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Thought i'd post this up for future reference for someone - Only because i've had this problem!
I got a set of GTI shocks/springs/rear sway bar and got it all installed (except the bar) as the suspension place couldn't for the life of them get the stock bushings (which I had for the GTI bar) to fit the bar, nor get them into the holder.
The stock bushings measure about 19mm on the 'longest' side and about 17.5mm on the shortest side. The GTI bar is 21.7mm so that's a massive difference and they really SEEM like they won't fit.
Tonight I got them to fit.
First off you need to take out the old bar - You can actually use a very good set of allen keys (cheap ones will just strip and you'll be screwed) in the 'triple square' bolt heads. For the clamps holding the bushings you need an 8mm allen key and for the bolts holding the ends you need a 5mm one for the centre and an 16mm ring spanner for the nut. Make sure you loosen all bolts/nuts first to make sure you can get them all undone, in case some are overly tight. Make sure your allen key goes 'into' the head, otherwise it'll slip and you'll hurt yourself, or worse, strip the head!
Ideally you want to do this with the whole back of the car off the ground. I did it with the standard jack, but I only needed to lift the car about 10cm higher so I could fit under. I had the jack on the left side of the car and I could simply maneuver the bar out the right side of the car.
Getting the brackets off the old bar is easy enough, simply put it on the ground with the brackets on their back and put a foot on either side and lift a bit and it should start to come out (careful not to whack yourself with the bar). Due to the whole risk of whacking myself with a flying bar, I simply used a screwdriver to lever it out the rest of the way.
Now, if you are using the same bar and just getting new bushings or if you have a new bar, it's the same process. The bushing (stock VW ones) will seem impossibly small. If you use a small amount of white lithium grease on the inside of the metal of the bracket and then put the rubber bushing around the bar as far as you can. Place the rubber bushing 'joined side' down on top of the upturned bracket. If you are rich and can afford a vice or something similar then this would be heaps easier, otherwise I simply stood on one end of the bar and got someone else to stand on the bar close to the bracket. Once it started going in a little I used a rubber mallet to get it in. It still won't go all the way, but that's OK, it'll go in when you bolt it to the car... Repeat the process with the other side. I know all this sounds rather dodgy, but it's not THAT difficult and it doesn't require any special tools.
Once you've done this put the bar back into the car (reverse the process for getting it out!) and bolt the rubber bushings on first. If you didn't face them the same/right direction it'll be a lot harder for you now as the bushings are so tight the bar doesn't actually move in the rubber!.
Bolt it all up - you'll have to make the car level to get the last end link bolt in though, but other than that, you will be done!
Enjoy. The hardest part was believing that the rubber bushings would fit. The bushings for a 19.6mm bar end in the number '327AQ' and the bushings for the 21.7mm bar are '327AS'. Hope this helps someone else avoid the headache I went through trying to source ones that fit!
Aaron
I got a set of GTI shocks/springs/rear sway bar and got it all installed (except the bar) as the suspension place couldn't for the life of them get the stock bushings (which I had for the GTI bar) to fit the bar, nor get them into the holder.
The stock bushings measure about 19mm on the 'longest' side and about 17.5mm on the shortest side. The GTI bar is 21.7mm so that's a massive difference and they really SEEM like they won't fit.
Tonight I got them to fit.
First off you need to take out the old bar - You can actually use a very good set of allen keys (cheap ones will just strip and you'll be screwed) in the 'triple square' bolt heads. For the clamps holding the bushings you need an 8mm allen key and for the bolts holding the ends you need a 5mm one for the centre and an 16mm ring spanner for the nut. Make sure you loosen all bolts/nuts first to make sure you can get them all undone, in case some are overly tight. Make sure your allen key goes 'into' the head, otherwise it'll slip and you'll hurt yourself, or worse, strip the head!
Ideally you want to do this with the whole back of the car off the ground. I did it with the standard jack, but I only needed to lift the car about 10cm higher so I could fit under. I had the jack on the left side of the car and I could simply maneuver the bar out the right side of the car.
Getting the brackets off the old bar is easy enough, simply put it on the ground with the brackets on their back and put a foot on either side and lift a bit and it should start to come out (careful not to whack yourself with the bar). Due to the whole risk of whacking myself with a flying bar, I simply used a screwdriver to lever it out the rest of the way.
Now, if you are using the same bar and just getting new bushings or if you have a new bar, it's the same process. The bushing (stock VW ones) will seem impossibly small. If you use a small amount of white lithium grease on the inside of the metal of the bracket and then put the rubber bushing around the bar as far as you can. Place the rubber bushing 'joined side' down on top of the upturned bracket. If you are rich and can afford a vice or something similar then this would be heaps easier, otherwise I simply stood on one end of the bar and got someone else to stand on the bar close to the bracket. Once it started going in a little I used a rubber mallet to get it in. It still won't go all the way, but that's OK, it'll go in when you bolt it to the car... Repeat the process with the other side. I know all this sounds rather dodgy, but it's not THAT difficult and it doesn't require any special tools.
Once you've done this put the bar back into the car (reverse the process for getting it out!) and bolt the rubber bushings on first. If you didn't face them the same/right direction it'll be a lot harder for you now as the bushings are so tight the bar doesn't actually move in the rubber!.
Bolt it all up - you'll have to make the car level to get the last end link bolt in though, but other than that, you will be done!
Enjoy. The hardest part was believing that the rubber bushings would fit. The bushings for a 19.6mm bar end in the number '327AQ' and the bushings for the 21.7mm bar are '327AS'. Hope this helps someone else avoid the headache I went through trying to source ones that fit!
Aaron
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