front strut question

[SEABEECM1]

99 beetle TDI need to replace struts for the front see alot of threads on How To but not brands . Not looking for anything fancy but at the same time time I dont want to install JUNK

[h_2_o]

do you want to do just the struts or struts and springs?

if just struts look into koni orange srt-t. they give a very good ride and if you get them online if you look around they are as cheap as anything else out there.

if you want struts/springs napa for a little more is now offering monroe's in an already assembled setup which makes the job that much easier. they are not the best but they are not junk either.

rockauto also sells some pretty cheap stuff that is pretty good as well but off the top of my head i forget which ones it is over there.

[doublebarrel]

I am running the Koni orange STR-T with jetta vr6 springs and love the ride.Gave me 1 1/2 to 2" lift which I like.

[h_2_o]

i do know that one of the cheap items at rockauto were the vr6 springs. anyway good luck and if you are doing the struts since you will have them out of there save yourself the headache and replace the strut mount and bearing now.

[boertje]

I replaced mine with Bilstein TC sport from boraparts. Shocks and struts for 269 delivered. I replaced the strut mount bushing and bearing and sway bar bushings and lower control arm bushings at the same time. It is a totally different car. I have done this to 6 cars now using these struts and shocks.

[vols]

So I'm hoping the TDI folks won't get too upset for a 2.0er posting here. It's pretty much the same issue across the car lines. Y'all just get to claim better gas mileage.

To preface-I took my darling in to be relubed this afternoon and got quite a shock. They wouldn't rotate/balance saying I needed new struts. Which I knew but wasn't aware how big of an issue it was. The struts that I'd previously been told would need to be replaced have cost me 2 fairly new tires.

I'll take the blame for it because I didn't realize the issues involved in not replacing shocks/struts, having never owned a vehicle long enough for it to be a necessity.

There are little jobs I can DIY. This is not one of them. It may be little to some of you. In my imagination, I break my car. So my thought was to order everything to get the best deal on parts and take it to one of the locally owned shops for install. Thoughts?

This is what I'm looking at.
Meyle struts
ECS suspension kit
plus trying to find reasonably priced shocks.

Is there anything else I'd have to purchase? Is there something you think would be a better bet for a student with no income?

EDIT to add: I have an '01 2.0.

[boertje]

Here is what I did on my bugs.
Struts and shocks
Strut mounts and bearings
TT lower control arm bushings
Sway bar bushings
Of the 7 cars I have done in the last few months, I have not had to change any tie rods nor ball joints.
I love those Bilstien shocks. It is how the car was meant to ride.

[WardB]

Those Bilsteins look great. The site says the ride height is about an inch lower than stock on an '01 Golf. Did they affect your ride height?

That is the dealer breaker with me. My bug just can't go any lower and still be able to get in and out of driveways.

[lglamb]

My interpretation (on about the 3rd read thru) of his description was that the 1" lowering was from the springs he had also installed.

A few months ago there was some discussion about getting springs from NAPA that were for one of the wagon models. it seemed to be fairly economically friendly. (I'm part Scottish.) I can't find my link to the info just now.

fwiw, I did come across this write-up on replacing the struts (actually putting in coil-overs, but should be close enuf).

Noah's MkIV VW H&R Coilover Installation HOWTO

[boertje]

My ride height with stock springs was as it was when the car was new. The struts did not lower the car but rather the springs did.