MK7 GTI VWR Lowering Spring DIY (How to) Install
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- This video will walk you through the process of removing and install aftermarket lowering springs on your MK7 Golf or GTI. Due to technical difficulties we were unable to film the re-installation of the suspension, but it installs exactly inverse of the removal.
More info about MK7 GTI Springs
Items Featured in this video:
VWR (Racingline) Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/mk7-gti-vwr-s...
Neuspeed Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/55-70-07.html
APR Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/apr-roll-cont...
H&R Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/h-r-2015-2017...
Complete Suspension Install Kit for MK7
www.shopdap.com/complete-susp...
Ultimate Suspension Install Kit for MK7/MK8 (non DCC)
www.shopdap.com/ultimate-susp...
Ultimate Suspension Install Kit for MK7/MK8 (DCC)
www.shopdap.com/ultimate-susp...
Volkswagen Magnetic Bolt Tray:
www.shopdap.com/vw-magnetic-b...
Optional Replacement Parts (recommended for vehicles with higher mileage)
Replacement OEM Strut Mount
www.shopdap.com/5q0-412-331-e...
Replacement Aftermarket Strut Mount
www.shopdap.com/strut-mounts....
Replacement OEM Strut Bearing
www.shopdap.com/5q0-412-249-e...
Replacement OEM Front Bump Stops
www.shopdap.com/1k0-412-303-f...
Replacement OEM Front Dust Boot
www.shopdap.com/5q0-413-175-c...
Replacement OEM Front Spring Isolator
www.shopdap.com/5qm412545-vw-...
Replacement OEM Rear Upper Spring Isolator
www.shopdap.com/5q0-512-149-f...
Replacement OEM Rear Lower Spring Isolator
www.shopdap.com/5q0-512-297-d...
Shop for VW and Audi Parts Here
shopdap.com
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VW AUDI Specialty Repair Cornelius NC
www.daprepair.com/vw-repair-c...
VW AUDI Specialty Repair Kent Ohio
www.daprepair.com/vw-repair-a...
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More info on DAP Reward Credit
shopdap.com/store/rewardpoint...
Disclaimer: Please note all DIY are intended for basic information. Deutsche Auto Parts is not liable for any damage incurred during any attempt to follow the information shown in the video above. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
To all DIY guys. When removing the spring on the the front of the car on the passenger side , the axle recedes quite a lot further under the car and is near impossible to reach without crawling underneath your car. Also, the axle limited how far down I could drops the breaks to pull out the strut assembly. It helps a lot if your remove the heat shield covering part of the axle where you removed the 10 mm triple square screws. Only by doing so did I free enough play to remove the strut. On the subject of replacing bolts and other parts of the strut assembly, I am nearing 15,000 miles on my car and replaced nothing but the old springs with the VWR's, not recommending this but I will report back for any issues, or if I die due to suspension failure I told my girlfriend that my only wish in death is for her to report back to this video and inform all my fellow VW enthusiasts of my demise.
Why would bolts need to be replaced? Thanks
***** The bolts are torque to yield, when torqued down all the way the threads stretch, technically they are a one time use
going to attempt this install tomorrow with a lift, and a buddy who works at a subaru shop. Hopefully we won't run into too many issues. Will report back!
Collin Douglas what happened
@@allengonzalez2733 If i had a dollar for every time someone said "will report back" haha
3 tips:
1. You can remove the strut without messing with the axle. You just need a good spring compressor to compress the spring while it's on the car. You may need to create spacers for it by cutting a pipe(I did).
2. You can make your own special tool to remove the strut by buying a large torx(45 or 55? I forget what I bought) bit and grinding it down.
3. make sure both sides of the front are on jacks or the sway bar won't come out.
I just did this and am passing this info along because had I known the above I would have saved myself 7 hours of misery.
Thanks and well done for the torque settings. Exactly how it should be done and no one seems to point out how to professionally put these things back together again
that 100nm bolt should NOT be done to 100nm, check your workshop manual people! It's 40nm + 45 degrees
Great Video! Thanks for these instructions. I honestly believe I could do this myself now. Thanks again.
Excellent video - such a great service to DIY and VW enthusiasts. Thank you!
Never worked on suspension before but I was able to do the whole job in a day! Thanks !!
i envy you, it’s taken me 6 hours my first day🤦🏽♂️ shooting for less than 2 hours tomorrow
@@zosqq it’s definitely a challenge but you look so cool scraping over speed bumps 😂
Appreciate your efforts on these videos, and it felt to good supporting by DAP by ordering my Driver Gear springs from you all today.
+2of2DCH thank you so much for watching, I'm so glad our videos are helpful. Also I really appreciate the purchase very much. I hope to continue to earn your business.
Paul
BTW is the 100Nm torque spec @ 12:46 accurate for the lower ball joint? On your Basic Suspension Install Kit for MK7 it shows 40 Nm + 45 °.
Thanks! I just did Eibach lowering springs and a Eibach rear sway bar and your videos are what i followed.... I started out by myself but getting the front struts back into the hub is pretty much impossible by yourself.... My wife helped me,mission accomplished.
Did you cut the bump stop? If not, were there any issues? I just ordered some Eibach springs
@@NoisyIslands didn't have to cut anything....the only issue was that my suspension got really noisy.... I think that the bushings need to be replaced now....I still have the car.
In One hand i have the strut and with the other i put the 3 bolts on top,Easy but you Need to practice
@@audiwankenobi361 sway bar bushings?
@@n3tfury Yes. Those too.
Great info and vid unless ur ready to get down and dirty you can do it with a friend but make sure u have everything! a block of wood helped me squeeze it out along with a proper bracket spacer (1000%) and yea good luck everyone
Ball joint nut torque is 40nm+45 degrees. I tried to do 100nm as this video instructed and sheered the bolt.
This video was very helpful. Thank you
Nice video with good informations
your video was of great help
thank you.
- We appreciate your Support and Purchases!
VWR (Racingline) Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/mk7-gti-vwr-sport-lowering-springs-1.html
Neuspeed Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/55-70-07.html
APR Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/apr-roll-control-lowering-springs.html
H&R Sport Springs for MK7 GTI:
www.shopdap.com/h-r-2015-2017-volkswagen-golf-vii-gti-ow-sport-spring-5478755.html
Complete Suspension Install Kit for MK7
www.shopdap.com/complete-suspension-install-kit-for-mk7-5g0498331bgrp.html
Ultimate Suspension Install Kit for MK7/MK8 (non DCC)
www.shopdap.com/ultimate-suspension-install-kit-for-mk7-non-dcc-5g0498331dgrp.html
Ultimate Suspension Install Kit for MK7/MK8 (DCC)
www.shopdap.com/ultimate-suspension-install-kit-for-mk7-dcc.html
Volkswagen Magnetic Bolt Tray:
www.shopdap.com/vw-magnetic-bolt-tray.html
Optional Replacement Parts (recommended for vehicles with higher mileage)
Replacement OEM Strut Mount
www.shopdap.com/5q0-412-331-e-vw-audi.html
Replacement Aftermarket Strut Mount
www.shopdap.com/strut-mounts.html
Replacement OEM Strut Bearing
www.shopdap.com/5q0-412-249-e.html
Replacement OEM Front Bump Stops
www.shopdap.com/1k0-412-303-f.html
Replacement OEM Front Dust Boot
www.shopdap.com/5q0-413-175-c.html
Replacement OEM Front Spring Isolator
www.shopdap.com/5qm412545-vw-audi.html
Replacement OEM Rear Upper Spring Isolator
www.shopdap.com/5q0-512-149-f-vw-audi.html
Replacement OEM Rear Lower Spring Isolator
www.shopdap.com/5q0-512-297-d.html
perfect diy, huge props
Thanks for the awesome vid Paul. Did my VWR spring install on my S3 last night and turned out awesome. On the S3 and probably the G7R it's not necessary to loosen the axle, had just enough movement to remove the shock assembly.
+Deutsche Auto Parts wanted some advice.. I have a knocking noise coming from the front of the car when driving at slow speeds and maneuvering (while parking). Initially thought it was the old strut bushings and bearings so replaced them (together with new bolts and buts, all OEM) but still get the noise. Any recommendations and thanks for all the great content.
@julian UK. Yes you should always align the vehicle after the suspension has been taken apart.
Just did this myself not as easy as it looks but happy with the drop. Keep in mind you need to pry the nuckle with something to even be able to fit the ratchet in there and yeah passenger side is a bit harder to do. Took me 5 hours since i took my time on it. Now that ive done it i feel i can do it in about 2 hours. Thanks for the video man would not attept it without. You also dont need spring compressors i just impacted them off then done!!!
Bro you just loosened the strut bolt?? Lucky you're still with us 😂
Thanks for the video! It will come in handy soon, when i will be changing my rear shock absorbers and coils. I have a Skoda Octavia 4*4 , 2015 years model. According to workshop manual so the rear bottom control arm bolt should the toghtened to 70 Nm plus 180 degrees, same as the bottom shock absorber bolt. 130 Nm plus 180 degrees is for the upper control arm bolt.
I'm amazed that people do this type of work in their driveway.
Awesome video thks for the tips.!!:)👍🏻
El Chero No problem thanks for check it out. Please let us know if we can ever help with any of your parts needs.
Great video. Please could we see a video on how to get a parking sensor wire from the engine bay to the inside drivers side on a vw golf mk6.
After I watch this video I when to the VW dealer and ask if they could do it and they said yes and they have the parts too .. I'm just gonna let the professional do it for me.! 😄 thks for the video !!
El Chero We understand. Springs may not be a DIY for everyone, we are glad the video helped you make a decision on if this install was for you.
Wow it looks awesome, how does the drop affect your headlights?
So on a mk7 golf r with 17,500KM on it, what hardware would you recommend replacing? Great video! I’m having my guys at work do it, but it’s an Audi dealership so they want to make sure everything is done and replaced as needed.
Great video, very informative! When you pulled the axle from the engine, did you have to spline anything back in?
The only question I have really is about the inner axle bolts. So there is 6 you pull and then gives you some room to drop the lower control arm from the strut. When those bolts are removed does the axle drop out of the transmission? When putting everything back together is there anything special to do to get the axle back in if it drops out? Also should those 6 bolts each side be replaced?
man... did this today. was alot harder for me than how you made it look... lol
+Alan Bolanon Glad it was helpful. Its not as easy for sure.
Do you have the torque spec for strut bolt or just torque it as much as you can? thanks
Is the process the same for a MK7 R? e.g. same equipment, torque specs, procedure etc. Thanks for the video, really helpful!
BE CAREFUL GUYS: The bottom three nuts on the ball joint is NOT 100nm, this is ~74 ft pound and this WILL strip and break the bolt on the ball joint(I broke 2 now) It should be 44ft pound.
Correction: 44 nm equals to 30 ft-lbs, so even less than that. I'm getting my specs directly from the 300+ page VW technical service manual they distribute to dealerships.
It also says the strut pinch bolt is torqued an additional 180º, not 90º.
had a pair of Koni shocks installed. when up on a lift it looks as though same side front shocks were installed due to the asymmetrical attachment of the end links. Is this normal?
Was wondering if i can use these springs for 2016 golf golf sportwagen 1.8 tsi
I have a mk7 GTI with 50k kms on. would you suggest me for replacing strut mounts and bearing upon replacing springs?
What is the size of the tripe square that you used, I think it will be great if you can make a list of tools. Thank you
how much lower did it bring the car down and did it affect the ride comfort much? i'm a bit concerned with ride comfort :/
But it 100% looks better (Y)
My 2017 gti, has a stability sensor attached to the left rear control arm. If you have that, make sure to disconnect that before you drop it.
When removing the axle on the mk7s, are you supposed to re use, or replace the bolts?
Did you have to replace any of the bolts? I have heard that they are stretch bolts..
need some advice fitted my h&r springs and new bilstein shocks. got to the drivers side and can't get the shock to sit all the way to the bottom of the knuckle, got about 3mm to go, but can't fit the pinch bolt because of strut alignment bracket. I have used the strut splitter. the passengers side was the same but reversed off a kerb and the weight of the car drop it into place and I could fit pinch bolt. I cleaned all the knuckle out before fitting the shock? any advice would be great thankyou.
Should a dsg car be in nuetral when turning drive shaft to remove the bolts?
Is this similar to an install on a mk7 TDI? Factoring in the rear beam axle?
for the rear bolt torque settings . Did you use vw's torque to yield or upgraded bolts ? thanks.
Have you guys experienced any clunk noises after at full turn? Also suspension is creaking abit too when I go on the sidewalk side ways any advise will help me !
Will it be pretty much the same on 2016 VW GLI to install these. Just picked up same set
Do you have to torque the top three nuts on the front? And does anyone know what the torque spec is for the axle bolt? Thanks
Just wondering: why wouldn't taking the hub bolt off be the better option instead of the rear axle bolts?
hey question I have golf r 2015 no DCC will be springs be better for my golf or I already have good springs I mean better than gti mk7
What springs would you recommend with 19 inch wheels and 40 series tire?
Hey guys, love your videos. At what mileage would you recommend replacing the strut mount and/or bearing? Thanks and keep up the good work!
+Ryan Tiffany If or when they start making noise or whenever you have the suspension apart. We would say anything over 10k miles you should consider replacing them.
+Deutsche Auto Parts Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply!
How much do you think labor is for this? And don't you need alignment afterwards?
what is the torque spec on the 13mm strut tower bolts?
Hi again, I'm about to do this install this weekend. Should I be replacing any bolts or am i ok to reuse everything? My MKVII Gti only has 200miles on it.
Would his he the same for a 2018 Passat R line??
My MK7 is currently at 75k miles and I will be installing VWRS should I replace my Strout mount/ strout bearings?
Thanks
Please note that almost all of the bolts (and nuts) that were removed in this video are stated by VW to be one time use torque to yield ("stretch") bolts and should be replaced with new hardware. This includes the inner axle bolts, the pinch bolts, the strut tower bolts and the bolts on the rear suspension (along with the nuts). Reusing the old hardware could result in a catastrophic failure.
Nah.
Lmao best replies ever
Dude you realize almost no one ever get new bolts lmfao
Hi - thanks for the video - very useful
Is it worth replacing the top mounts and bearings on a 9000 mile car?
If so Is it worth upgrading to Audi TT items?
Thanks
Lowering springs can afect the performance of the dcc shocks and damaged it? nice video
good video thanks guy after doing the lowering springs swap I took it for a drive around the block the epc light came would you guys know why.
2018 gti with 13000 miles on it
Do you have adjustable suspension?
Please could you do a video on the creaking suspension issues on the mk7 golf ??? 🙏🏼
Yesssss lot of click clacks / Ricketie ride at 10 to 50 MPH it's a sport Sunday special aggressive driving ride . It's not for the Daily driver YOU WILL GIVE UP COMFORT to NOISE CLICK CLACKS this is an inherant known trade off .
I've only found one video that shows the passenger side being taken out and he was doing a different method. Is the passenger side really hard or really easy, why is it left out? I need to know how to do ALL four corners!
The torque specs noted here are different than those listed on your website (for the suspension bolt kit). Which one is accurate?
Drew Skez...He asked a legitimate question and you give smart ass reply, what's wrong with people like you? I see this same sort of smart ass commenting on vwvortex ALL the time. DAP web site does indeed have differing torque specs for some of these stretch bolts the question still is unanswered.
I am not sure 14:27 is correct. Transverse Link, Multi-Link Suspension, FWD and AWD pages in the repair manual for Golf 2015+ specify this bolt as 70 Nm +180° not as 130 Nm +180°. Did they change the specs?
Great video but when you reinstall the front strut assembly how do you get it back in the knuckle if it's such a tight squeeze and how do you know when it's in far enough? Thanks
Shit sucks. I actually stopped the install when I was doing it because it took me an hour just to pry the knuckle off the strut. I cant imagine putting it back on.
Would there be an extra step or two for DCC equipped vehicles? Does the DCC damper plug into the car and need to be un/plugged?
dBsdecibels unplug the little sensors and made sure the leveler arm things are not connected (little green arm that attaches with a ball joint)
Why were mine grey not blue
I got the same exact ones but they just came in a different color
One more thing: my 2016 Golf Sportwagen didn't have the type of axles that bolt to the transmission....i had to remove the hub bolt instead but i didn't have to remove the tie rod.
Can you confirm the front 3 ball joint 16mm torque specs? Video says 100nm, shopDap site has 40nm plus 45degree. Vw golf repair doc seems to line up with the 40nm plus 45 degree. Don’t want to snap anything going to 100nm, but don’t want anything severely undertorqued
Is this the same on all cars
what size triple squares needed?
You guys should make a video APR turbo muffler delete ;-)
Nice video btw
Hi, great video. In a few days I'm trying to change the original springs on my car with an Eibach Pro-kit springs. I've only a few question: I don't have an air impact wrench so I've to do everything with a torque wrench, is it possible in your opinion? Which is the correct torque to tighten the upper bolt of front suspension? And the last one: which is the right measure of the triple square set that you use to unlock the six screws of the drive shaft? I'm sorry for my poor english, hope you understand. Thanks a lot!
+Lorenzo Longo Take a look here for the strut top hand tool info. czcams.com/video/hR0MmvogT2A/video.html
+Deutsche Auto Parts Thank you very much again. I've one other question: wich is the size of XZN (triple square) that you use to unscrew the six screws of the drive shaft? Is possibile to unmount the front suspension without unlock the drive shaft?
Great videos thanks for posting. Not sure if anyone knows...when it comes to the MK6 GTI vs GLI much different in terms of suspension? Also I would think you can also remove the hub for the extra "movement" needed to get the strut out? Again great work/great channel. Really appreciate your work sir. Really liked the direct injection carbon build up vid as well. Good info..
Thanks for that feedback. We work very hard to deliver great value to the community. As for taking out the wheel bearing/hub, there should be almost no reason to do this. The MK6 GTI and GLI will have similar suspensions and will come apart similar to this video.
Do you need re-alignment?
How difficult is it to reattach the inner axle? I've been eyeing your DIY and been snooping around on the MK7 international page for a while, and finally pulled the trigger on some VWRs for black friday. About to order the Strut Knuckle spreader tool from you guys as well.. that's the only part of this install that scares me a bit. As always, keep up the good work Paul!
+Hans Son Thank you so much for the Spring purchase we appreciate it very much. Your support allows us to continue to make videos just like this one. As for this inner axle you might want to check out the coil over install video. Its a little more complete as we had some technical difficult while shooting this video. czcams.com/video/4vaZyJlrf2A/video.html
what kinda torque wrench do you need
Are there any additional parts (control arms, endlinks, etc...) needed to straighten the alignment of the car out once it has been lowered?
no you will not need anything like that when installing these springs.
Just a tip your suppose to get all new bolts.. I went ahead and used the old ones and ended up loosing bolts for my endlinks, 2 on the ball joint. Replace the bolts !!
been looking between these and the h&r springs. wondering which will work better for a dcc car.
check out Emmanuel design I have heard good things about them
I'm considering fitting these on my mk6 gti, would you recommend replacing the top mounts and bearings at the same time? Many thanks!
Charlie Miskelly might as well
Have you guys done a Golf R yet? I assume the front should be the same but are there any extra steps I need to do with the rear because I have the rear axle?
+Bradd Kordenbrock We have not but it should be pretty similar. Be sure to take a look at this video before you install the springs. People often break this. czcams.com/video/RZRcxIWg-7U/video.html
Hey guys, I was wondering how much psi are you approx using to loosen the upper strut mount? Received your springs last night!
+Paul Wiest most shop air is around 90psi. Thanks for the order, we appreciate it very much. You support allows us to make videos just like this.
Hello. If I use VWR springs do I need to change sway bar end links too?
What mileage should you replace the strut mounts and bearings? Do you need to replace the hardware as well? (bolts, nuts, etc.)
I'm at 19,200 on mine and I'm looking at installing the VWR springs.
+Hubscharber I would say anything over 10-15k most due to the amount of work to get them back out. You can always roll without replacing them but the potential for noise from the old tops is there. As far as bolts take a look here we have the kits. deutscheautoparts.com/make-model-year/volkswagen/gti/mk7-2015-present/steering-and-suspension/install-kits.html
7:05 Is there a tool that can be used to remove that clip on that screw there right above the wiring far left of the screen??
All you should need is a screw driver or your fingers.
Getting ready to do this install on my Gti, would you recommend replacing any of the other parts of the suspension, mounts, bearings, etc. My vehicle has around 56k miles on the clock. Thanks for the video is a lot of help!
gerardo mena I’m doing this soon as well and I’m relaxing the front and rear strut mounts and bearings. I heard it’s best to replace to minimize vibration noise
how mutch lowering ?
Think this would be the same for an e-Golf install?
Also, I what is the torque setting for the nut on the top strut mount on the front? You just did a few runs with the air wrench and didn't torque it.
Alex Moreno Probably so but we have not gotten under an e-Golf yet
I have recently lowered my car using H&R springs. All was fine, but about a week or two later I now have a creaking noise when turning out of a parking space at slow speed. Any ideas? Would it be the upper strut mounts need replacing?
ElmoMac3000 You should likely consider replacing your strut bushings and bearings deutscheautoparts.com/make-model-year/volkswagen/gti/mk7-2015-present/steering-and-suspension/bushings.html
Any differences when working on a car with DCC?
Little late, weird aswell. Did you gett an anwser on this? Im really curious myself.
Just put H&R springs on my DCC car. There are ride height sensors you will need to unbolt and the connector that plugs into the struts. Other than that it’s the same.
@@markbla3645 awesome good to know! We're you able to reconnect those two sensors?
@@markbla3645 Thanks for the respont! Really great help. Ty so much!!
That cv shaft loosening is a deal breaker.
It's not even required in reality. I did my S3 last weekend and didn't have to remove those bolts to get the strut out. Neither is it required to remove the three nuts/bolts on the outer end of the lower control arm.
Hey guys at Deutsche, I installed these springs a couple of weeks ago and I've been hearing a lot of squeaking noise. It's coming from my front passengers side whenever I drive and when I make right turns. I brought it into my friends garage and we checked to make sure everything was tightened down properly and that it was safe to drive. Everything checked out fine but the noise still persists. Any thoughts?
***** Sounds like its probably the strut bushings but its tough to be sure. You can try to lubricate the bushing to see if that helps. deutscheautoparts.com/5q0-412-331-d.html
Is the installing for a golf the same? Looking at the golf, I didnt see the bolts holding the axel in, are they tucked behind the cb boot? Havent
+Justin Saxton Im sorry we are not sure
How come you didn't loosen the bolts holding the a-arm to the chassis? The problem is, those bolts are torqued with bushings inside and with the car set to an existing ride height (stock springs) at the time the vehicle was made. When you drop the car down with the new springs, you will in essence be over torquing the bushings in the a-arm assembly which will lead to premature failure of the bushing. I learned this the hardway lowering my 03' GLI and for the most part it's overlooked on these sorts of diy's.
What exactly do you mean by "loosen" them? Are you saying they need to be loosened during the install and torqued back to spec after the install or that they need to be torqued to a lower spec after the install? Thanks
+Chili Dog correct, they need to be loosened during install and retorqued back to spec with the car under load. Ie at the resting ride height. You can do this by putting a separate jack under the control arm and lifting it up to the correct height.
Tom Epp Thanks a lot, man!
Tom Epp Where exactly are these bolts located and how many of them are there? Thanks again
eugh..it's been a year since I did it, but you can figure it out by watching where the a-arms articulate through. This time I actually took my car back to the dealership after installing the springs, the alignment was way out and the torques were all wrong since I couldn't get the torque specs. This is a small detail but super important, those bushing will torque out and you'll end up with all kinds of slop in the suspension after a while.
After installing the springs and getting an alignment how much negative camber did the wheels have?
We did not get an alignment after installing these as we were removing these springs to put coilovers on.
Hi love the video, would these springs fit on a normal MK7 golf TDI FWD thanks in advanced.
Anthony Nasta Here are the correct springs for a TDI. deutscheautoparts.com/vwr31g7ba.html
how long would it take a VW/Audi shop to install the springs. Or how much should I be paying. They wanted to charge me $550-600.
+Kourosh Golban Roughly 4-5 hours labor plus alignment.
Doing the install yourself is not nearly as easy as the video makes it out to be, especially if you have DCC electronic suspension and Xenon headlights there are multiple expensive sensors that you have to watch out for. On my car, in particular, getting the struts in and out on the front was extremely difficult and they did not want to budge. As well if you are attempting this yourself I had the spreader tool and it was essential because there was not enough of a gap to fit the head of the ratchet.
How did you manage to measure the torque when putting the bolts back? I don't have torque wrench and if putting as much man power as possible is enough?
I’d say if your going to tackle a job like this in your driveway you should at least have a torque wrench
BEWARE of removing the 6 inner CV Bolts!
I know this is an older video, and I haven't read all the comments so I don't know if this has been mentioned before - but I strongly recommend being very careful if you remove the CVJ bolts. Depending on the year of your vehicle and the age of the components, there are two factors that could turn this operation into a huge headache:
1. Some cars have a version of the CV joint that DOES NOT have an inboard cover. So if you remove the bolts and the car is low mileage / clean, you may get lucky and the seam between the drive cup fixed to the gearbox and the CV joint will cleanly separate (there is a rubber seal in there, so it's definitely "sticky"). In that best case scenario the inside end of the CV Joint will be OPEN and exposed. All the grease etc will be free to escape if it has deteriorated over time.
2. In the worst case scenario (and what happened to me) was that I had a car with CV joints that don't have an inner cover, and the vehicle had enough miles and surface corrosion that the joint between the drive cup and the CV joint was pretty firmly "stuck" together. At least more "stuck" than the force it takes to pull the inner CV star, cage, and balls out of the outer race!
3. The end result is grease covered ball bearings dropping out onto the garage floor, requiring a complete disassembly of the drive shaft inner end (necessitating removal from the car), pulling the cir-clip on the inner shaft end, pulling the inner star off of the shaft, degreasing everything, and carefully reassembling it all on the bench before re-installing in the car. It was not easy.
I would also caution against any of the comments about doing this without releasing the axle in some way - there is enough flexibility in the rubber boots that you could potentially still pull the joint apart even if you don't remove the 6 bolts. So in my opinion unless you are sure that your CV has an inner cover (easy enough to inspect), and you're careful that that joint splits when you unbolt it (again, in this case you'll want to get in close and ensure it splits where you need it to), you have to pull the axle bolt.
So while pulling the drive axle bolt seems daunting, it is a lot lower risk. It's a 24MM 12pt socket (at least on the regular Golf, not sure on GTI), and should be replaced since it's torqued to yield (200NM + 180 deg). You will need a drift to push the spline out of the wheel hub. The other challenge is re-installing the bolt, as on older cars re-inserting the outer spline shaft into the wheel hub by hand is difficult, and you can't push it in far enough for the bolt to engage and pull it home. So you need a longer 16mmx1.5 bolt or some other way to pull the spline shaft into the hub far enough for the axle bolt to engage.