Changing urS6 front suspension - Is it just me ?

[macspring]

or is there some trick to removing the strut and spring assembly from underneath the front wheel arch of a urS6 ?

I’m not parting the car out, so that may make it a bit more awkward in that I don’t want to disturb the front subframe, and am doing it on the driveway, as opposed to up on a ramp, in a warm, dry, no wind, no rain, well lit Scandinavian garage.

The killer part is getting the base of the front strut housing to disengage from the lower “wishbone” ball joint.

Suffice to say it makes the B4’s front suspension seem like a doodle.

Having said that, the heavy "dutyness” of the urS6’s supension, almost makes the B4’s suspension seem flimsy. And a mk 1 Golf's suspension seems positively fragile.

Any comments or tips on working on the urS6 front suspension, one way or the other, would be welcome.

Thanks.

[UrS4boy]

Just you.

Starting from before the C4 UrS is off the ground, wheel still on, loosen the large bolt (item 13 below) that holds the CV joint into the hub, with a large breaker bar and the appropirate sized socket (note: That bolt is a one-type use stretch bolt).

Then I would loosen the nuts on the wheel and jack the car up and block it, as necessary.

Then remove the wheel nuts and the wheel.

Remove the Item 13 CV joint bolt.

Now remove the Item 16 nut from the tie rod ball joint. Separate the tie rod from the wheel bearing housing using a ball joint removal tool. It might be really really in there. Use of some penetrating oil and putting the nut back on the threads and tapping upwards why tensioning the ball joint removal tool might be necessary. It might let go with a LOUD BANG. Not to worry (wear safety goggles).

Now remove the Item 15 nut from the Item 14 pinch bolt (definitely one-time use bolts and nuts). Place a long pry bar (like a 4 ft piece of pipe under the subframe and on top of the control arm and push down. Resist the urge to spread the wheel bearing housing where the control arm ball joint is located. Pry down, the ball joint should come out of the wheel bearing housing.

Now you can remove the Item 37 bolts up on the strut tower (these are the ones going through the strut tower). (Note: Technically a one-time use nut).

The strut should be loose in the wheel well. Tilt the bottom end outwards while at the same time pushing the CV joint out of the hub. Once the CV joint is out, wire it up so the weight is not on the inner CV joint. The strut should be free and loose and ready to be wiggled out of the wheel well.

Should work (worked for me).

[macspring]

Did all of that exactly as you have described, but I found that item # 1, the big track control arm cannot move down enough to allow easy release of the ball joint from the bottom of the strut. The big track control arm is stpped from moving down enough by being trapped by the edge of the main subframe.

You make it sound to easy. In my mind, the reality is harder than the theory.

Will tell you how I get on with the reassembly.

Only mistake I can see that I may have made was to have loosened the nut on the top of the stut, item # 37 too soon in the sequence. Hopefully so for me, just thinking of the reassembly later today.

Thanks for the reply.

[Thuppu]

Lift up both sides in front so you don't need to bend down the stabilizer bar so much. Also a 2 meter crowbar helps a lot to bend down the control arm and stabilizer bar. The ball joint just pops out.

[cooperquattro]

As above,both front wheels need te be off the ground,still a very strong roll bar

[macspring]

Sorry, forgot to say that both wheels were raised at the time, as the arb would work against you, agreed.

On reflection, I think my main **** up was the loosening too soon of the nut at the top of the strut thereby allowing the spring to keep on expanding the effective length of the strut enough to make it very hard for me to release the control arm’s ball joint from the bottom of the strut.

Writing this thread with others input has helped me realise my mistake, as I thought at the time it should not be “this” hard to do.

Cathartic !

Thanks for members input.

[UrS4boy]

On reflection, I think my main **** up was the loosening too soon of the nut at the top of the strut thereby allowing the spring to keep on expanding the effective length of the strut enough to make it very hard for me to release the control arm’s ball joint from the bottom of the strut.

Yes, you should have NOT removed Item 39, the top nut, just the three Item 37 nuts, but ONLY after you've got the strut out of the ball joint on the control arm.

Find some cheap spring compressors and use them to compress the spring (again) to shorten the strut. I did this to re-install the strut because the extra 1/2" to 1" less strut height helps. Didn't do it on the removal though.