This method saved me a ton of time. I used Paul's method on the passenger side and it was a serious PIA. When I moved around to the driver side I found that there were no bolts to remove the drive shaft so I looked for videos on how to replace the spring and found this video. Besides being easier you also noted moving the little spreader on the pinch clamp. That little tip saved me a ton of aggravation. I found that my little spreader tool was long enough to prevent the tab on the strut from sliding out through the clamp. I wasted an hour on the passenger side because I didn't know that. I did the driver side with the 2x4 method in under an hour. While I did have a few hiccups on the passenger side, Paul's method took over 2 hours. THANK YOU!
Another option is to use spring compressors, over the spring as high as you can get and under the strut lower spring lip. Also not something you would recommend, but probably safer (and more convenient) than the 2x4 method. As always, thanks for the vids. Edit. Tried this today. 2x4 method is easier. This vid is gold.
i used straps... lift the car, put at least 2 separate straps of the spring, put down the car, fasten the straps, lift the car, and just like that, the spring remains somewhat compressed enough to pull out the strut, leave the spring compressed - that allows to swap the spring to the new strut, now do everything but in the reverse order. Done. This way is not perfect, as the straps may slip from the spring. Obviously a spring compressor that fits in there would be awesome, but in my car it does not.
@@krisg822 yeah I have three sets of compressors and only the really old cheap ones actually fit, and even then it’s not easy or ideal. Straps idea is neat. In the end for me, the 2x4 method is great as long as you manage to push up at the correct angle. If it’s slightly off it can seem like the strut isn’t fully released from the hub even with the splitter as wide as it’ll get. I always find one side is quick and the other needs a bit more finesse.
@@sibzilla all i can say is that the original shocks, that have labels with 'Monroe' on them and got that DampTronic, started to fail on the front axle after 60 000km, the ones on the rear axle still look good, but they are not as fresh as they supposed to be, tho they don't lose any juice. Considering what i did with the car and wheels are still attached - i probably should be happy they did last that long lol
Something I found out, that I think is important to note, is if you already have coilovers, or dampers that are shorter than factory (Koni Yellows, Bilstein B8's, etc.), on the car, you will not need to use the 2x4 method, nor will you have to remove the axle bolts, to remove the entire strut assembly. I would this out when I had BC Racing BR coilovers on my MK7 GTI S, and was swapping them out for a set of ST XTA coilovers. Because the dampers are shorter than the factory OEM dampers, the whole rotor and hub assembly will actually swing down far enough and remove itself from the bottom of the strut. It was so nice when I found out doing this job, because we were not using the 2x4 method, and I was expecting for us to remove the axle bolts. But the brake/hub assembly literally fell right out of the strut, removing itself from its attachment, the moment I put the strut spreader tool in haha. It took us literally 20 minutes t remove both driver and passenger front struts because of this. We got the entire suspension, front and rear, taken out and assembled, in an hour and 15 minutes haha. Great video! I have since removed the ST XTA coilovers, and went back to stock, due to the comfort and reliability it provides. I have just bought new wheels and tires, I am planning on getting lowering springs to drop the car a bit. I like the lower look, but was not impressed with the BC or ST coilovers, as they both failed (one BC struts seized up, one ST strut stopped compressing, and another ST strut started leaking)(both brands I bought brand new). SO that is why I m planning on just doing lowering springs paired with the OEM dampers right now, and I will eventually upgrade the OEM dampers (after they fail) to Koni Special Active or Koni Yellows. Undecided on that one right now...
My biggest issue with the 2x4 method is recommending it to everyone. If you like it, do you. I think it works fine, but the stored energy in the assembly, if anything goes wrong a DIYer can get themselves hurt. I'm not into that.
Totally understand. I remember everyone freaking out when I used a spring compressor on Jeep springs! All that stored energy just waiting to explode!!! You will notice I didn't store a lot of energy in my process. There is a difference in jacking it all up and fully compressing the spring vs compress, release, compress, release, etc. Love your stuff tho! Thanks for doing what you do for the community (and the parts and tools you have!).
I love this because my brother used this method back in the day but for 90s hondas. I feel like its a diy honda sketchy thing when you don't have the right tools you make it work type of thing.
Done this method worked pretty well on the passenger but I had a struggle to get the driver's side back in line when I compressed the shock it wouldn't go straight up and kept going out sideways very difficult to get it back in
Good for getring it out but getting it back in is a pain as the steut wants to compress and move off to the side so hard to line the hub assembly back up
I wish I had know about this back in 2018 when I lowered my Tiguan. It was my first mqb I worked on, and it stumped me. Also didn't have a spreader back then, so that makes a difference too.
I’m about to lower my alltrack tomorrow. I’m not disconnecting the axle or using wood. I’m just going to use spring compressors and pull the strut down by hand. People do way too much these days. Just like when I had my b6 Audi Quattro everyone says you have to lower the rear subframe to get the rear spring out and that is a total waste of time. A good tech always finds shortcuts and not ones that damage parts.
@@SlowDriverSean worked great I didn’t use the strut separator tool either I used a lady finger. The strut fell out I did have to use the spring compressors
This is such a great video, thanks for taking the time. I'm finding these videos as I mod my 19 Indium Gray DSG R (also with bronze Konigs... haha) Just finished up my hitch install with help from your video and am now moving onto some IE lowering springs. Thanks again, you've easily earned another follower.
Great video! I had a shop install new coil overs but now I need to remove struts to add a washer to strut mount. One quick question: will this throw the alignment off? I just had an alignment done after new suspension installed.
It’s possible. Anytime you remove/install suspension components there is a risk. But if you don’t have adjustable top plates, everything *should* go back to exactly the same position. I’d expect if it’s not exactly the same alignment, it will be close enough that you wouldn’t notice
I had a shop tell my buddy that theres some coding or vcds work involved for his bilstein dcc struts, is there any truth to that? Or is it plug n play?
I dont know if I'm doing something wrong. But i cant seem to get my new strut compressed to install into the knickle. The 2x4 keeps getting caught on thr control arm. Has anybody ran i to this issue usi g this method?
always remove axle bolt. you may pop the cv joint out of place if there is too much pull on the axle. VW original tool works the same way but it is made of metal and it has a very low profile. You can make the same tool with steel making it stronger and with much lower profile to fit in there. Working on VW & Audis since 1992.
There are stories of the axle popping out, but 99% of time it shouldn't do anything, and should just hang there. You can always have a raised flat surface that you can rest the suspension on when it pops out if you are afraid that you are part of that 1%
@@hardcore4476 I had a bat laying around in my garage that I no longer used. I modified the bat with a hand saw, cut the end flat and notched the other end for the bolt.
@@tuacati5079 sounds like a good idea. Do you have a picture of the bat so I could copy that design? I may go try to find a baseball bat somewhere lol.
this worked for me, but somehow the knuckle got rotated outwards too far, and now I can't get it back upright! this is a MK6 sportwagen. Any ideas how to fix this?
Thanks for the video Sir! I am concerned about that wood method. Are there any spring compressor tools with easy access which we could use instead of wood?
@@EVERYTHINGcpo Thanks Sir. I really hoped that there are some kind of smaller easy reachable spring compressor tools out there. Guess I will just have to find lets say extra solid 2x4 from dry oak tree. 😉
Its simple DO NOT copy this method. From VW workshop manual P68 (Running Gear. Front strut replacement).- WARNING Do not allow the drive shaft to hang down under its own weight, for this would allow the inner joint to bend too far and be damaged!
@@AGBoost Its no good just replying to me is it? The video is still up unrevised. Take it down mate. Its a dangerously flawed method you're promoting here. Those people who will certainly have destroyed drive axels who watch this will need a bucket to collect there tears I should think. May report as disinformation.
@@danh9225 Sorry buddy you're misinterpreting VWs warning - the driveshaft is supported by the lower suspension arm and steering components so your concern is invalid.
Just wanted to say Thank you ! Interesting idea, somehow complicated, but easier than to "remove everything". For the first wheel it took me 6h (aprox) and for the second 2h. Also ... for a car with 10 years old orginal suspension ... there is a lot of hammering :)
