VW, Audi upper strut mount replacement the easy way, Audi TT MK1

Replace the upper strut mounts without removing the shock assembly from the vehicle.

[@1950bobster]

That is the best mount change ever, thankyou!!

[@andrewchung1838]

Thanks for the awesome video. Finally a video that doesn't skip removing the top mount bolts. Much appreciation.

[@dcasteaux9181]

Thanks for sharing. Especially the 'good and bad mounts' view in the first few minutes. And your method of not removing the hub/axle saves hours.

[@johnh3710]

Excellently filmed, concise video. I'll be following it this weekend on my late mk1 TT which has stiff steering and very prominent top mounts. Thank you!

[@ronniebaca]

Thank you for this!!! You made my life alittle bit easier now! I have the same problem but your technique is way easy!

[@mushmmm1509]

I just watched a different vid where the guy removed the whole strut like a jackass🤦‍♂️😂

[@andrewmiller8768]

Cool idea, saves a lot of time and messing around. Little concerned about the use of impact on the shock assembly though. IME safe bet to use hand tools and torque to spec. YMMV.

[@gplusgplus2286]

You are supposed to lube the bushing with a special Audi lubricant but silicone grease should also work IMO, clean the towers from inside as well. Also make sure you don't t put the little bush bearing upside down. I have a horrible creaking noise that I need to investigate, everything is new on the suspension... Thanks for the video.

[@markR6.76]

It’s gone dry that’s all

[@Enterrrrtainment]

Who knows hardest part would be taking the damn top hat off

[@johnbeck5795]

In my opinion, if you're doing in situ, keep your hands away from the spring when its held by the compressors. @ 4.00, drop lengths of string down through the inner wings, tie the bearing and bush on and pull them up over the top of the strut. The nut off/on is easily done by using a bit of grease to hold it in the socket. Don't put your fingers down through the inner wing.

[@M0N0T0N0US]

The coil spring isn’t going anywhere and if one compressor fails I doubt both will, and if it does it’s gonna open...

[@ssss-df5qz]

Pointless waste of time. They are designed to hold the spring and hold the spring they will.

[@gotze1772]

Thanks to you this job was a breeze. Did it in less than an hour both sides. Thank you

[@kiwi7341]

Brilliant 👍 I’m going to try this my self. OK started with the right side and it was impossible to do it this way, it was actually a pig of a job. Going to give the left side a go tomorrow, might be quite different with shorter axel...OK left side went like a dream👍You are a cunning guy:-)

[@LorneRooth]

I have a 2001 Audi TT quattro , it's making a lot of clunking on the right front passenger side, it's not the wheel bearing, Les Schwab just said that it possibly could be my struts bearing strut or top of the strut. Anybody else have this problem with Audi

[@Jesse-hr2ef]

You damn wizard! Lol I’m definitely doing it this way this weekend on my MK4 GLI. Thank you lol

[@danbierschbach7743]

liking the spark plug idea. good call

[@frankalarcon635]

Thats Great! Thanks for the video. I wonder how different this procedure would be on the later model 8V Audi RS3? Not having to remove the whole strut from the car would save so much time and hassle.

[@mealston1725]

Now this makes sense when we only need to focus on strut mounts. Thx for the upload. AlltheBest

[@ccas6771]

Great video. I just finished my new struts mounts on my 2001 TT. Do more TT videos Thank you

[@Farseer1995]

etischer, I managed to undo the sway bar links, jack the car up, remove the wheels, but I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why my suspension just will not go down enough to put something through the top mount hole. You seem to have so much wiggle room it's incredible. What am I doing wrong? It doesn;t look like I would be able to drop the struts any lower... :(

[@locluke979]

Same boat here

[@chrisbearden1331]

I had the same issue. Did you all figure out a solution to this?

[@stevenlangdon-griffiths293]

Actually. This is an excellent way of doing the top bearing replacement. Thanks for posting

[@tylerp6375]

Nice way to change these. I did mine in record time. Thanks!

[@buggyridge]

Outstanding video! Thank you. Needing to do this on an Audi TT asap.

[@BWSTT]

Whilst this is a great guide, you've now reassembled it with a worn out shock absorber, which makes zero sense to me

[@etischer]

Well, yea it's a car I barely drive, and the suspension has never felt soft or bouncy. Just wasn't worth it to me to spend the time or money replacing shocks on it. It's just my summer time beater.

[@lesterbeedell9725]

@@etischerany damper will tend to retract under its own weight Thank you for your brilliant methodology because I have to replace a mount on my own car and I’ve been putting it off!

[@dannyrams1990]

Good job love the vid👌i need to do mine and think i do it this way thanks

[@sheahughes6117]

Great way to do this job. I just changed all suspension components on my FN2 Type R and i am getting a creaking noise from one of the new upper strut mounts. I will have to take it off to see what the issue is. They are after market strut mounts so i am hoping they are ok. This video will make the job easier.

[@gplusgplus2286]

You are supposed to lube the bushing with a special Audi lubricant but silicone grease should also work IMO. Also make sure you didn't put the little bush bearing upside down.

[@masonpugh3637]

This is a great video and it's well done I have a cabrio mark 4 or 3 and a 1/2 I'm sure the same procedure will work thanks you save me a lot of time my structure good it's just my Are bad

[@skibloke30]

So gona do this way on my audi tt

[@deanosavanna]

Will this eliminate side to side play or would that be the sway bar ? Good vid by the way didn't think of doing it like that 👍

[@zgm2843]

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[@kiwipatriot3334]

Nice work, Thank you!

[@jackburton1757]

If you have a gap on top of the strut like shown in your video, would it cause the front to sag?

[@etischer]

Not noticeably. The car is held up by the springs. There might be some slight upward force from the damper pushing up, making the bushing gap open up, but it’s nothing compared to the weight from the springs acting on the body. The springs push up the car body inside the shock towers, not the rubber bushings

[@magellanmax]

Nicely done, made it look so easy a caveman could do it.

[@lorenzoparedes2306]

With a Fred Flintstone impact wrench...

[@Bacon12954]

Can also be done without the spring compressor by sticking your hand up and taking the bushing off.

[@richardowen9466]

Thanks so much, I owe you a beer 🍺

[@lylejenish23]

Fantastic job - great camera work.

[@dicemofo4522]

Anybody in saint louis who knows how to replace a 2004 gli strut mount? Trying to save a little money from what the mechanics want.

[@seanblomeley611]

Thank you for making this video. It was just what I needed to help me get through my bushing change out! You sir earned a sub!

[@victorlopez2143]

Hi Great job - what make of spring compressor you are using ? They look very sturdy...

[@camil721]

Brilliant ! Thank you very much ! I will do the same on my 2005 Audi A3

[@jonathanellis6097]

Just tried this, would have worked lovely actually had my shocks not been knackered (I didn't realize beforehand), so the shock simply sunk down after I release the top mount bush!😭 Had a bit of a nightmare getting it back together then. Aborted the bushed as I will have to buy new shocks now!

[@milopena8952]

Even faster tip, cut 3” off the strut compression bolts, that way you can do it upside down, and not fight it at all, try it, i did mine in under 15mins each

[@MohammedFiaz-lq3se]

is this smilar to audi a1 sportback so you dont have to disconnect the hub and abs lines pipes etc to change top strut mount

[@spencerbowen9254]

Thanks for this, You're the man

[@briane__]

Nice, what size socket were you using?

[@FatherJack-b1u]

I'm guessing it's gonna be the same for an A3 too? 🤔

[@galax64]

Why you did not changed also bad front strut ?

[@silverliteway]

2:03 You must have arms like a wrestler to even contemplate turning by hand ;). Genuinely appreciate this clip.

[@Boatlife1964]

Excellent video...thanks for sharing.

[@billgako5267]

the best video ever......very clever......

[@leehiller3152]

Brilliant video, before you replaced, was the car making a knocking noise?

[@ChrisG-nw1ie]

Bought a few tools i needed to carried out the replacement of the top bushes. Excellent video - Many Thanks for uploading.

[@911bruce]

What size Allen wrench?

[@dudley7540]

Excellent. You must be a tech. Very flat-rate way to do this!

[@Dan-HongTong]

Excellent mate 👍 many thanks from the UK 🇬🇧

[@juantwo322]

Does this affect the alignment?

[@richierich4604]

you made that look too easy

[@badger_claws]

Great video. Will this technique work on an Audi A3 8P? Thanks 👍🏼

[@tobyg247123]

Hi did this work on your a3 8p? Thanks

[@tw15t3dup7]

very nice thanks

[@yukirisame1393]

nice video, i need to replace this strut mount in my dad's old vw bora

[@dickyyrrep1383]

Nice vid, I have to do this on a new beetle.

[@TrishaXuk]

Excellent video. Thanks!

[@rowenramnath2016]

My is like that

[@dboy2547]

Hi, great how too! Did the new strut mounts change the front ride hight at all?

[@etischer]

Nope, no change

[@lesterbeedell9725]

Brilliant

[@cr4igj100]

This is NOT a smart way to change them... those springs are under an immense amount of pressure and spring clamps are notorious for slipping off. If they do slip off and you’ve got your hand or head anywhere near them you’ll be in for a serious injury. Do the extra work and remove them properly.

[@etischer]

I would argue that if a spring were to fling off the spring compressor, it would be safer having the spring fully constrained within in the vehicle, rather than flying through the air and knocking out some teeth.

[@Lawrence549]

Brilliant

[@allandogreat]

smart!

[@justme-uw2hc]

Excellent

[@jules13692]

Hi @etischer, great video. My TT has 20mm nuts on top strut mount. What kind of sparkplug socket is that? I only find 14 / 16mm

[@joesmith4691]

14mm spark plug socket is a 21mm

[@jules13692]

@@joesmith4691 Thanks, but I doubt it though, i'm holding a 16mm spark plug socket and its exactly 16mm

[@tomthompson7400]

yep , you can do it that way , as long as its only the top mounts that need doing.

[@BS-ge4ne]

Well that was the premise of the video, changing top mounts

[@flashgordon3715]

I replaced my strut mounts for the same reason. Within 100 miles the gap returned. Any Ideas?

[@4L10]

Some gap is normal on the TT. Mine's the same and on all the photos I've found.

[@gregh7457]

cheap made in china ebay mounts?

[@1950bobster]

Can this be done on a Mk2 TT ?

[@Lehmann108]

Nice video.

[@mealston1725]

Great Upload...one question. What size is the allen wrench that you are using on the piston rod? I have a collection of imperial allens. Went to purchase metric allens but they didnt have the correct size that fits the piston rod.

[@eb121209]

ME Alston Piston rod? Uhhhhhhh....

[@greg105]

Mine is 7mm or imperial equivalent is 9/32.

[@clearkill1337]

thanks so much my dude!

[@kaibintech]

Great and educative video!

[@miguelmarse5077]

😊👌

[@caseyostrander503]

What about torquing the top nut to 44 ft lbs as required? Been trying to figure out how to do this, since a torque wrench can’t be inserted into the socket holding the nut with the allen head tool going through it...

[@caseyostrander503]

NM. Figured it out.

[@etischer]

You could use a crows foot and torque wrench.

[@SageFive]

​@@caseyostrander503 In the future when you figure something out, please share it with us. Some people will find this comment and then are left with the same problem, while you figured out how to do it but didn't share how, lol.

[@caseyostrander503]

@@SageFive In the future, when you think about using a passive-aggressive phrase like, “In the future”... DON’T. All you had to do was ask nicely. Or read etischer’s reply above.

[@francomanca]

Just perfect!

[@Qspecialman]

A really excellent helpful video, thank you.

[@carlgriffith7756]

I just finished my 2005 VW GTI. The only difference was where the torsion bar bolts on. This worked great. Got it done in (for me) record time! Thanks for sharing!!

[@boontang84]

Need to make a video for the passenger side

[@kiwi7341]

Boone Tondini he, he I started with the passenger side, soon discovered it was impossible to do it this way, I actually used many hours dismantling absolutely everything just to get the strut out, crazy.

[@boontang84]

@@kiwi7341 my neighbor actually got it to pop out using a bottle jack, not the smartest answer but it worked.

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

@@kiwi7341 what was different from the driver side?

[@andrewcoley6657]

The drive shaft is longer and it hits the sub frame when the strut is lowered which prevents there being enough room through the strut tower to get access to do the coil compressors. Thinks there's a Good reason he only filmed the 'easy' side.

[@lalithamarasekara6295]

Your are doing easy side what about otherside

[@PlaneNose]

Thx for sharing engeneer, specially the part of compressing the shocks

[@HourGlassLife]

Thanks. I need to do this on my car. Do you have an amazon link for the parts?

[@KeatonsCarlott]

Ive made 10,000$ over 18 years doing strut mounts. I never let anyone see.

[@Way2EasyDIY]

Question, just ordered my new strut mounts and there's a bunch of metal bearing balls. Are those supposed to go somewhere?? Or did I get a damaged part?

[@etischer]

Sounds like your part is damaged if the bearing balls are not in the bearing race. Maybe you can pack them back in?

[@michaelkluge4243]

You never impact apart a shock you are going to reuse, get the right tool or take it to someone who does!

[@MushroomlogicAudio]

Michael Kluge i have been trying to find the right tool. What is it called?