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>Is there a special tool to take off the front struts on a VR6?   I had to get
>vise grips and grip the shock shaft  on the bottom and take a 22mm socket on
>top to do it, and figured there was a better way to do it...is there any way
>short of buying VW's special strut tool?
>Matt

Take a 22mm deep socket to a hardware store w/a grinder for lawnmower
blades or the equivalent. Have them grind a flat spot on both sides
of the socket. Then use an adjustable wrench to hold the socket and
stick the allen wrench down the hole in the socket to loosen it.

On Thu, 25 Jun 1998 &#112;m&#64;onramp<img src=/i/dn.gif border=0 width=35 height=15> wrote:
> >Is there a special tool to take off the front struts on a VR6?   I had to get
> [...] 8 lines deleted
> stick the allen wrench down the hole in the socket to loosen it.

Or just clamp some Vise-Grips on the socket.

--
Josh Tibbs
&#120;josh&#64;one<img src=/i/dn.gif border=0 width=35 height=15>

That would be a negative ghost rider!

The strut bearing is a $10 piece from the dealership.  Don't bother
replacing the strut mount (large rubber mount that the bearing sits in.  It
actually is a piece of cake to replace yourself, although you would need an
alignment afterwards.

Here are the tools you need:
- 13/16" spark plug socket (with outer hex section for wrench)

13/16" is 20.6375 mm. Chuck Simon is referring to the second nut on the strut, which is 21mm (13/16" is 20.6375mm).
The nut right on top (what you see when you open the hood) is 22 mm.
The order is:

• top nut (22 mm),
• strut cap (also visible upon opening the hood),
• 21mm nut (need to compress the springs with spring compressors before you can remove this nut),
• strut mount (big rubber donut),
• strut bearing (one side fits into a recess in the underside of the strut mount, the other side, a flat surface, bears again the strut shaft's top),
• spring cap,
• spring.

Some pics here.

- allen keys (can't remember exact size *5mm??*, but whatever fits in the
piston shaft)
- 18mm or 19mm sockets for the two bolts that connect the strut to the hub.

Just stick the spark plug socket on the top strut nut, place allen key down
the middle of it to hold the strut piston in place, and use a wrench to
loosen the nut.  Then loosen the two nuts at the bottom of the strut to
remove from car.  So when you think about it, it only is three freakin'
nuts!  Sooooooooo easy....  Save yourself a few bucks and do it yourself.
Then get an alignment afterwards.

Good Luck!

-Chuck Simpson
'97 GTI VR6