Audi S3/A3, Golf R/GTI, MQB Chassis Coilover/Spring Install DIY
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- My fellow Audi Fanatics, VW Fanatics, and MQB chassis owners, I welcome you to my channel for another DIY!
Today, I will be showing you how to install a set of lowering springs or coilovers into your Audi/VW MQB chassis. Even though this video was performed on the S3 8V platform, the removal processes is applicable to some older models such as MK5, 6 and even 8P Audis.
With the right tools and at a minimum, a set of jackstands, you should be able to accomplish this DIY without major issues. If this is your first time, I highly recommend having an extra set of hands and give yourself roughly 5-6hrs.
If you’d like to skip ahead:
- rear suspension removal and install: 3:23
- coilover adjustment recommendation: 10:32
- front suspension removal and install: 13:26
- final comments and thoughts: 23:16
If you like my channel content and wish to see more automotive content like this, please support me and subscribe! Don’t forget to click on the notification bell to be informed when future videos are uploaded.
Until the next time, this is Peter, The Audi S3 Fanatic! - Auta a dopravní prostředky
![QUICK DIY How to install: Audi S3 Lowering Springs (APR) [Project: BluBae]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N8QXVt1JGKE/mqdefault.jpg)
![QUICK DIY How to install: Audi S3 Lowering Springs (APR) [Project: BluBae]](/img/tr.png)
I'll be using this video for my Golf R spring install. Thanks for being so thorough.
I'm glad you found my video useful! Thank you for watching and the support.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic Definitely! Just a few questions though if you don't mind. The headlight leveler, do you just unbolt it from underneath and move it out of the way? And did you have to loosen the inner axle to get the strut out? I've seen a few videos where they unbolted all 6 (?) of the triple square bolts to make it easier to remove the strut but the few S3 videos i've seen this step isn't taken.
Thanks for another great vid!
Thank you so much for the support.
Wow this is incredible, thank you.. I am going to install MSS springs on my RS3 soon.
Good luck with the install. It's not difficult at all.
Great job, thank you for sharing !
Thanks for the support Nicolas.
Great video, thank you! Very detailed
Thank you for watching and the support!
Great video man !! Thanks so much !! You calmed my nerves lol!!
Thanks for watching and the support fellow Devil Dog.
This is by far the most helpful video I have found. Answered all my questions. Thank you sir! Your service is appreciated greatly!
Thank you for watching and the support! I am happy to see the video was of use to you.
super tuto. j ai besoin de demonter la partie amortisseur pour atteindre une vis pour changer le moyeu roulement. merci ! TOP !
The detail of s3 fanatics videos are by FAR the best for having confidence in doing the repair/updates and that your vehicle is safe when done.
QUESTION: when replacing the shocks in the right rear of an A3 2016 1.8T 8V which looks exactly like what I see in this video. Behind the wheel well covers on the right rear there is a plastic component of some kind made by Kayser. It’s in the way of the left bolt holding the top hat mount for the shock. There is one obvious bolt to remove, but the component doesn’t come off. I can’t see how to get it to release or move far enough off to get to the shock. I’m assuming access is from inside the trunk? Any tips on how to work around this? Is it really necessary to remove this for shock replacement?
Thanks for watching and the support! I know exactly what you're referring to. Unfortunately, it has to be moved out of the way. Look inside as I believe there are TWO bolts holding it in place. You'll need to jiggle it to around to free it loose.
Very helpful video! Can I ask, is it better to undo the strut top mount from the body before wiggling the bottom of the strut out of the knuckle, or is it better to do this after? Which order would you do it when re-installing the strut? Also would you say for an 8P S3, is it necessary to remove the remove the ball joint bolts and remove the hub from the drive shaft to make more room?
You want to remove two screws from the strut top mount and keep on loose. Then wiggle the bottom while you remove the last top bolt, otherwise, the entire assemble will be difficult to manage or will slide right back down in the hub assembly.
For the 8P, I did remove the drive shaft and ball joints as it does provide much needed room.
Great DIY man! can you confirm whether the top middle strut shock bolt is 21 mm? I have a 2016 audi a3 wanted to order that special socket, do you happen to have that part number by chance?
Nathan, if you're referring to the top hat shock nut, it may vary in size based on your Audi's setup. My recommendation, is to purchase the entire kit which is: ES#: 2703013
Yes, it's more expensive, but in the future, you may need different sizes if you end up swapping to coilovers or other shock brands.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic much appreciated!
Hi Peter, what is that speciality socket that you used and could you please provide the link to it? Thanks
Emilio, it's called a pass through socket and can be found here:
www.ecstuning.com/News/Schwaben_Strut_Nut_Sockets_18mm_19mm_21mm_22mm_24mm_Kit/
Would these torque specs apply for a 2020 Audi a3 quattro? I’ve seen other videos where specs are torque plus “_ degree turn” can someone help out please ? Just want to make sure I torque everything correctly
I cannot say that the newer 2020 A3 would use the same torque specs as I haven't worked on a newer model. Regarding the "degree turn," Audi uses what is called torque to yield bolts which are meant to be used only once. Therefore, when you see a torque spec, Audi expects you to torque the bolt to stated spec, then add another "xxx degrees" of turn to that bolt.
For the a3, all A3’s would need to have the axel nut removed ?
Ideally yes. It allows the room needed to pull the OEM shock out.
Witch bolt do I have to replace?? I can’t find the part of the video you said that.
I don't recall saying that a bolt needed to be replaced.
Hello where can I download your torque specs document Please? I am French and I use Nm Torque values . have you a document in Nm please . Thank's your video is amazing! thank's
David, ECSTuning puts out a good paper DIY with the torque values. You can download it here:
bd8ba3c866c8cbc330ab-7b26c6f3e01bf511d4da3315c66902d6.r6.cf1.rackcdn.com/VW_MKV_MKVI_Coilover_PDF.pdf
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic Merci !!! thank's !!!
Are the 3 top mount bolts definitely 12ftlbs torque? Seems very low, 034 motorsport how to says 30nm which is 22ftlbs but that is on their street density top mounts.
@ Callum, yes, the top 3 shock to chassis bolts are 12lbs ft/lbs+/- 1-2ft/lbs. if you want to follow standard VAG protocol, it's 15nm + 90* turn since it's a torque to yield bolt.
for the suspension link, can we use back the same link even though i changed to a lowering spring (H&R)? or it is recommended to get a new adjustable link?
Yes, you can reuse the same endlink. If you're tracking and want the most from your suspension, then it's advised to install adjustable endlinks.
Out of curiosity, did you get all these torque values from an actual Service Manual or just forums and google searches?
If it was a manual, where did you find yours?
I found the torque specs online from different manufactures. I only used the specs that were similar across multiple manufactures.
How far should the strut push down into the pinch section of the knuckle on the front end? Is there a lip that it stops at?
Will, the strut will push all the way down until it hits the bottom of the knuckle. There is a little stop indentation.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic thank you. Once I got into it I realized that as well. Just an FYI on the RS3 you don’t need to drop the knuckle at all off the control arm.
@@williambardin94 thanks for your input. Hopefully your tip will help others as well!
What would happen if you didnt line the top hat up with the shock like shown in the video. I did my springs a couple of weeks ago and I cant remember if i did this. I got my alignment done after I changed the springs and there weren't any issues so I'm assuming I did it correctly or I would of had problems?
@ JameSter, if you did not line the top hat and shocks up, your spring and top hat would look completely off and angled incorrectly. When aligned correctly, the tophat will look parallel to the lower spring seat.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic I'll have to have a look when got the alignment done nothing was mentioned and the car drives fine I dont have any noises
@@jamescam200962 you should be ok then because if you assembled it incorrectly, the top hat would have been angled way off and not allowed you to install the shock nut.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic everything went together fine thanks for the replys
Hey man, been trying to get my front coils on for a day now… tried many different ways but haven’t been able to get the end link on properly on the passenger side, any tips on how to do this? I’ve tried jacking up the bottom connector of the end link but it still is just a little bit off… located in SoCal. Thanks
For the late response Jaden...did you get the front coils on?
If not, did you remove BOTH endlinks and try to reinstall them once both coils are on?
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic was able to get them on.... I realized after the fact I should of had both. end links off but a trick i learned for coilovers is to just max out the height of them to the oem height and just connect it like that and lower it later. Thanks for the response! Ill definitley let you know if I have any other questions... I have a 2017 a3 etron sportback
@@jadenmoreno8425 Good job on completing the install. Yes, typically having BOTH end-links off make it easier to reinstall them because the height differs once springs or coils are installed. Enjoy the A3 e-tron, one of my favorite PHEV.
hi where did you get your torque settings from ?
I found the torque specs directly from VW and Audi.
Whats your opinion on the Quickjacks? Ive been waiting to pull the trigger to buy them as it would be perfect for my situation. I just dont know if they are worth the 1500$ or not
Adam, the Quickjack is by far, the best money I have ever spent on a tool. I have very few complaints and absolutely recommend it. Now if your situation permits (funds, garage concrete quality, and garage height) I would get the MaxJax instead simply because it lifts the vehicle close to 40" up.
BTW, Costco was selling the 5000slx for $999. That's what I have.
@@TheAutomotiveFanaticI know this is an older video, but could you please tell me which model QuickJack you have? I think it would be a good investment for working on my S3.
@@danieljadorie829 I use to own the TL5000.
Torque specifications? Where do I download them?
drive.google.com/file/d/11aJEAU_65d29_yCrBWpB_-b99xmjnHWi/view?usp=sharing sorry for quality
@ Have an updated link?
@@GhostlyVG I just did a screen grab of the video
@ just got done doing the same thing works great!
I have a 2015 S3 with Mag ride and I have a fair bit of noise coming from the front suspension mostly going over speed bumps and I haven't figured out how to fix it. Any Ideas on what could be the cause? I am no tech but I am thinking maybe it is the control arms.
Jim Bo could be a number of things, but first confirm what you can without removing the strut. Tops strut bolts, sway bar, end links, control arms, etc...especially anything that has been touched. Last thing to check would be the strut since it’s the most work to remove. It could be that the strut mount (aka “top hat” in the video) and strut bearing aren’t properly mated together, but check whatever else you can first.
Thanks for chiming in Hwy88 Forever. You're right, way too many variables. If Jim Bo recently had springs or coils install, then my 1st assumption is always the proper torque specs on the top hats. That's a common gremlin. I would though, inspect what you can, make sure nuts/bolts are tight.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic as much as I would like more low I am not sure I want to deal with the effects of going with springs especially with mag ride. I have had springs on my old cars
@@JimBean365, it's just my opinion, but I don't think springs go well with the MagRide setup. I've ridden in other S3s with springs/magride and wasn't impressed.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic yea I am not going to mess with it. I am honestly not looking to do any more major mods. I have APR stage 1 and recently had to replace the turbo waste gate actuator twice in only a few months. very annoying. that and the creaky suspension are my only major real complaints.
Hello can you tell me if I can put mk7 GTI used coilover on my 2011 Audi A3 ?
space poop, unfortunately you cannot fit MK7 coils on an 8P chassis vehicle.
Could I use mk7 on my 8v a3 tho right?
Is those torque specs same as RS3?
It's going to be very similar.
Will s3 coil springs fit golf R?
In theory, yes because both are MQB chassis vehicles.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic cheers
Does anybody know the size of the front axle bolt?
Are you referring to the socket to remove the axle bolt, or the axle bolt itself?
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic the socket itself 😅
@@carlosschein9283, I checked my notes and I have it listed as a 24mm socket. Hope this helps!
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic i really appreciate it!
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic so just a standard 24mm socket?
Are you in the OC ?
I sure man.
You're gonna get a lot of views from me this next week lol. I'm putting coil overs on mine. Do you know anyone that can do a good alignment in the OC ?
@@allen254 it's 100% doable, just take your time. You can always reach out to me via email if you have any questions. Regarding a good alignment shop, I do! I use Star Smog & Alignment Haus in Bellflower to align ALL my cars. Ask for Binh and tell him Peter with the Gray 911 referred you.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic Thanks for that!! ill definitly let them know. Looks like nice shop will definitly check them out and mention you.
@@allen254 good luck with the install this weekend. I am always happy to do the work for you.