QuestionI went in to get an allignment done and the mechanic told me he couldn't touch the allignment until he fixed the "mount" and "skid". Or at least I think that's what he said. He explained it to me as the part that holds the shocks in place. They keep shifting and need to be replaced. Until that's done, the alignment is a waste of money and any bump in the road will undo the work done. My question is, does that sound like the right 2 parts to replace. I wasn't sure exactly what he said, but he did mention it was a common problem amongst those types of VWs. He quoted me a ridiculous price to fix it, and I'd like to do it myself (I have a friend mechanic) and if we know what parts need to be replaced we can probably do it ourselves. So, the part that holds the shocks in place, what is it called? Mount and skid? Upper ball joint?
AnswerTom,
The UPPER STRUT MOUNT and STRUT!
You'll need to remove the two camber bolts, and the brake flex hose bolt. Then you'll need to remove the black cover above the strut under the hood, and remove the upper nut. Remove the strut and insert into a spring compressor to release the pressure. You'll need a special tool to remove the small nut inside the mount, or you can pop the mount apart and use a plier, and an 6mm allen key.
You'll still need to tighten the nut into the new mount, but it won't be seized, so a needlenose plier may work. Installing a new strut while it's apart is a good idea.
Do yourself a favour, and just measure the "toe out" with a measuring tape and you should be OK. I've found measuring the front of the tire side to side, and then set the rear, of the front tire a quarter inch less, will protect your tires and let your car steer normally. Measure from the straitest tread line, near the center of the tread.
Good luck,
Paul
