Removal and installation of telescopic struts and springs of the front suspension (VW Passat B4)

To remove, raise the front of the vehicle, place it on a support and remove the front wheel. Loosen the nut securing the upper strut support to the body, holding the strut rod with a hex key inserted into the recess on the end of the rod (Fig. 5-2). Mark the positions of the bolts securing the telescopic strut to the steering knuckle and loosen the bolts. Remove the telescopic strut from the vehicle. Use a special device to clamp the telescopic strut in a vice. Loosen the nut from the strut rod. Compress the suspension spring with a universal spring compressor and loosen the upper nut. Remove the upper strut support, spring cup and washer from the strut rod. Remove the suspension spring. Remove the compression buffer and bushing from the strut rod.



When installing, place the bushing and compression stroke buffer on the strut rod. Pull the strut rod out to the limit. Compress the suspension spring and place it on the telescopic strut. Install the washer, spring cup, and then the upper support of the telescopic strut on the strut rod, checking the condition of the support. Screw the nut onto the strut rod and tighten it to the required torque. Remove the spring compressor, making sure that the spring ends are correctly installed in the supports. Install the telescopic strut on the vehicle. Tighten the bolts securing the telescopic strut to the steering knuckle according to the previously applied marks or adjust the camber angle of the front wheels.

If replacing telescopic struts, check the toe-in angle of the front wheels.