Strut Movement

[Jetta Fan]

OK, I was changing the front brake pads on my 97 Jetta on the weekend and when I was working on the passenger side, I noticed I could move the entire strut assembly down about 1/4" - 3/8". It would go back to it's "normal" or original position on it's own, but it could be pushed down without a lot of effort. There was no movement on the other side.

This is the first time I have ever seen this in any car and I'm guessing it's not a good thing. :?

Any idea what might be wrong and what I'm looking at for repairs? There is no noise from that side when driving and it handles great.

[rallydiesel]

I don't think your car has them but my A2 had worn strut bearings that allowed a lot of up and down movement when the car was jacked up.

[burn_your_money]

Worn strut mounts, exactly. Get that fixed soon, I have a huge stress crack in my mk2 from this problem. Mind you it was pounding at the metal for quite a while. You can try tightening up the nut that is under the black plastic cap. You'll either need the special tool or the proper sized socket, vice grips, the proper sized allen key and a friend.

[Jetta Fan]

Thanks guys.

I was afraid it might be the strut mount/strut bearing.  

Guess I'll add that to the "to do" list.

[Vincent Waldon]

The good news is that the strut bearings are dirt cheap and it's about a 20 minute job per side.  The bad news is that you may need a couple of "interesting" tools (you do for the MK2, not sure about your beast).  A spring compressor for sure.


Vince

[BlackTieTD]

canadian tire rents the tools you'll need for free suckers

[bvolks73]

Princess Auto sells a decent spring compressor for under $20. It was on sale in the last flyer for $9.99. I've had mine for years and done at least 20 struts, including some heavy Chev Malibu struts and they haven't broken yet.

[Jetta Fan]

The good news is that the strut bearings are dirt cheap and it's about a 20 minute job per side.  The bad news is that you may need a couple of "interesting" tools (you do for the MK2, not sure about your beast).  A spring compressor for sure.


Vince

A 20 minute job per side?? OK, with my luck, I'll be minus one car for about a week.  :lol:

But I will have to give it a go. The front springs/struts are good, so I'll just replace the bearings.

Interesting tools you say? Is that something me and Captain Morgan can rig up?  :lol:

BlackTie, I'll keep that in mind.

[rallydiesel]

You will need a spring compressor. As people have mentioned, they can be borrowed but I got mine quite cheap off ebay and they are fairly heavy-duty. You will also need a torque wrench and a socket that has a hole through it. I can't remember what size (21 or 22mm). You need this because you need to keep the strut rod from turning by sticking an allen key through the socket so you can loosen the nut on top.

The top nuts may also have locking compound on them and in my case I had to spray them with PB and then heat them with a torch until they finally came loose. I broke an allen socket in the process. Not fun.

[Vincent Waldon]

Dunno if your's is the same... on the MK2 you need:

- a 7mm hex wrench.... not usually included in generic kits.  Got mine from Princess Auto

- a 22mm 3/4" drive socket that you then grind two flats onto... you use this to hold the strut nut still while sticking the 7mm hex wrench down the middle to the strut shaft.... hence the need for 3/4" drive (bigger hole in the socket)

This  and the usual 17mm or 19mm for the other two strut mounting bolts gets the strut out of the car.  To disassemble the strut and put the new bearing on you need:

- spring compressor... yes PA has a cheap one

- a slotted socket something like this:

http://www.metalnerd.com/cat05.htm at the very bottom.  Now, this says A1 and A2 only so yours is likely different... if you look up the page a bit you'll see other suspension tools that may make more sense for your beast.


I say again.. the above is all A2 stuff so your mileage may well vary... !!

Vince

[burn_your_money]

There are different sized upper strut bolts depending on who last installed your struts. I've come across 3 different sizes and they were all on mk2s.

"special tools"


Not pretty but they work. You only need the center one. It takes about 5 minutes to make

[jtanguay]

i installed struts & springs with a 1.5" drop... didn't need a compresor.. is that bad?  :lol:

[Jetta Fan]

Thanks for all the info guys....the links and pictures/descriptions of tools helps a lot.

Car is going for annual safety inspection soon and I'm sure they will pick up on it, so I'll have to try and get it fixed this weekend.....if the weather is good.

jtanguay, how do you like the 1.5" drop? I thought about dropping mine a bit.

[jtanguay]

its a bit of a bumpy ride... but handles quite well!  i didn't get an alignment done, so she does vibrate if i go 115km/h or so...  i have new tie rods & ball joints to go on... after i install those she will be aligned

for my personal preference i would recommend it.  but if you like nice and soft suspension stick with stock.

front suspension goes in with lowering springs pretty easily.. i just had to put my weight on the spring to get the nut started... pretty ez

rear was a breeeeze! just had to push the axle beam down a wee bit to get the bolt in.

the new front strut mounts made a very noticeable difference in turning... my old ones were so worn out (380'000km on them  :roll:)

[fatmobile]

When you are done putting new strut caps in,... it will still move up and down when the wheels are off the ground.
 It's normal for an A2 or A3.
 The strut caps aren't bolted to the body, like the Rabbit.
 That ring on the top is what keeps them from falling down and out...