Removing Front Struts

[David8831]

Can any one steer me in the right direction of the tools to remove the top mount for the front struts. I know it is a 21 mm nut and the shaft requires a 7mm alan key, however socket and alan key doesn't work. I have considered buying a 21 mm ring spanner, but will it actually fit in the recess to get on the nut? Any advice gratefully accepted.

By the way, what are your thoughts about replacing all the locking nuts, to and bottom?

[neileg]

If you are renewing the struts or the inserts, can you get a pair of molegrips on the strut shaft through the spring? Then you don't need worry about the allan key.

[David8831]

Thanks Neil, but no, just replacing the top mounts. I'll also replace the bump stops while I'm at it, decided to lash out the extra 3 pounds for the complete kit rather than just buy the mounts. I realise, I'll also need the spanner with the dogs on it as well, these seem to be readily available.

Cheers, David

[neileg]

In that case I'd look for a box spanner. If you've never seen one of these, they a bit like a socket but made from tubular steel so they are hollow down the mddle. Also pretty cheap. Here's the search page at Machine Mart:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/search/filter/box+spanner/page/1

[Crasher]

You need a slotted key tool for the threaded tube nut under the top mount.

[David8831]

Cheers Crasher, I've got the "dog spanner" already for the nut under the top mount. It's just a question of getting the top mount off. I was given a suggestion of using an air impact gun, like they use for wheels, this may have some merit.

[Crasher]

"Dog spanner"? Never heard that one but I can see where it comes from as in "dog clutch", I just call it a top mount nut key. Using an air gun to remove the 22-mm top nut is acceptable for a damper going in the bin but it can damage the piston rod top seal on a damper that needs to be re-used and an air gun certainly should not be used for re-assembly. The correct way is a 22-mm offset ring spanner (I use an Elora) and either a 7-mm (original) or 6-mm long hex (Allen) key through the centre of the spanner. The hex key idea falls over sometimes when the location rounds out or the damper top splits open and top adjustable dampers won’t allow this either.

[David8831]

Are you sure it's 22mm? I have found that a 21mm socket fits perfectly. I am a little confused, because most comments do mention 22mm.

[Crasher]

21-mm is the original VW size, not usually what is there on an older car and I always replace them with a 22-mm.

[David8831]

That explains it. Why the change to 22mm? I have ordered some new locking top nuts from my local VW dealer, I assume that they will be 21mm. Should I be doing differently?

By the way, I have found the Elora spanners, they look good, I'll pick up a 21/23 during the week,

[Crasher]

Yes, that’s their ones I bought when my Snap On ones would not go down inside the tighter space of a Golf 3 "Plus" suspension top mount plate. I also have the 20/22. The standard AF (Across Flats) of an M14 nut is 22-mm but often they are now taken down 1-mm on various bolt/nut heads and sometimes more such as an M10 with a 15-mm AF instead of 17-mm. I had often wondered why this was done and an engineer from Wolfsburg gave me the simple answer. The Japanese had been doing this for years and there is a Japanese word for it that eludes me but put simply, if you make 100 million nuts and bolts and lose even 1-mm from the spanner size, think how many tonnes of metal you must save? There are also other considerations though such as access space and for years the M8 nuts on VAG exhaust manifolds have been 12-mmAF to allow a socket to get in the small space available.