you haven't put the top part right.. it happens to all of us that have taken the lot apart and didn't double check... the top part I'm on about is the part that sits under the strut tower so you'll have to take it apart on both sides and assemble it right.

use one of the online parts catalogues to see how it should be assembled or browse Youtube for an instruction video.

 

the top part I'm on about is the part that sits under the strut tower

Is this the part you are referring to?

 

yes if it is sitting right number 16 will be resting on the strut tower. so either you haven't tightened the middle nut (21 in the picture) properly or you haven't tightened top nut (17 in the picture) all the way down thus ending up with that extra space.

the way yours is right now it'll add extra uncontrolled movement to the steering and may even damage the strut tower (last one will take time before it actually happens)

 

Thanks for the advice! If find it hard to belive that I mounted 18 the wrong way, but not impossible. Annoyingly I did not take pictures of the new strut assembly the day I worked on the car, that would have been very handy right now. Btw the car passed the bi-yearly MOT test (which is quite strict) that we have in Norway after I did this job. After I did the job, and after the MOT, the car went through an engine swap at a garage. I guess it is also possible that they had the strut assembly removed as part of that job to have more room for replacing the engine, and were in a rush to get everything back together...

TODO list:
1. Check if 17 is tightened properly, and if not, re-align and tighten properly.
2. If 1) does not solve the issue, take it all apart

 

How did this go? Just noticed the same issue after putting in new shocks about a month ago , they lined up perfectly when I fit them but seem to have came out of line now. Car is lowered 55mm if anyone else knows if that is a contributing factor.

edit for additional info.

 

Today I removed the front left strut assembly and took it apart. Findings:

• nuts 17 and 21 were tightened properly
• no obvious damage when inspecting the strut assembly before taking it apart
• parts were assembled correctly:

- There is a bit of play in the top mount:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

- The spring disc does not fit very well on the leg of the shock absorber:

Golf MK4 top mount 2/4

www.youtube.com

Compare it to a new unused spring disc I had lying around:

Golf MK4 top mount 3/4

www.youtube.com

- There is some play in the bearing:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

What do you think @northpole ?

 

get a new bearing fit new parts and send it... it should sit flush period.

 

I have ordered a suspension strut support mount kit (SKF VKDA 35113 T), should arrive in the mail by the end of the week.

Hopefully new bearing + new spring disc that fits tighter on the shock absorber piston rod will solve the issue.

 

Do you remember what brand you used originally?

 

Old rusty spring disc - I have no idea
Bearing - Febi Bilstein

 

Thanks!

 

Parts replaced, and it did not solve the issue, the top mount still does not sit flush.

I am wondering if this is because other parts in the front suspension is worn. The car has done 175000 miles (280000km), and still has its original lower control arms, original track rods, one of the ball joints was replaced 4 years ago, the other is original.

it is tempting to "load the parts cannon" again and replace the lower control arms (and possibly one of the ball joints), the only thing holding me back are stories about the dreaded lower control arm front bolt with the captive nut inside the subframe that often breaks free while trying to loosen the bolt.

HOW TO: Repair a spun control arm front bolt (requires welder)

The only possible assembly fault I can think of at this point is the seating of the spring. In every instructional video I have seen the spring is seated near the green arrow in the picture, so that is what I did. But there is a marking in the shock absorber where the yellow arrow is, which I guess could be interpreted as "this is where the end of the spring should be".

 

Does the top of your strut drop down when you’re jacking up the car?

 

When the car is jacked with the wheel of the ground, the strut is centered, but like in the picture the upper strut stop looks like it is resting on the body, while when the car is on the ground there is a few mm clearance between the upper strut stop and the body.

 

Nut 21 tightened after assembly of bellows (23), rubber stop (15), spring (1), spring disc (19), bearing (14) and rubber suspension strut storage (18), with spring compressed. I decompressed the spring after nut 21 was tightened observing correct positioning of the spring.

Nut 17 attached and tightened maybe 70-80 % while car was jacked and wheel of the ground. Nut tightned fully after car was lowered back on the ground.

 

To tighten I just used a vice grips and impact gun I think that’s my issue, I bought proper tooling since and am going to try to fix it on Sunday I will let you know if that fixes it, what I meant by my question is the method you used to tighten those nuts.

 

I have placed the parts cannon back in the closet without firing it and scheduled an appointment with a workshop early in August to get an inspection of the front axle to help identify problems and worn out parts. Until then I am using the car normally, I am not especially worried about the top mount not sitting flush.

 

 

Did you ever sort this? Having this exact issue on my leon and the top mounts are uneven against strut mount.

 

I «solved» it by not worrying about it.

 

Sorry to revive this thread again... does anyone know the part number for #28 in the exploded diagram? They are missing on both my struts.
Thanks

 

Sorry to revive this thread again... does anyone know the part number for #28 in the exploded diagram? They are missing on both my struts.
Thanks

They are probably not missing, you most likely have normal suspension without these distance pieces. I don't have them either on my 1.6 BCB estate, and if you watch any MK4 suspension DIY videos on YT you will see that those guys don't have #28 either. (unless you find a video of a South African MK4 Golf with heavy duty suspension or something like that)

 

1J0412311A

SuspensionShock absorbersAnti-roll bar front Golf/Variant/4Motion (GOLF) 2003 year volkswagen EUROPA 411000

suspensionShock absorbersAnti-roll bar front Golf/Variant/4Motion (GOLF) 2003 year volkswagen EUROPA 411000 spare parts

volkswagen.7zap.com

 

Amazing, thanks very much

 

You can buy silencers for the gap it’s a rubber ring I think it’s normal mine are the same