Advice on Front Shock replacement and Brake Fluid Reservoir

W

Warhead3000

Member
Hi Guy's

My A2 1.6 Sport, has leaking front shocks so in the process of replacing them (the little fella has just passed 100K miles), the passenger side looks kinda straight forward but the divers side all of the top bolts holding the coilover in place is obstructed by the brake fluid reservoir and doesn't look an easy way to move it so any advice on how to move the reservoir out of the way or access the top bolts for the right hand side shock?????

Thanks

Russ
 
You can undo and loosen mounting bolts and move the reservoir aside to access the top bolts.
It can be tricky to fit the strut as the driveshaft stops the hub going as low as the other side.
If you take out the arch liner and remove the little arch brace in front of the shock tower, 2 nuts and 2 screws it is a lot simpler.
 
Just done mine recently and top prize for designers to place brake fluid bottle in such place, mine is tdi and after removing air intake to turbo to clear side access for reservoir bracket fixings it was possible to put it away enough for good top mount bolts access, don't try to remove reservoir from bracket, undo bracket from chassis
 
robskiA2tdi said:
Just done mine recently and top prize for designers to place brake fluid bottle in such place, mine is tdi and after removing air intake to turbo to clear side access for reservoir bracket fixings it was possible to put it away enough for good top mount bolts access, don't try to remove reservoir from bracket, undo bracket from chassis
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Thanks, do you know where all the bolts for the brackets are located as seen the one at the front but not how else it is connected to the chassis?
 
robskiA2tdi said:
Just done mine recently and top prize for designers to place brake fluid bottle in such place, mine is tdi and after removing air intake to turbo to clear side access for reservoir bracket fixings it was possible to put it away enough for good top mount bolts access, don't try to remove reservoir from bracket, undo bracket from chassis
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nice tip @robskiA2tdi is this from experience, regarding the reservoir? I will need to change my fluid reservoir soon would you still recommend talking off from the chassis then taking it off?
 
Once you have access and it is not great access you need to shift three bolts that have been there 20 odd years and 100k miles.
From memory they are hex head flange bolts. Only use six sided sockets if you round them I suspect the wing has to come off. Edit; as advised by @bix it is a Dremel and drill out from underneath job. Also space is very limited so you probably need strong 1/4 drive tools.
Keep the first aid box handy, you could lose some skin.
Probably the worst job on an A2 but our fault for driving on the wrong side of the road.
PS get a set of knuckle spreaders too.
 
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I did replaced my shocks spring and top mount 2 weeks ago and it's a pig of a job if your bolts are seized. I have to dremel the head on one bolt and drill out the other two from underneath. Absolute nightmare job with minimal access.

Don't take the bolts out of brake fluid reservoir completely because you can barely see them you just need to undo them a. little bit because bracket will just slide out of them. I believe there are two 10mm bolt on the side and one in front. If that 3 bolts which holds your top mount go out without any hassle you're almost win the battle 👌
 
If your top mounts are still original I would strongly advise replacing them, they are not expensive.
Younger son had borrowed our most recent A2 and mentioned it felt funny and had a knock from the front end after he hit a monster pothole.
Took the bonnet off and the strut top was resting against the brake reservoir.
It seems to have corroded internally and shattered when overloaded.
Fortunately new B4s and flex springs were already in the shed on the "to do" list but the top mounts had found their way onto elder sons Fabia.
Always best to give the mounting bolt threads inside the wheelarch a scrub with a wire brush and a good soak with release oil as it is usually trying to unwind the corroded threads through the mounting that leads to skin loss. Single hex sockets a must for this.
I always spray the exposed threads inside the arch with Lithium grease after replacement to make it easier next time.
Don't need to remove or empty the reservoir, just remove some of the bracket bolts and it will slide off the others.
 

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Drivers side,

On the chassis leg the two 10mm bolts for the reservoir cradle were tight, the lower one i only had to loosen as the bracket had a cut out to slide it belhind the bolt! the top 10mm bolt I took out, then theres the bolt in with the webasto frame bracket, then the whole lot moved to the side.

Ive got stuck bashing the hub off the strut, probably because of that clip bracket on the strut or the driveshaft wont let it drop low enough, ill go back to it tomorrow..
 
Doesn't take long to get the arch liner out and makes it a lot easier. You just slide the strut to the side out of the tower and lift it through the space behind the headlamp to disengage, don't even need to compress the strut.
Trickiest bit is where the liner fits behind the brake flexi bracket. If you slide a trim tool or plastic spatula between the liner and arch at the door end then slide it forward pulling the liner past the arch it falls out pretty easily (as long as you have removed all the screws and plastic plugs)

I have an 8mm allen bolt with 2 flats filed on it at the width of the hub slot. Slide it in below the clamp bolt and turn through 90 degrees.
Squirt release oil around the top of the hub and pop the strut out. When you have the new one back in and aligned turn the bolt back and remove.

Also easier if you loosen the inboard front wishbone bolt to avoid stressing the bush, just remember to tighten it back up again when the weight of the car is back on its wheels
 
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CrispyEdd said:
Drivers side,

On the chassis leg the two 10mm bolts for the reservoir cradle were tight, the lower one i only had to loosen as the bracket had a cut out to slide it belhind the bolt! the top 10mm bolt I took out, then theres the bolt in with the webasto frame bracket, then the whole lot moved to the side.

Ive got stuck bashing the hub off the strut, probably because of that clip bracket on the strut or the driveshaft wont let it drop low enough, ill go back to it tomorrow..
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My shock slided out of the hub a lot easier after I used this tool which actually vw recommend to use in their technical manual. It enlarge the gap around the pinch bolt quite enough to just push the hub down with few friendly hammer hit right on the hub.
 

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bix said:
My shock slided out of the hub a lot easier after I used this tool which actually vw recommend to use in their technical manual. It enlarge the gap around the pinch bolt quite enough to just push the hub down with few friendly hammer hit right on the hub.
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I've got those in place, so the hub will slide down off no problem without taking tie rod end or ball joint off yes? Just keep hitting it?
 
Thanks for all the advice greatly appreciated, story so far I have managed to remove both Shocks and have disassembled one using the "WidowMaker", so pretty good process, wish I had the tool to open the shock bracket as a bit of a nightmare but have managed both shocks out with some lateral thinking!!!

Hopefully not they are out it might be a bit easier to reassemble???
 

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Well done I've just finished mine. Took one attempt to fit driver side shock but 6 or 7 for nearside,, the angle of hub to shock bottom wasn't straight enough and I got a but stuck, I pulled thee shock outward to me and I jacked the hub and that helped. Think paint was thicker on shock:). Don't fully tighten the top mounts to give you some Wiggle to start with on offside.
New bolts.in every where and it's good to go.
20240421_115156.jpg
 
CrispyEdd said:
Well done I've just finished mine. Took one attempt to fit driver side shock but 6 or 7 for nearside,, the angle of hub to shock bottom wasn't straight enough and I got a but stuck, I pulled thee shock outward to me and I jacked the hub and that helped. Think paint was thicker on shock:). Don't fully tighten the top mounts to give you some Wiggle to start with on offside.
New bolts.in every where and it's good to go.View attachment 122828
Click to expand...
How is the ride with new setup :)?
 
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