changing a front strut

[szhrr5cc]

Since one of the front struts on our GTI is leaking badly and I have obtained a good second hand one I am planning to swap them tomorrow.

Can anyone point me to a good description of how to do this and what will be involved please?

It looks as though the nut at the top needs to be released where the sphere support is located and the bolt that holds the strut at its base.

Does the sphere need to be removed?

Thanks for any advice.

[Jaba]

My method:
Crack the top strut nut with car on ground (from memory this is 35mm)
Jack up both front sides
Remove wheel, use a jack to push up the suspension wishbone to expel all fluid
Remove jack and push off two return hoses from inner arch connections
Disconnect handbrake cable from caliper and unthread from wire guide
Undo two allen screws holding brake cable wire guide and brake hose disconnect the two wires to the brakepad from the connector
Remove top suspension nut and push down the threaded strut piston
Remove lower strut clamp bolt and use something to hammer into the clamp from below to loosen the clamp on the strut
Extract bottom swivel joint and........
The slightly trick bit - grasp the strut and work it out of the clamp upwards then manoeuvre the hub out of the way to withdraw the strut from your BX

E&OE

[szhrr5cc]

Thats great, exactly what I needed, thanks.

[ewart_hodgson]

Silly question - how do you know it is leaking badly? Does the LHM go anywhere but back to the tank via the strut returns when the strut is tired? (I am asking because I have a slow leak making one front arch and wheel wet with LHM and cannot find it - changing the strut returns made no difference, and it seems not to be coming from the brake lines or brake caliper).