• Guest would you be interested in CUPRA or SEAT valve caps? let us know in the poll

  • Welcome to our new sponsor Lecatona, a brand dedicated to enhancing performance for VAG group sports cars, including SEAT, Audi, Volkswagen and Škoda. Specializing in High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) upgrades.

Changing top mounts

dg-1984

Active Member
May 28, 2008
254
0
Glasgow'ish
Hi, I am going to change the top mounts and bearing on the LCR after work tonight and just looking for a quick How To guide or any hints and tips that you may have to help me out to make the job any easier.

Thanks.
 

james walker

cooling is the key people
May 24, 2007
5,121
2
retford notts
undo top mount nut
undo base strut nut

remove suspension strut

spring compressors on spring

undo spring retaining nut

release bearing and top mount.

refit is reverse of removal.

on lcr youll have to remove arb link from strut.

drivers side will be harder as less room to remove strut.

youll need a 7mm allen key to remove strut top nut, or use a spark plug socket.

cold chisel to split the hub to remove the strut...

fairly strait forward but struts can be a pain to get out of the hub.

use anti seize on all nuts for half hour before trying it.
 

joely

Full Member
Mar 20, 2006
66
0
Towcester
I did mine, the worst bit it gettin the strut out of the hub, can't you wait till the weekend to give you more time...?

Also, top tip on driver side (or both): drop the sub frame down, there is only two bolts holding it, don't completely remove the bolts though, doing this will give you more room to remove the strut once released from the hub.
 

Lodgey180

WoOoOoOsShH
May 3, 2008
1,046
0
Middlesbrough
www.mootr.co.uk
why not leave the strut on the hub and remove the 3 ball joint nuts ( obv marking them for camber )
and pull the full strut and knuckle off complete. Obv removing all ABS sensors brake calipers and warning wires
 

dg-1984

Active Member
May 28, 2008
254
0
Glasgow'ish
why not leave the strut on the hub and remove the 3 ball joint nuts ( obv marking them for camber )
and pull the full strut and knuckle off complete. Obv removing all ABS sensors brake calipers and warning wires

Would this not require the brake lines to also be disconnected if the calipers are coming off with the entire hub and strut?
That would mean extra work with bleeding brake line etc when reconnecting.

Now tackling at the weekend give me more time, also ordered ths dogbone mount so can fit at the same time.
 

dg-1984

Active Member
May 28, 2008
254
0
Glasgow'ish
Just replaced the mounts and bearings over the weekend, started on the drivers side and was a bit of a pain in the arse, top tip would be to drop the subrame down a bit to give you that extra clearance. Had the car jacked up both sides so undid the 4 bolts and gave an extra drop to help removal.

Spring clamps were hitting the top of the strut which didn't help but a big bar leavering the wishbone down the way helped alot, bit of oil round the bottom of the strut also helped.

Passenger side only took 15 mins to get out after learning on the drivers side, not too bad a job but definately drop the subframe to give extra clearance.

Managed to snap the lower strut bolt aswell when putting it back together so need to get another one ordered asap and get it replaced.

Also found the the inside of the tyres were worn bad so will have to replace the wishbone mounts then get a 4 wheel laser alignment done.
 

robertbadlad

Full Member
May 1, 2005
138
0
uk gloucestershire
this might be a silly question but why do you need to clamp the springs? do they need to come off? i was told by the fitter at work that there no need to remove spring. ??
 
Nimbus hosting - Based solely in the UK.