Front Suspension
Front Suspension Disassembly/Assembly (Part 1 Of 5):
Front Suspension Disassembly/Assembly (Part 2 Of 5):
Front Suspension Disassembly/Assembly (Part 3 Of 5):
Front Suspension Disassembly/Assembly (Part 4 Of 5):
Front Suspension Disassembly/Assembly (Part 5 Of 5):
Disassembly Notes
NOTE: During service procedures, refer to the illustrations above and the information below
1. Remove front wheel and underside panel.
2. Open combination connector on strut and pull out connectors.
- Unclip wiring from strut. Remove rpm sensor.
3. Disconnect brake pipe from brake hose at strut and unbolt brake caliper.
- Before carrying out this operation, press down brake pedal with pedal holder to prevent brake fluid from flowing in from the reservoir.
- Cover or plug brake hose and brake pipe (to avoid ingress of dirt).
- Remove retaining spring from brake hose.
4. Remove brake cooling air duct from control arm.
- Unbolt stabilizer mount from stabilizer bar and wheel carrier.
5. Undo lock nuts from tie rod ball joint and wheel carrier ball joint.
- Use Special Tool 9546 (Torx screwdriver) to prevent rotation when undoing the lock nuts.
6. Press tie rod ball joint out of steering arm.
- Use corresponding puller, e.g. Nexus 168-1 (No. 1) in conjunction with 12 mm cap nut (No. 2/of Special Tool VW 267 a).
NOTE: Start by turning tie rod towards the front (arrow). Then angle off ball joint (ball pin) according to the illustration and extend it this position.
7. Press off joint carrier (ball joint on wheel carrier) with separator (ball joint separator) - Special Tool 9560.
NOTE: To prevent the rubber boot of the ball joint from being damaged, coat rubber boot and puller with tire assembly compound in this area. Then place puller into position from the front.
8. Remove strut and wheel carrier.
- Unbolt strut-to-wheel carrier bolt union (camber adjustment) only if components have to be replaced.
9. When removing the control arm, undo the joint carrier-to-control arm bolt union (caster adjustment) only if the control arm or joint carrier has to be replaced.
Assembly Notes
1. Assemble in reverse order.
- Before reassembly, check all parts visually, comparing with new parts if required.
- No welding or straightening is permitted on suspension components.
- Do not grease Dacromet-type nuts and bolts (aluminum color appearance).
- Observe tightening torques.
2. To avoid confusion when replacing components (993 and 964 parts and, in certain cases, right-hand and left-hand parts), observe parts usage according to spares catalog.
- In addition, check parts prior to assembly referring to:
The identification mark/casting number:
993 (Carrera) parts: casting number starting with 993.
964 (Turbo) parts: casting number starting with 964.
The inscribed part number (identification feature).
Spare part for left-hand side: 3rd group of part number is an odd digit.
Spare part for right-hand side: 3rd group of part number is an even digit.
Example:
- Right-hand part (control arm for Carrera)
993. 341. 018. 01.
- Left-hand part (control arm for Turbo)
964. 341. 017. 01.
NOTE: The following front-axle parts or adjacent parts differ from each other only in minor details:
- Side member
- Control arm with mounting bolts mounting nut
- Joint carrier
993 = Olive-colored. Bore diameter of wheel carrier mount = 12 mm.
964 = Gold-colored. Bore diameter (mount) = 10 mm
- Stabilizer bar/stabilizer bar mount
- Vibration damper
- Tensioning disc (ABS gear)
964 = 45 teeth
993 = 48 teeth
- Steering gear
- Brake booster with bracket
3. When fitting the control arm, start by screwing in the control arm mounting bolts only lightly.
CAUTION: Do not tighten the bolts until the vehicle rests on its wheels.
4. When tightening the lock nuts of the tie rod ball joint and the wheel carrier ball joint, use Special Tool 9546 (Torx screwdriver) to lock.
5. Install spring strut mount in correct position relative to strut dome, i.e. the red color dot (arrow) must point towards the front (strut mount is not symmetrical).
- This causes the damper piston rod to be offset towards the rear.
6. Bleed front brake circuit.
7. After assembling components or replacing parts that affect the ride height, the suspension alignment must be checked completely (vehicle height and wheel alignment).
- When replacing parts or undoing bolt unions that affect the wheel alignment only, check and/or adjust the wheel alignment.