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Originally Posted by 99Roadster
I work on all my own vehicles but that only means I have worked on USA made vehicles and this is my first German made vehicle for me that is if you don't include back in the 60's & 70's alot of my friends had VW bugs but all I ever did was ride in then and not work on then.
I'm thinking of going coilover instead of getting a Koni shock then buying all the other ancillary parts so that means buying a new shock all new small parts and putting that all together with a 20 year old coil spring.....And I'm still going to end up with a non-adjustable strut.....If I can find me a coilover for around 350 to 400 I think that is the direction I might go......Tell me what you think about this brilliant idea of mine ?
I have a question for you concerning the rear strut....Which is the best way to replace it by taking off that axle nut(The one with the 340 ft-lbs of torque) or leaving it alone and pulling out the CV unit from the transmission ?
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Taking off the shaft on the transmission side is aggravating, and getting it back on it too. the exhaust is in the way and you need turn the shafts several times etc. then you need to clean the bolts really good, loctite, clean grease from the bolt holes, turn the shafts multiple times to cross torque em up, check them for loosening up for a couple of months, etc. etc. its a PIA.
The axle nut is easier...and you dont have to remove it...just loosen it, then the toe in arm from the ball joint and the lower control arm (camber adjustment side on frame), the fork side of the forward link where it attached to the lower control arm and of course the drop link since it holds the strut in. Mark your camber placement and the wheel will be close when your done and match it back up. I didnt even remove the caliper on the rear and had enough to remove the stock strut and replace with a coilover. Loosely attach new strut up top, align wheel carrier and gently coax everything back using a floorjack. I guess a spring compressor could help a little, but I didnt need it.
first side took 1.5 hours, the second was 30 minutes.
one problem you might have is the axle stuck in the hub, it should have been coated in a good copper anti-seize, but that doesnt always happen. Dont beat your axle with a hammer, but make sure you have a HUGE drift pin and give it some solid smacks with a 5lb sledgehammer if its stuck. leave the nut on so it doesnt slip and mess up the threads. Then maybe get some anti-seize on it for next time.
coilovers for 400 is false economy, if you can even find them. The right coil for your type of driving is critical and making sure its a quality part is important also.
Godspeed has a set for 800, most are in the 1200 range (and up, way up). Do your research and choose accordingly. I went with yellowspeed and im very happy, but they are brand new.