Lower strut brace problems

[Faisal]

Hello,

iv recently hit a pothole and mangled my front lower strut brace. ordered a new one form the dealers,

when it came to fitment, i had an attempt myself but i couldnt get it off because the back of the bolt keeps spinning when i try to take it off...and it looks like its inside the subframe?

is there something im missing? i spoke to a VAG specialist and they are adamant that my car doesnt come with a lower strut brace...so took it to a local garage and they are saying i might have to take my wishbone off and even then,might still not be able to get at it. he offered to heat it up and try to reshape it, as nice as that sounds, i said i'l just leave it.

so basically i want to take the old strut brace off, and get the new one on...
any ideas guys?

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

so to clear it up

you want to take the mangled one off first ??

have they tried with an airgun

 

[Faisal]

yeah i want to take the old one off, then fit the new one.
some reading on here suggests its simple with a few bolts to take off. even though it IS a few bolts, i cant seem to get them off since they keep spinning...

they never mentioned an airgun, id rather do it myself to save a few bob

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

i cant remember if you can get something to the back to stop it spinning ,ie grips or the likes

sure someone whose done this can help out tho

i just fitted mine and never thought back

 

[Jimski]

Remember the fixings for the lower strut brace are the boll-hoffs, and are a compression fitting and it sometimes likely that they lose grip on the back.

Grind/cut the head of the bolt off to remove the brace, then grind off the face of the boll-hoff, this will then just leave a small cylinder of metal rattling around inside the subframe which should ping out on driving.

Just get some more boll-hoffs and bingo bango!

Tried and tested, as i fudged up fitting mine.


Jimski

 

[Faisal]

it seems that the bolt at the back is inside the subframe and theres no logical way of getting my hand into it without having to take everything off...looks like another stupid design along with the door seals which leak and crappy hose clips amongst other things iv noticed over the years lol

 

[Faisal]

Remember the fixings for the lower strut brace are the boll-hoffs, and are a compression fitting and it sometimes likely that they lose grip on the back.

Grind/cut the head of the bolt off to remove the brace, then grind off the face of the boll-hoff, this will then just leave a small cylinder of metal rattling around inside the subframe which should ping out on driving.

Just get some more boll-hoffs and bingo bango!

Tried and tested, as i fudged up fitting mine.


Jimski

thanks a lot mate!will give that a bash. once i f*ck up,il be back here

 

[Jimski]

Haha no problem dude,

Just to illustrate;

The cylinder type collar which the bolt is inside is the bollhoff, it compresses/squeezes/squashes when you fit them.

Basically yours has maybe twisted and lost its "grip", but if you lose that collar on the front, there will be no fitting left and you'll just be left with the subframe whole once again.

Jimski

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

well u could take the garages offer up and heat it up , they then attempt to undo , it breaks and job done, i had a cu nt of a bolt that i couldnt get off , oxi set'd it off and fitted new ( well my unlce did

 

[Ronin225]

As jimski said it is a rivnut (Bollhoff is just manufacturers name, do lots of industrial fastners)
Need to cut head off bolts to remove brace then drill/grind off the lip that stops it falling through the hole
Tidy hole and start again with fresh parts

 

[Faisal]

Sound as a round pound. will get hold of the nuts and get cracking asap.

cheers guys!

 

[Jimski]

haha no worries, all sorted then?


Jimski

 

[Faisal]

ordered the rivnuts from Seat,gona be in on saturday so il hopefully have it sorted - or broken - by the evening