Front strut bearing

[littlepolo]

I appear to have a failure of a front O/S strut bearing, and wonder if anyone has replaced the bearing?

Is it a straightforward job and what tools are needed?

The car is a 6n 2002.

[RUM4MO]

Car is probably a 9N Polo.

Do you mean the top bearing, the one that when it gets "sticky" makes the spring a bit noisy when turning?

If it is the top bearing, I'm not sure if you can disconnect the ARB links, jack the car up, remove wheel, jack up under the TCA to compress the spring, then fit spring compressors and compress the spring even further, remove jack from under TCA and see if the spring is free to move. Now if it is, you should be able to slacken off the strut top nut using a key to stop the rod turning, then remove the top mounting . Now if the initial bit is possible, then you should be able apply a downward force onto the front hub so that you can remove the bits above the spring, one of which is the bearing assembly - best to change both sides I'd reckon. If you can not get the spring compressed so that it is slack, then you will need to remove the complete strut assembly and work on it off the car. Quite a few tools are needed to do that if you want to avoid breaking things, oh, and a Haynes repair book to give you all the torques etc.

That top bearing assembly is a stupid design and is not protected from road spray and grit, total rubbish in my mind.

[littlepolo]

That's the one. It was noisy for a while, and recently completely exploded and disintegrated. I have the parts (pair of new strut top mounting bearings and front suspension top mountings - going to do both sides), and spring compressor, ready. My spring compressors are 220mm, and I hope the screws will clear the bodywork - will have to try it and see, else remove the struts.

Incidentally, emissions were lower than last time at a recent MOT - it sailed through the test (which makes me wonder if anyone looked at the front suspension...).

Thanks for your reply!

[RUM4MO]

Its emissions that concern me - though I have been running on Shell's best for about a year to try to clean things up a bit - MOT next week!

By the way, is your engine still pinking? I've even replaced the crankcase oil separator to see if it reduces oil usage and/or reduces pinking, but I've not got round to changing back to normal UL yet. The crankcase oil separator is a bit expensive, but I was keen to try to improve things though its too early to tell!

[RUM4MO]

Incidentally, emissions were lower than last time at a recent MOT - it sailed through the test (which makes me wonder if anyone looked at the front suspension...). Thanks for your reply!

Ditto on all counts, after a year on Shell V-Power UL+ Fast Idle = last year CO 0.07% this year CO 0.06% : last year HC 52PPM this year HC 19PPM Natural Idle Test = last year 0.20% this year 0.02% all of which brings the cars emissions back down to even better than they have been for the past three MOTs, the one last year having been the worst. There is also a trend for the Lambda value to increase with decreased emissions.

[RUM4MO]

littlepolo, when I said "Ditto on all counts" I forgot to include that the N/S strut assembly on my wife's Polo is also a bit twangy when you rotate the assembly when it is on the jacks.

I'm just reliving working on the front end of these cars at the moment, I thought that I might just replace the ARB droplinks on my daughter's Ibiza SC 2010MY as it has become a bit crunky at the front and its second MOT is due soon. Bought proper TRW links from ECP (£19.50 each) and started removing the old ones, top end was okayish, bottom end ended up snapping a Torx bit - though by that time the nut had been backed off enough to get a hacksaw blade in to saw off the offending fixing! One good think about buying these links from ECP is that the TRW ones come with new (stiff) nuts because it is well known that these items seize so get chopped off. I'm telling you this to prepare you for what is to come when you start this job! Also, the TRW ARB links have a flat on the inner end of the joints - instead of a Torx recess. The reason for this will be because the design of the VAG part only works to assist fitting at the factory, later on in life, when the car is getting worked on, if the fixing is too rusty, using a Torx bit to stop rotation means that you end up expanding the end of the threaded bit, the nut seizes and the tools breaks!
I've also remembered that on the O/S, Haynes suggests that you remove the drive shaft from the hub - as there is not enough room to get things out (complete strut) without doing that. Doing that will mean buying a large socket to get the 12 point nut off - and buying a new nut as they are use once only. Now to make life easier when removing the strut from the hub, you will need a hub expanding tool, Laser tools sell one. I can give you the numbers etc of these tools that I bought to do this job

[littlepolo]

I abandoned at attempt to replace the top bearings this weekend as I discovered - in accord with your e-mail advice - that the hub assy must be removed to gain enough space to remove the strut. Also, I did not have replacement bolts/nuts. Also, as I suspected, the spring compressor screws do not have enough clearance up into the strut mount bodywork to be used in situ. I found the ARB link nuts easy to remove, but not the ARB joints.

The Haynes manual suggests a tool, or cold chisel, to split the hub. Do you think it worthwhile to purchase the proper tool?

I'm wondering what the labour charge might be to have this done at an independent garage? (I purchased the new bearing sets off eBay, LEMFORDER brand, for 48.99). Also wondering if I should replace any other parts at the same time (mileage is only 65K but the sleeping policemen, etc. take their toll).

[RUM4MO]

Just being lucky enough to have something to hand that fits the split in the hub casting probably is not going to happen, at least it did not happen for me. What the correct tool is is a pair of slightly different tools, you only use one but they cover a range of VAG cars. What the tool does is, it opens up the hub slip just enough and holds it open by having a "flat" section that is roughly a quarter of its circumference. The flat on a suitable chisel etc would have a "flatish" section that is a lot "shorter" than that - so the tool slips out or jumps out and the hub slit closes - very very annoying!

Taking the cost of this tool, plus the large bi-hex deep socket plus finding a suitable set of spring compressors - all this you might never use again, then maybe it makes sense to find a local useful VAG indie. It has been known for drive shafts to be a but tight to get out, and if removing the strut completely from one side, one drive shaft needs to get removed from the hub assembly, I've forgotten which side. I don't have a clue about garage costs, but if it does not cost too much, I might follow your example as the N/S top bearing seems to be sticking a bit now and again.

You say the ARB link nuts were easy to get off, lucky you, but what do you mean about the joints being difficult remove - did you try to remove them with only one side jacked up, if so, then the ARB other side would be fighting against you.

[littlepolo]

I've found someone to help me, so think I'll try it myself. The O/S - which is the broken side - is, apparently, difficult because of the drive shaft.

I found this tool on eBay - it seems like the one I need?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16080652 ... =83&ff19=0

[RUM4MO]

Yes, that is the tool for opening up the hub leg.

[littlepolo]

I made another attempt at replacing the O/S strut bearing last week, having got hold of the right tools. When I tried to loosen the hub nut, the 36mm 12 point socket slipped around. As far as I can see, the nut has never been off so it must have been like that from new. The N/S is OK - the socket grips. I got hold of a 35mm socket but it won't fit, so I'm wondering if I can put a shim over part of the nut, enough for it to grip, or possibly split the 35mm socket with some saw cuts and hope it will expand, possibly with the tap of a mallet to drive it over the nut. What do you think?

The other thing I noticed is the new hub nuts are light on material, compared to the old one, and both are lighter than the wheel nuts.

ABS light is intermittent, I've Googled and found it could be a fuse problem (40A), possibly a sensor problem, or a brake switch problem. I'll try the fuse first.

[RUM4MO]

Socket slip around, is that exactly what is happening on the O/S, or, is the wall thickness of the socket too big and not letting the socket get all the way down past the hub recess "outer wall"? That can happen - might be that the N/S is slightly bigger diameter "hole" so you can get the socket fully down. There is not much material on the body of these nuts, is it not just the different colour that makes the original one seem chunkier than the new one?

I'm guessing that you are looking for a hairline crack in the ABS fuse.

[littlepolo]

The socket is seating correctly, I can see 'wear' on the lobes of the socket where it is slipping over the nut. I've measured the depth it goes in - same on both sides. Will try to shim it. I'm hoping its the ABS fuse.

[RUM4MO]

For what it might be worth, my 36mm bi-hex socket is an impact quality Laser Tools one and is 51mm in diameter - also it has a very short "lead-in". Now, I did not pick it as it was impact quality - it was what I first stumbled across, though the "impact quality" extra features will be of benefit, ie the hardness and the short "lead-in" - the fact that it just fitted into the counter-bore in the hub was a desirable bonus that some people have had problems with. If you could grind down or turn down the lead-in on your socket it might sort your problem. Just remember, well in my experience anyway, no job you do on the running gear of these cars is going to go as clockwork, as that running gear is all pure Skoda in design and in parts sourcing for manufacture at all VAG factories!

[RUM4MO]

littlepolo, any update on this top bearing job, I still have this to do - very soon!