OK this might be a daft question.

Does thismean my top mounts are shot?

Edited 7 September, 200719 yr by goatboy

If that's a picture with the wheels point stright ahead then .possibly Put your hand up the inside of teh suspension turret, if the spring is sitting tight against the metal then it's gone. If it's ot touching the inside of the top of the turret then no.

Hope that made sense!

OK I'll do that. They always look like that no matter what way the wheels are pointing if it makes a difference?

Oh yeah, steering is seriously heavy and slow too

Edited 3 September, 200719 yr by goatboy

right I stuck my hand up into the turret. Teh spring sits on a metal plate. That metal plate seems to be pretty much hard onto the bodywork. Broken top mount?

right I stuck my hand up into the turret. Teh spring sits on a metal plate. That metal plate seems to be pretty much hard onto the bodywork. Broken top mount?

Looing at that piccy you drffo need some new busshes on there matey

looks like that top strut mount has had it

looks like that top strut mount has had it

errr no! not necessarily. some are just like that. what kit you got on there? mine are raised a little like that and where when i fitted them. proper vag ones too and an H&R cup kit. thought it was a problem but I've seen a few like that.

Mine look like that too.

Just one of them things that happens when you lower then sometimes.

My lasses Mk2 golf is the same.

completely standard all round I'm afraid no lowering. ( although I did bring back some bags of Sand from the DIY shop the other day and it looked awesome all weighed down at the back . sorry completely irrelevant)

They look completely shot to me,and i suspect the reason many look like that is because many are shot.

With 86k miles on a soft ride,mine almost touch the turrets - i cant get a stick of gum between the cap and paint,and they're even both sides. Plus the steering is still light,with sensitive feel. Bearing in mind i re-greased them when i changed the suspension at 55k and was careful to centralise the bush on fitment - i suspect those that are as yours,are not as they should be.

it depends which top mounts the car has on it! normal CL top mounts are shorter, so the top cap bit will sit higher. its not a case of looking at a picture and just going "yeh they look shot mate".

mine had a new set about 4k ago max and they're fucked now, noisy as you like. the main way to tell if they are knackered is if there is play in them and are making any noise over compression.

mine are like this. hard to tell with the strut brace on though

thanks for all the replies everyone. I'm going to change them now anyway. They don't seem to be noisey but the steering is much heavier than I think it should be and a bit sloppy in its response. Tried undoing the strut nut last night (just to see if I could) and snapped my allen key in half. Ooopppss better get something a bit more heavy duty I think

Ok last question then I'll just get on with it, promise :-D

do I have to compress the spring and remove the castle nut to replace the top mount?

Just want to make sure i have all the right tools before I start the job. don't want to get halfway through and realise I need something and not have the car to go to the shops to get it!!

THANKS AGAIN! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!

right then, change one side at the weekend and the nasty big gap shown above is now gone :-D

But Bloody hell it was hard work.

Couldn't get the control bar out of the strut so I ended up undoing it entirely. Changed the top mount (all went nice and smoothly with compressors and castle nut tool) and then couldn't get the control arm back in!

Ended up having to take the whole ARB off to get it back in. Took me flippin' hours!!!

Saving the other side until all the bruises, cuts and grazes have healed from this weekends efforst

how much did you pay for the top mounts mate? Where from? Got this problem myself. Do you find it handles ever so slightly better?

Also where did you get your castle nut tool from?

Thanks

Edited 17 September, 200718 yr by carver

how much did you pay for the top mounts mate? Where from? Got this problem myself. Do you find it handles ever so slightly better?

Also where did you get your castle nut tool from?

Thanks

Topmounts were just from GSF ( I know people slate them from there). Can't remember exactly how much they were about £20 each i think. Castle nut tool was also from GSF. Pack of 3 for about a tenner. Made life very easy but they weren't very tight so may have been able to get them off without.

I've only done one side but already the steering feels a bit lighter and more direct. Bit less wooly if that makes sense...?

I remember when i changed mine and the 1st side took me about an hour and a half, undo that and this and piss about,

then i found out drop the anti roll bar mounts off and undo the top nuts and it falls down enough to change the top mount,

though i have -60mm lowering springs, dunno if they make it easier, took me about 15 minutes for the 2nd side.

Easy when youve done it once i suppose.

I remember when i changed mine and the 1st side took me about an hour and a half, undo that and this and piss about,

then i found out drop the anti roll bar mounts off and undo the top nuts and it falls down enough to change the top mount,

though i have -60mm lowering springs, dunno if they make it easier, took me about 15 minutes for the 2nd side.

Easy when youve done it once i suppose.

really!

Man I'm gonna try that. First side took me about 6 hours!!!

Most of that was tryin to work out how to get the control arm out of the strut and then working out how to get the barsteward back on again!!!

ARB definately comes off straight away this time

pah, what you want is some of these

solid top mounts ftw

^^^

not all of us can afford that

can always dream though :p