The mid-size VW Passat provides a fine ride and luxury style without the cost of a luxury car. The Passat is available in several trim levels and styles. The Passat's springs are easily accessed. The nearly identical steps for replacing the front springs and the rear springs in the VW Passat can be performed by any experienced home mechanic.
Raise the Passat and secure the wheels with jack stands. The rear axle should be supported with a floor jack.
Disconnect the strut from the Passat. When removing the rear struts, you may have to access the strut tower through the trunk, depending upon the model year and trim style.
Install the spring compressor onto a bench vise and attach the strut assembly onto the compressor.
Pop off the mounting bolt cap and carefully compress the spring. Take the self-locking nut off the piston rod. Mark the location of the spring mount and retainer for use when reinstalling.
Take the the spring seat and components off the strut assembly. Take the remaining components of the strut out of the compressor before removing the spring. This step is potentially dangerous as the spring carries a lot of potential energy which must be carefully released. Failure to secure the spring can result in bodily injury.
Inspect the removed components for signs of wear and replace the coil spring.
Secure the new springs in the compressor and compress the spring carefully. This step can be dangerous. Double check the clamps holding the spring before proceeding.
Slide the strut into the compressor by moving it slowly through the spring.
Put the spring seat and strut components back into the assembly in the reverse order in which they were removed. Match the components to their previous positions.
Tighten the new self-locking nut according to manufacturer's specifications and install the mounting bolt cap atop of the strut assembly.
Remove the strut assembly from the spring compressor and install it onto the Jetta. Tighten the nuts and bolts according to manufacturer's specified amounts of pressure.
Lower the vehicle and remove the jacks. Perform a safety check before taking the car out on the road.
