Front Strut / Shock Tower: Service and Repair

Front Wheel Housing

Includes: suspension strut mount

Observe safety precautions.






1 Wheel housing with

2 Front longitudinal member

3 Longitudinal member cover plate

• Due to the different types of steel and material strength, use only welding equipment approved by Volkswagen AG to perform any service work.

• For a list of welding equipment and body tools approved by Volkswagen AG, refer to ServiceNet.

Removal

• Longitudinal member for upper wheel housing already removed






- Original joint to front longitudinal member cover plate, loosen from wheel housing side to inside and to plenum chamber.






- Loosen remaining joint to plenum chamber.






- Remove residual material.

Installation

• When using different types of steel and materials of different strengths, one of the the inverters listed under Special Tools are required to perform spot welding work correctly.

Preparing New Parts

• Wheel housing

• Suspension strut mounting

• Suspension strut mounting reinforcement






- Drill holes with an 8 mm diameter in the suspension strut mounting reinforcement for the gas-shielded arc plug weld seam.

- Drill holes with an 8 mm diameter in the suspension strut mount for the gas-shielded arc plug weld seam.

- Drill holes with an 8 mm diameter in the wheel housing for a gas shielded arc plug weld seam.

• Drill holes in two rows in area - 1 -.

• Distance of holes to each other, approx. 30 mm.






- Position and secure new parts with help of alignment bracket mountings - 13 -, - 15 -, - 16 - and - 17 - from alignment bracket set (VAS 6325) and adjacent components.

Welding in






- Weld the suspension strut mount - 1 - to the reinforcement - 2 - and to the reinforcement extension - 3 - using a gas-shielded arc plug weld seam.

• The upper inner longitudinal member - 4 - is mounted only for aligning components - 1,2,3 -. The suspension strut can be removed if any welding or drilling needs to be performed.






- Drill holes - 1 - (10 mm) for bolting suspension strut and also secure suspension strut mounting with reinforcement to alignment bracket mounting - 2 - with screws.






- Weld in wheel housing with suspension strut mounting, gas-shielded arc plug weld seam and straight-line spot weld seam.






- Restore joint between wheel housing and plenum chamber, gas shielded arc plug weld seam.






- Restore remaining joint to plenum chamber, gas shielded arc plug weld seam.

- Restore original joint between suspension strut mounting - 1 - and suspension strut mounting reinforcement - 2 -, straight line spot weld seam.






Dimension - a - = 34 mm

• Item 17 for alignment bracket set (VAS 6325) can be used to check dimension - a -, => [ Alignment Bracket Set ] .

- Enlarge holes for suspension strut mounting cover cap.

- Install upper wheel housing longitudinal member.