is remove the last bit of the bolt head that is still on the other side carefully with the grinder (try not to cut into the axle). Once you have all or at least most of the head off, give the shock a good tap with a hammer and you should see the bit of the bolt you've just taken the head off pull out of the hole

It won't be the bolt being rusted to the axle that is your problem, as mikey has already said it will be the bolt rusted to the metal bush tube, so you won't have to drill though the old bolt head as that will of been removed with the rest of the bolt.

Use a spanner on the top of the thread on the damper to lock it in place while removing, failing that try a set of mole grips on the damper rod in the wheel arch.

Grips on a damper rod should be more of a last resort.

It depends if your struts have two flats or an Allen key.

You should hold the rod in the boot with a spanner/Allen key then undo the nut, maybe with a cranked spanner.

IF using grips, try and use a piece of rubber between their jaws and the shaft, and do it as near to the top of the rod as you can (slide the bump stop down)

Grips on a damper rod should be more of a last resort.

Only if you're gonna be refitting the dampers really. But in this case he's replacing so just trying to get the old things off.

True :) forgot that haha

Luckily more of a bastard on a saloon!

I had similar issue on my Mk3. Bolt had welded itself into the metal sleeve that goes through the bush. I cut through the metal sleeve and bolt at each end and if I remember right near the strut. It then all dropped out easily. Took maybe 30-45mins of hack saw action to do both sides.

Then took the beam to get sand blasted. Painted it. Bought all need bolts and threw it back together. The easiest rear suspension to work on in the world, just made a little more difficult by corrosion.

thats all still on the car? you neet a tool? your a tool.

What ring are you on about? The black domed bit at the top is the top of the damper. Penetrating fluid and idiot it with a hammer it should withdraw but may be a bit rusted in there

I'm really not sure what you have done there.. is there a spring on that? is it sill attached to the car? ho did you get the top cap off?

I would get a haynes manual and read though it..

simply

- with the car on the floor undo the nut in the engine bay and then put it back on a few turns

-Undo the driveshaft bolt

-jack the car up

-Undo the brake carrier bolts and hang the caliper so its not pulling on the brake line

-undo the pincher bolt for the track control arm and expand the clamp a bit to allow the ball joint to become loose

-undo the bolt for the ARB

-Undo the nut on the steering arm

thats so funny I've nearly crapped my pants. is this serious? have you really tried to do it this way?

thats so funny I've nearly crapped my pants. is this serious? have you really tried to do it this way?

I burst out laughing!

Y U SO NON MECHANIC!

I wonder how many lads knew about getting it done simple way instead of following an unnecesary longer and tired way,

is that a joke? an unnecessary longer way? i think you will find using the correct tools and correct method will mean the time will be dramatically reduced on how long it has taken yourself.

i did both sides of a car a few months back in under 2hrs in heavy rain, so it would have been less in the dry, how many hours has it taken you?

changing springs - yes i can see there may be a way of doing it fairly quickly - but not the dampers aswell- you only have to undo a couple more bolts to take the strut off, which then means you are not working in a confined space.

and as for the getting it done the simple way comment - you had to ask for help on here!

very confused on that

:-D , hes doing it the mikey mk way can be done but by god is it fiddly

this place is on its arse.

Well done for having to undo much less mate, not have to replace your hub nuts or undo unnecessary things :)