Yeah, I'm not a moron, and know my way round a socket set, also replaced front shocks on Mk 2 Golfs before, but this thing, oh my life....

 

Right, so:

 

I need to replace front strut top bushings and bearings, excessive movement I've been told.  So after a fashion, I've undone the clamp bolt in the hub, and removed the bolt holding the anti-roll bar drop link to the front of the wishbone, so wishbone drops a bit further.

However, there is still not enough room for the shock bottom to pull out of the hub, it's still in the hub by about 20mm, ish.

 

Am I missing something, because 4 hours of swearing and wiggling about dirty bits of car to separate them has me not in the best of moods right now.  I'm pretty certain it shouldn't be this awkward.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.  Many thanks. 

Lots of levering & persuasion & it will come out as thats the way you get it back in although you can start it at an angle & then push the strut backwards to align it at which point it will slip in like a slippery stick up a dogs jacksie, you have rust & grime working against you on disassembly, you need to wedge open the clamp, there are special tools but I just use a cold chisel.

 

If it wont release doing that then compress the spring and raise the strut.

Thanks dude, so I'm not missing anything then.  I even got my spring compressors in there but I struggled for room a bit.  I had a small pry bar wedged in the split hub.  The shock turned in the hole but the hub would simply not go down any further, even with whacking the top of the hub with a lump hammer over a chock of wood.

I shall try again another day.

Driver's side by any chance?

On mk1Fabias that side is awkward cos the driveshaft bottoms out into something, unless you disconnect the bearing housing from it and the end of the wishbone. 

6 minutes ago, Wino said:

Driver's side by any chance?

 

Yes sir, drivers side.  It is the side closest to my workshop door, so started there.

Seems though it's a thing, or just plain coincidence.

Next time you look at it, check if the driveshaft is what's stopping the bearing housing from coming down any further. Approx at inboard end of wishbone, from memory.

23 hours ago, Wino said:

Next time you look at it, check if the driveshaft is what's stopping the bearing housing from coming down any further. Approx at inboard end of wishbone, from memory.

 

This is exactly where it is binding.  The shaft comes to rest on bracketry which prevents any further droop.   I've put it all back together now.  gonna take it in somewhere, I've spent about 7 hours on it trying different things and struggling and have got nowhere.  For a job that should be so simple, it's been a right pain in the jacksie,

I recall there was not much room for spring compressors, I did the job so must have overcome the problem & I do recall struggling, over a decade ago so I am only guessing but I reckon I would have jacked up the hub to bring it up to normal ride height & then restrained the spring with 2 ratchet straps allowing the strut to release.

 

I do recall the straps being on the springs to reassemble them on the new struts.

I've booked the damn thing into a local garage now,  Quite handy now the weather has changed all of a sudden. 

I had the same 'fun' with the driver's side on mine. Eventually managed to do it with a spring compressor or two but it was very awkward.

Obviously you've probably had this sorted by the garage by now, but for future, undo the driveshaft, trackrod end, arb link and the two bolts holding the wishbone into the subframe and it'll drop right out. If you wanted to leave the wishbone in situ you could alternatively undo the 3 bolts holding the bottom ball joint onto it, but then you'll upset your camber adjustment and also the tracking could be affected, hence why I favour the wishbone right out method.

I recall now that I disconnected the lower ball joint, I dont recall that they had slotted holes so the camber would not have been affected, I have guages for all suspension variables so would have used the camber guage had I had any doubt.

Alloy LCR/TT arms are slotted, standard pressed arms are not.

Cheers guys for all your replies.  Yes, it's done now, but the headache didn't end there oh no, it carried on.  To cut a long story short, I went to a local tyre place, Called "Denmead Tyre Services", I asked for 2 new tyres and my wheel alignment to be done.

The tyres were done but was told they can't/won't do the alignment as strut mounts have movement, hence the above caper.

 

So I went back, sat waiting.   Bloke comes in, "Can you come round here please sir!"   We get to ground level and he points my gaze to the wishbone.  "See that movement?"  No, I can't.  "You've got play in your wishbone mounts. so I can't do the alignment"  I asked why no one thought to point this out last time when they told me about the strut mounts.  Proper pssed me off.  I don't doubt that things are 100% but surely ask if I still want' it done rather than tell me it won't be done.  

 

I didn't see any movement, and I work in the machining trade where I look at 0.1mm, 0.05mm etc.  Anyway, rant over, I shall not grace them with my custom again.