Dismantling and installation of shock absorber struts (VW Golf 3)

Unscrew the nuts on the end of the piston rod. When unscrewing the nut, hold the piston rod. A fork-type wrench might be useful for this, if you can get it to the end of the piston rod.



Remove the expansion sleeve, upper spring seat, disc, spring support and the spring itself, as well as the second spring support and its lower seat from the shock absorber.

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Remove the rubber stop, protective cap, snap ring and second disc from the bottom of the shock absorber.

Coil springs are provided with color markings; different models use different springs. In the models described, the springs are marked with three yellow stripes (two-door Golf) or three yellow and one purple stripe. However, sometimes the markings are changed and springs supplied as spares may have different markings. It is necessary to install a spring with the same color marking sign, which, as already mentioned, has three or four stripes of the mentioned color. Only the rear spring can be replaced without disturbing the balance of the rear suspension.



The shape of the rubber stop located on the upper side of the shock absorber may vary; when replacing it, it is necessary to install a stop of the same shape.

Check the shock absorber by pulling the piston rod out and then back in. The reaction force should be the same throughout the entire working stroke, and there should be no free play. Although you should not change the shock absorber if there are small oil leaks - this is a sign that the shock absorber is working perfectly. Shock absorbers are marked with color markings. As with springs, it is imperative to install a shock absorber with the same marking mark.

The shock absorber strut assembly is carried out in the reverse order of the disassembly operation; the following points must be taken into account.



In case the lower spring seat (placed on the shock absorber) removed, move the socket onto the piston rod and center it. This means that the holes (a) are in line with the hole at the bottom end of the shock absorber. If this is not observed, it could come into contact with the tire under extreme operating loads.



Place the spring on the shock absorber with the tapered end first.


The spring socket on one side is marked with the word "Spring start" ("Federanfang"). Bring this side to the end of the winding.

Tighten the nut on the top side to a torque of 15 Nm. Make sure that the upper and lower ends of the spring are seated in the sockets.