Struts and springs

[monst]

Hello,
   I need some advice on struts and springs.....

The back sits low.... pretty lame....
so I was figuring new springs.. strut are shot too.....
What can I do to get it to sit up higher......
are the new stock springs gonna sit low as well.....

  Front needs struts too...  bouncey bouncey....
Should I get new springs..... car has 200 K on it....
   She is peppy though.... (91 Jetta IDI)
Also, I notice that the front pass. strut is loose
in its tower... cant get it tight... bushing is worn.....
Will these parts come with a new strut?
and what are these parts called?

thanks, Monst

[monst]

Anybody chime in here....
How to make my ride a little nicer.
Struts, springs

[Runt]

Hey, I am going through the same parts on my 91 as well.  I personally wouldn't change springs unless:
1) they are damaged, broken, or noticeably sagged.
2) you want to lower it.
3) you want a stiffer ride, and don't mind that that means lowering the car.
I'm working on coilovers (cheap) so that I can stiffen without dropping the car much.
The upper mounts are not included with the struts, but they are available on thier own, ask for the mounts/bushings when you get the shocks.  Someone else may correct me, but I think the Passat (91-93?) strut bushings are better and drop right in.  If you are replacing with stock level components, you MAY want to ask about availability of (Monroe, IIRC) 'Quickstruts'.  They are not always available (depends on the car), but they are springs premounted on struts, so you get both components and do'nt need a spring compressor.  Don't forget that you will need an alignment after you do the struts, as the camber setting is largely in the strut/spindle attachment.
Good luck.

[monst]

Good info Thanks...
  Yeah, I'll post my progress here.....
May go with the quick struts all the way around.
just got to check on coin. $$$$
and whether I am gonna have an improvement in
how the vehicle sits..... Draggin' butt is lame.........
  What I have now... anything would be an improvement.
but, if your gonna mess with it, it might as well be something
I can enjoy.
Monst

[vanbcguy]

I did the Monroe Quickstruts on all 4 corners of Jezebel last summer.  The price was right and generally if the car has more than a 100,000 miles on it the springs have already started to sag. 

MUCH improved handling - there's a bad washboard section of road on my commute, an intersection where heavy trucks go at about a 55 degree angle to the route I'm traveling on.  I used to just hold on and hope while Jezzie skipped her tires over the tops of the bumps, now I'm actually in CONTROL of the car on rough surfaces like that.

[monst]

Yeah I am bummin' out... at the moment.....
Can't seem to get the Monroe quick struts for 91 jetta diesel.....
Can't seem to get springs either........
I am gonna have to look at the internet for springs....
   One of my suppliers has KYB shocks
Anyone have anything to say about KYB?
How about buying suspension accessories online?

Monst

[ldeikis]

I have a rabbit so I don't know how much of this applies to you...

but I'm halfway through doing the strut all around on it.  I bought a spring compressor for $15 from Harbor Freight which made it easy as hell to disassemble the front struts and redo them.  I have no idea what kind of shape my springs are in, but the expense of replacing it all was too much.  

The fancy off-center bolt that sets the camber on the fronts seems to be dealer-only for about US$20?!  At least I couldn't find it anywhere, and that's people told me.  I stripped on out retorquing and had to get it.  The rear lower mounts look like they're begging for a sawzall, as there's no way they're coming off with a wrench.

It's amazing how much smoother the car is at speed with just the new fronts...  The jarring on potholes etc is much lower, but even more, the car just feels a lot more stable and secure at normal freeway speeds.

I got it all from germanautoparts.com because they're close and have lightning quick shipping.  I replaced the front strut bearings, too, which was easy, and the ones that came out seemed crappy.   Take a look at your snubber/bump stops and dust caps before you order.

Luke

[jseeley]

If you just want to go back to stock with no saggin; I would just go with all new stuff German Auto Parts (sach/boge) with some new stock springs

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volkswagen/Jetta/Suspension/188/4
http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volkswagen/Jetta/Suspension/351/2

They also have a package deal for "Bilstein Touring Class" too if you want a little better than stock.