Front strut fitting...won't sit last 15mm into hub?

[Rjg]

I've been wrestling with fitting Bilstein B4s all weekend, and finally got to a stage where I was 95% finished. However, I can't get the strut body to slide the last 15mm or so into the hub, which means the positioning tab is in the way of refitting the pinch bolt.

 

The strut spreader worked fine for removing them and for the rest of the re-fitting. I had the jack under the lower arm to the point the car was off the axle stands, but still nothing. I've driven the car 100yds down the road, but no movement.

 

I can't figure out what's stopping them from sliding home?

[wiilydog]

You need to use something else to wedge the hub a little wider as I found the spread tool doesn't open it wide enough when i fitted my bilstein shocks.  I  found using a bolt with two sides grounded down with an angle grinder worked a treat for spreading the hub further as it pops straight in once you insert the bolt into the gap and turn it.

[Rjg]

I'm fully pulling my hair out over this now 😤 MOT is Friday and currently no idea how to get the pinch bolt back on.

 

I've got 2 spreaders in there, and the strut slides freely up and down, expect for the last part. It just stops dead with the top of the fin half obscuring the bolt hole. I've tried twisting the fin to either side of the slot, no change. Sprayed Plusgas in from the top, which is tracking down the gap to the bottom no problem.

 

WTF can it be?!

[Rjg]

Video below (before i added the 2nd spreader at the bottom) 

 

 

[Breezy_Pete]

This feels familiar. Is it not the spreader tool shown in the video actually itself obstructing the positioning tab (and so whole strut's)  progress?

[SuperbTWM]

yes, I usually have to swap to a thicker wedge at this point so it doesn't go into the gap as far, and I normally have a big hammer to hand as well.

 

 

[J.R.]

Dont know what the spreader tool is, I usually use a thin tapered cold chisel, jacking up the wishbone causes a misalignment and the strut will eventually jam at about that point, the hub carrier needs to be given the good news with a club hammer just before that happens knocking it in a horizontal direction towards the engine to realign it while all the time progressively lifting the wishbone.

 

If you grease the strut body first it will slide in like a slippery stick up a dogs jacksie.

 

 

Edited 18 September, 2019 by J.R.

[Rjg]

1 hour ago, Wino said:

This feels familiar. Is it not the spreader tool shown in the video actually itself obstructing the positioning tab (and so whole strut's)  progress?

 

It's definitely clear of the tab. 

 

27 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Dont know what the spreader tool is, I usually use a thin tapered cold chisel, jacking up the wishbone causes a misalignment and the strut will eventually jam at about that point, the hub carrier needs to be given the good news with a club hammer just before that happens knocking it in a horizontal direction towards the engine to realign it while all the time progressively lifting the wishbone.

 

If you grease the strut body first it will slide in like a slippery stick up a dogs jacksie.

 

 

I was side kicking the crap out of it in frustration, but admittedly while it was under load as opposed to with a mind to timing it right

[J.R.]

It will bind under load, lower it a bit, leave a little bit of tension and then give it the good news, it should then drop in.

 

Otherwise remove and grease.

[wiilydog]

This is what I used to open the hub further.  Insert it near the bottom of the hub with the wheels on and the car on the ground as the extra weight of the car will help the shock drop down.

 

[Rjg]

Dropped the car to the garage for the MOT...they called me back a few minutes later to tell me I should have got 50mm struts not 55mms 😞 Said I've basically spread the hub out too much and forced them. Surely that shouldn't be possible?!

 

Rang DPM, they said they're not aware of a VRS ever being a 50mm strut.

 

What the hell is going on?

[Rjg]

Rang Skoda, ran the VIN and reg and their system says 55mm. Rang the garage, they're adamant they're 50mm and I've basically over-spread the hub carrier and forced the 55mm strut in.

 

Literally FML. 

[langers2k]

I'd expect 55mm.

 

Have you measured the old one?

[wiilydog]

It will be 55mm as the hubs will follow the brake set of the VRS so wouldn't worry about the garage's comment about over spreading the hub,

[Rjg]

I'm screwed as I don't really have the time to demand they give the car back to me, investigate it myself, book an MOT elsewhere etc etc as I'd have no way to get to work.

 

Frustratingly I've binned the original struts, nor did I take any photos of the part number beforehand to enable me to confirm diameter.

[Tech1e]

I would be very very surprised if you had managed to open up a 50 mm hub to even get a 55 mm strut started let alone part way down. 5 mm is a huge difference and way beyond what you can spread a hub too.

[J.R.]

You would have had to increase the gap by 15mm to fit a 55mm strut into a 50mm strut housing. Thats 15mm over the existing gap of what 3mm or so, if you had managed to do that then the bolt would not engage in the tapped hole.

 

Only you will know if you forced it that far, I very much doubt it as you would have to be very very determined with some big levers and spreaders.

[Rjg]

So, the saga is over...

 

The garage say they ordered 50mm struts in, but found they were actually too small. They still claim whatever check they did on part numbers told them it would be 50mm, so dunno where they got that info from. I told them Skoda informed it was 55mm using my VIN, but presumably they knew best.

 

They say they had grind a load of crud off of the carriers to get the struts to fit. Is it possible the Bilstein are marginally larger than OEM?

 

Either way, the car is back and I'm only a couple of hours of garage labour poorer. And possibly looking for a new VW specialist to use in future!

 

 

Edited 21 September, 2019 by Rjg

[SuperbTWM]

Sounds rough to me, if a strut came out of that bore how could there be any rust to stop another one going in. Did you actually measure them to see how big they were vs. the ones you removed? like with a micrometer or a vernier?

[Breezy_Pete]

@Rjg, I think you should change possibly to definitely in your last sentence. Glad you're sorted now though.