Removal of Rear Shock Absorbers

Front-wheel-drive models
Before replacing the shock absorbers, determine which suspension is fitted to your vehicle. Only then can you order the correct shock absorbers. This can be found on the vehicle data plate, located in the spare wheel well under the mat. The designation means:

1BA – standard version
1BE – sport version
1BB – version for poor roads
Now you can begin:

PROCEDURE

Remove the strut.

Install the spring compressor on the coils of the spring and compress the spring slightly.

To prevent the spring compressors from slipping off, wrap the corresponding coils of the spring with adhesive tape.

Remove the upper rubber mount of the shock absorber strut.

Loosen the upper self-locking nut on the shock absorber piston rod. Hold the rod with an Allen key while doing so.

Hold the shock absorber and remove it after removing the nut.

Remove the springs and other components from the shock absorber.

Note during installation:
When correctly installed, the lower end of the spring points rearward on the left side of the vehicle and forward on the right side.

The colour marking on the spring indicates the downward direction toward the spring seat.

The lower mounting hole on the shock absorber is perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Assemble the components in the sequence shown in the illustration below.

Installation of the shock absorber strut is described in the previous section.

All-wheel drive models
On all-wheel drive vehicles (Audi 80 quattro), the shock absorber is separated from the removed strut assembly using a spring compressor. This is easy to do.

Installation is more difficult: the angle between the lower shock absorber mount and the upper shock absorber mount must be exactly 21 ± 2° in the installed condition. Without the V.A.G 1752 alignment template used by Audi workshops, it is practically impossible to set this accurately. Our advice for those who do not want to hand the entire job to a workshop: remove the strut assembly, have a workshop align the shock absorber precisely, and then reinstall the strut assembly at home.