Parts to fit in this instalment:
Superpro alloy lower control arms and alloy brackets.
Vibra-Technics Bottom Engine mount/Subframe mount
The front FK Clubsport coilovers with adjustable top mounts
Plus Audi S3 alloy front hubs, VW Racing front brake discs and mounting adapters for the VW racing brakes with braided lines. New outer CV’s both sides & new hubs, new droplinks to the superpro front ARB. Superpro adjustable ball joints.
Tools broken: Air impact gun, Small ½” breaker bar, Larger ½” to ¾” adapter and nearly my hand.
Right, where to start on this one. Like the rear setup I knew this was going to be hell of a job to fit all this. I planned a whole weekend and it actually took two because of a few problems along the way which you will see. It’s just nuts and bolts, should be pretty easy right?
Well firstly, let’s start by removing the driver’s side wheel and hub nut. No picture as it’s not a very interesting process! Crikey that hub nut is a bit tight, SNAP! There goes my Halfords 1/2” breaker bar. Let’s try the air impact wrench, at least 10 ugga duggs’s and BANG! There goes my trusty air impact wrench. I’m down 2 tools already and all I have taken off is a wheel! Let’s get some lunch and I will go to machine mart to see what I can find to help. A couple of hours later I have these.
A 900mm ¾” breaker bar. Sadly they didn’t have a ¾” socket in stock to fit the hub nut so I had to buy a ¾” – ½” adapter to fit the socket.
This is it against the ½” Halfords bar.
The biggest air impact gun they had on the shelf (nearly double the rating of my old one)
This better bloody work or I’m stuffed.
SNAP, Oh come on!! (The breaker bar in this picture is the ½” Halfords one who replaced it FOC)
The air impact gun also failed to get it off, even with heat. However the other side flew off! That was a whole day gone so gave up and went home ****ed off.
Asked around for ideas and everyone suggested to remove the whole shaft and hub. I was replacing the hub and CV anyway but at the time I didn’t know you could split the CV from the shaft with the hub bolt still in there. I could have saved half a day if I had known this. It’s still a learning curve for me.
So with a plan for Sunday we got cracking early. Removed the drive cup from the gearbox however the strut would not split from the hub so had to take the whole bloody lot out in one go. Even the 3 bolts holding the top mount on were seized and needed cutting off. All the problems we had were on this side, everything came off lovely on the passenger side.
Success!
Right, let’s carry on with this side and replace the lower arm and bracket first.
The driver’s side curse strikes again, the passenger ones were fine! I was worrying at this point as it looked like a replacement subframe was required. Thankfully VW have this covered as the mounting points for the lower arms are replaceable without replacing the whole subframe. I jumped on eBay and purchased this.
While we wait for that to arrive, let’s move on to the lower engine mount. I couldn’t get hold of a matching revo mount so when for the vibra-technics one which everyone said was better anyway.
It was actually quite difficult to install due to the corrosion on the subframe. Its cast alloy so not too bad, it just needed some rubbing down with emery paper so take the rough part off and make it smooth so it slid in….with a mallet.
(Old bolt used, forgot to order a new one. This has since been changed for a new one)
Replaced the passenger side lower arm and bracket for the superpro alloy ones. They are so much lighter!
While waiting we broke out the angle grinder and cut the top off the suspension top mount. I didn’t want to take this off completely because it would lose strength and also make a lot more work to clean it up so we cut it as low as possible without marking the factory bonding stuff. After a clean-up and paint it should look good.
Also removed the other drive shaft to replace the CV so did them both at the same time.
