Assembling Front Spring Strut

Information 

When replacing the air spring, always replace the boot/bellows.

After removing gaskets, examine the contact surfaces on housings for burrs and damage.

Always loosen and tighten screws and nuts crosswise for mounting covers and housings.

• When sliding in the rolling piston, the convoluted air bellows must lie evenly between the outer guide and rolling piston (roll fold).

Information 

If you are not replacing the shock absorber, the sealing rings and safety catch must be replaced.

• Make sure that everything remains absolutely clean. The smallest impurities can cause leakages. 
• Clean the contact surfaces of the sealing rings with a lint-free cloth. 
• Lightly grease sealing rings and safety catch with Kluber Syntheso Glep 1 (Part No. 000.043.204.68). 

Information 

The pictures shown in this document may differ from the original.

The further installation is performed in reverse order.

The next sections describe the spring struts with and without PASM.

1. Check all components for damage and soiling (especially all sealing components).
2. Replace the large O-ring in the groove on the adapter ring (welded ring). -Arrow- 

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   Adapter ring (welded ring) with large ring (O-ring)

3. Always replace the safety catch and slide it on as far as the adapter ring (welded ring) -Arrow-  .

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   Always replace safety catch and slide it on as far as the adapter ring (welded ring)

   Information 

   Additional spring defective

   • If the additional spring is defective, the complete air spring must be replaced. 
4. When replacing air springs 

   Check that the additional spring is fitted at the correct position -Arrow-  . See also illustration under Component overview "Spring strut, cut-out view", item 7  .

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   Installation position of additional spring

   1	Additional spring
   2	Air springs
   Pfeil	Centering device

   Information 

   Additional spring defective

   • If the additional spring is defective, the complete air spring must be replaced. 
5. When replacing the air spring, slide the additional spring -1-  into the centering device. Observe correct installation position.

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   Centering device for additional spring 1 in air spring 2, shown as an example.

6. If the shock absorber mounting was replaced: Install the cap.
   1. 6.1 Tighten M6 screws.

      > Tightening torque 10 Nm (7.5 ftlb.)

7. For PASM: Before fitting the air spring,  slide a piece of hose (shop-made) onto the hexagon on the piston rod (air spring shown fitted!). Then fit the air spring. > Hose (self-build) 

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   Hose (self-build)

8. Pull off the hose (self-build). -Arrow- 

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   Replacing small ring (O-ring)

   1. 8.1 To protect the O-ring, mask the thread of the shock absorber. Fit small ring (O-ring) on the piston rod. -Arrow- 

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   Fitting O-ring and masking thread

9. Align the air spring so that the push-on connector for the pressure control valve is located exactly at the axis of symmetry of the shock absorber. Fit shock absorber mounting. > Aligning air spring 

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   Aligning air spring

   1. 9.1 Fitting and tightening new lock nuts.
      1. 9.1.1 Shock absorber, conventional: > Tightening torque 60 Nm (44 ftlb.) +/- 5 Nm (3.5 ftlb.) 
      2. 9.1.2 PASM damper: > Tightening torque 70 Nm (52 ftlb.) +/- 5 Nm (3.5 ftlb.) 
10. If the air spring was rolled up by mistake, check that the roll fold is even all around the rolling piston -Arrows-  .

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    Roll folds

    Information 

    • Make sure that everything remains absolutely clean. The smallest impurities can cause leakages. 
    • Clean the contact surfaces of the sealing rings with a lint-free cloth. 
11. Fit upper air-spring strut -1-  and fit the protective sleeve/bellows loosely on the air spring!
    1. 11.1 Guide the wire harness through the opening in the spring strut mount. Insert the upper air-spring strut into the vehicle and fit it (protective sleeve/bellows only fitted loosely on the air spring!).
    2. 11.2 Do not trap the air line while doing this.

       >433019 REMOVING AND INSTALLING FRONT SPRING STRUT (AIR SPRINGS) 

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    Installing spring strut

12. Fit the grommets on the cables using a Seeger circlip ring pliers. -Grommets- 

    Fit the cables at the same position in the connector according to the cable routing you noted earlier.

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    Opening grommet slightly using Seeger circlip pliers

13. Lift up wheel bearing housing. Do not damage the brake cover plate.

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    Lifting wheel bearing housing (rear axle shown as an example)

14. Raise the axle until the screw for the spring strut prongs and the upper control arm can be inserted on the wheel carrier.
    1. 14.1 With the axle raised further, jiggle it continuously at the rolling piston and turn it back and forth slightly.

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       Air-spring strut rolling piston

       1	Rolling piston
       2	Air springs

    2. 14.2 The safety catch is touching the air-spring rolling piston. Raise it further and press the safety catch into the air-spring rolling piston using a plastic wedge if necessary -Safety catch-  .

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       Raising shock absorber with safety catch into the air-spring rolling piston

    3. 14.3 Raise the axle further until the safety catch in the rolling piston is no longer visible. -Arrow- 

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       Raise the shock absorber with safety catch into the rolling piston. The following are still visible: Shock absorber with adapter ring (welded ring) with large ring (O-ring)

    4. 14.4 Raise the axle further until the adapter ring (welded ring) with the large ring (O-ring) on the shock absorber pipe disappears by about 3 mm into the rolling piston. -Rolling piston- 

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    Raising shock absorber until adapter ring (welded ring) with large ring (O-ring) disappears by about 3 mm

15. Push the pressure control valve open using a 5-mm Allen key and keep it open. Then carefully lower the axle until it is suspended freely. This allows air to flow in and prevents folds from developing in the air spring.
16. Fit the air line and fill the air-spring strut to about 2 bar overpressure using the filling routine on the Porsche System Tester.
17. Check that roll folds are formed evenly in the rolling piston -Arrows-  .

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    Roll folds

18. Finally fit the protective sleeve/bellows and spring strut.

    >433019 REMOVING AND INSTALLING FRONT SPRING STRUT (AIR SPRINGS) .