Larry, I replaced all bushings in the front suspension a couple of years ago. It's not a difficult job but requires a special press tool to remove the lower ball joint from the spindle. The A-arm bushings require filing off some spot welds, pressing out the bushing, pressing in the new ones and re-spot welding to keep them from turning. Heat should be minimized with these welds. The rubber bushings in the lower arm can be pushed out with a press. A good, but not necessarily a VW specialist, machine shop can do this. Look at the Bentley manual for instructions. I believe that if you are going to go to all the work you might as well do everything. I used aftermarket parts and I currently have some play in the lower ball joints and in the upper A-arm bushings. When I fix these I will use (and pay the price for) VW dealer parts. Others have also suggested there is considerable variability is the quality of these parts. I am very disappointed in the quality of the aftermarket parts I purchased. Ed |
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