Hi,

Check out this link to get you started:

http://www.4130-products.com/step/struts/index.htm

Also check the other DYI stuff from there ,very helpful.

As for the strut mounts , a 22mm socket will work but the trick is to not
let the strut shaft spin . If you notice there is a hex hole on the shaft
that is meant for an allen key. That special tool is nothing more than an
open ended socket that is turned with a wrench while holding the allen key
through the center and stopping the shaft from spinning. There are a couple
of ways around this. You may just get lucky and the bolt will loosen with
out problems, You could make your own tool by filing down the sides of a
deep 22mm socket so that it can be turned with wrench or use an impact
wrench which just zip the nut right off. What I have done in the past is to
use a pair of vise grips on the strut shaft up inside the wheel well to hold
it while i worked on the top nut. You have to use caution so as not to mar
the shaft where it will travel in the strut . a pair of spring compressors
will be needed as well as jack stands, safety first. There will be a slotted
nut that needs to be removed to get the strut mount off. I did not use the
VW special tool here either . A few taps with a nail set in the nut grooves
and the nut came loose. Assemble is just the reverse You will need an
alignment when you are done .

As for the brakes . The minimum width of a rotor is 10mm I believe so the
first thing to do is make sure that you actually need the rotors. Assuming
that you i would just get new ones at Pep boys or PartsBin.com might as
well get new pads at the same time . I think that you will have to remove a
bracket from the wheel to get the rotor off , no big deal but the bolts will
be tight as hell you'll need a cheater pipe to aid your leverage. The screw
that holds the rotor on can be a pain , the above site gives some good
advise on how to deal.If it breaks off you can without or have a couple
ready from the dealer.

If you need any help , email me an I'll try to help. As for Firestone , all
I can say is that at best they are guilty of a conflict of interest. I once
spent 4 hours waiting for tires to be mounted a a local Firestone shop here
in Connecticut and believe when I say that they tried to up sell every
single customer that went past me . It was like a comedy . the service
manager would come out with a grave look on his face followed by a service
tech and they would explain how they found this problem or that while doing
an oil change or whatever . Every single person! I really can't understand
how the States can give so much power to these independent shops to do
inspections. What do they think will happen.





> From:
> Organization: http://groups.google.com
> Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled
> Date: 21 Oct 2004 00:29:18 -0700
> Subject: Advice needed replacing A3 brakerotors and strut mounts.
>
> I just took my '98 Jetta TDI (w/ 87k miles) to Firestone for a
> maintenance inspection to get my annual PA state inspection sticker
> (after getting cited yesterday for it being expired). They denied
> passing my vehicle and found (surprise, surprise...) that the
> following needed immediate correction:
>
> 1) streaking windshield wiper blade
> 2) a burned out driving light
> 3) front brake rotors are thin & need replacing
> 4) front strut mounts need replacing
>
> To correct these items they are asking a mere $561.68, which
> (surprise, surprise...) I find unacceptable.
>
> I would like fix these items myself. The first two are easy, the 3rd I
> haven't done before but I have replaced the pads once and I assume I
> can do the rotors myself if they aren't too rusted to the wheel hubs.
>
> But I'd like the groups advice on the following:
>
> -Does it really make a difference if I buy a cheap pair of new rotors
> from says PEP Boys vs. the OEM ones from the VW dealer? (I don't think
> I'll have time to mail order these items from Impex, etc.)
>
> -I've never done any suspension work before, but from reading the
> Bentley manual, it appears that I'll need 3 new tools (VW524 for the
> top retaining nut, the VW3078 for the flange nut on top of the strut,
> and a spring compressor) just to replace the $2.87 strut mount
> bushings. Is there any way around this? Should I go ahead and replace
> the strut bearing as well while everything is disassembled? Should I
> consider getting new shock absorber inserts too? Also, why can't I
> just use a regular 21mm /22mm socket instead of the open wall
> specialty tool VW3078?
>
> I'd like to learn these new repairs as I plan to keep this car for a
> long time and will likely need to replace the shocks in the future (&
> thus perhaps justify the tool purchases), but I'm short on time, I
> don't have a indoor workspace (and more rain is forecasted) and don't
> know how involved these repairs might become. It seems strange that I
> have to remove the entire strut assembly just to replace the mounts!
>
> The good news is, at least I bought a lifetime alignment from
> Firestone awhile ago!
>
> Any other advice for these repairs for shadetree mechanic would be
> appreciated. If some knows of an online FAQ w/ pictures that'd be
> great too. I Google-searched but didn't find much.
>
> Thanks!