HR Components (HRC)

VW Golf R32 3.2L 240PS 5 Door Reflex Silver DIY Page

Word of warning: Never work on a car which is jacked up only by a jack, use axle stands. Also, always check, double check, recheck and check again all the bolts are done correctly and nothing is obstructing other things. All these are done at the owners own risk, i will not be held responsible if you injure yourself or damage your car.

Rear Anti Roll Bar (H&R):

Front Anti Roll Bar (H&R):

Dogbone Mount (PowerFlex):

Front Lower Strut Brace (Neuspeed):

Rear Strut Brace (Yarrow SPort):

Front Upper Strut Brace (Neuspeed):

Short Shifter (HPA):

Cold Air Intake (Carbonio):

Cold Air Intake (Apexi Filter):

Cat Back (BlueFlame):

High Flow Catalytic Converter (BlueFlame):

S3 Covers:

Rear Anti Roll Bar (H&R):
Tools:
Axle Stands x2
Jack x2
Chocks x2
13mm Open ended xx (Bush Bracket)
13mm Socket
18mm Socket
18mm Open ended x2 (EndLink Nuts)
Torque Wrench 20-100nm - May need two different ones, one for low torque and the other for the high torque bits.
WD40/Plus Gas - To loosen nuts
Silicone Lubricant - For Bushes
2x Bush Bracket Bolts

It is absolutely a good idea to change these bolts, as they dont really cost that much to replace. The reason being they are stretch bolts, they have plastic style coating (Loctite style) which locks the bolt in place to give even more strength. Once you use them and take them off, the glue like stuff is no longer going to bond. If you dont have them at hand, you can use the existing ones till you get replacements, make sure you get them quick.

I bought both Front and Rear H&R Anti Roll bars from Big Boyz Toys in Lakeside. So decided to fit them both at the same time, the rear was easy but had some issues.

1: Gaining Access:
Jack the car up according to the manufacturers recommendations. I choked the front wheels so they don't roll forward, using a trolley jack, i raised the rear. Stuck some jack stands in place so the car was solid off the ground. I put the jack stands where the red bits are in the pic below, these are the manufacturers recommended jacking points:

2: Remove Exhaust:
Using Plus Gas, i sprayed the center section of the exhaust nuts (where the back box connects to the cat). Using a socket and wrench i undid the bolts holding the exhaust clamp and made sure the exhaust can move out of the clamp. Definitely check the clamp, as mine dropped for some reason, leaving an inch less clearance when going over bumps.

Here are some more pics of the Hangers

This is the exhaust connection between the exhaust back box and center pipe, thought i may have to remove this, but didnt. Some exhaust systems dont have a connection here.

Then using jack stands, i supported the front and back of the exhaust back box and slowly removed the exhaust from its hangers. You may want to replace the hangers, depends on what kind of wear they have got. This was a bit fiddly, so sprayed WD40 on them and after a while they just slipped out. Once the exhaust was removed, the heat shield was next

3: Remove Heat Shield:
Using a flathead screw driver, i pried open the circular retaining discs as pictured in the above pic, then simply twised them off anti clock wise. They came off pretty easily.

Then came the exhaust hangers themselves, using a socket and wrench i undid both sides, they were using different screws on both sides, anyways, while doing the drivers side, one of the bolts snapped off. Once you remove the hangers, you gain access to the heat shield, you should be able to move it about. The screw like heads where the discs were screwed on to may need to be remove or you may need to force the heat shield to come out. After this, i simply gave the heat shield a tug and it came clean off. Be careful, its not that heavy, but sure looks it.

4: Remove Anti Roll bar:
First things to undo is the end point links, as doing these last is going to cause you problems. As the central part of the Anti Roll bar is fixed, this should give you ample hold so you can remove the end links, if you do this after removing the central parts, then your going to have some issues. Simply using a open ended wrench between the end link and the anti roll bar (16mm and 17mm), and use another one on the bolt itself, while holding one firmly undo the bolt. It should come off pretty easily, i sprayed plus gas on all the bolts. Once end links are removed, you can remove the central parts holding the bushes etc. Use a ratchet for them. Here is a pic of what the stock anti roll bar looks like compared to the H&R one. Not much of a difference you may say, that's what i thought as well.

5: Preparing Anti Roll Bar for Install:
You will have to use the bushing bracket from the stock bar and the nuts/bolts as well. I added Silicone Lubricant just in case,

H&R state you will never have to lubricate their bushings ever. Now all you have to do is fit it all back in reverse order. With one change, this time, just loosely attach the end links to the anti roll bar, then you can twist the central part into place, helps a lot. I attached the end points at the stiffest point. You will notice two holes at the end of each bar, the one closest to the end is not as stiff as the other one. Once you have torque all the nuts for the anti roll bar, you can put the heat shield back on, and then the exhaust. Lower the car and get ready to feel the difference.

6: Test Drive carefully
Now you have finished, slowly test drive at first, and when you are certain everything is ok, go for a longer one and enjoy the roundabouts and bends. You will feel a more bumps on the road and also be bouncing a bit more in the seat, feels good though.

Front Anti Roll Bar (H&R):
Tools:
Axle Stands x2
Jack x2
Chocks x2
21mm Socket (Subframe Bolts)
13mm Socket (Steering Rack and Bush Brackets)
16mm Socket (Dogbone Mount)
13mm Open ended xx (Bush Bracket)
18mm Open ended x2 (EndLink Nuts)
Torque Wrench 20-100nm - May need two different ones, one for low torque and the other for the high torque bits. May also need an adapter to lengthen the sockets unless you got a deep reach socket.
WD40/Plus Gas - To loosen nuts
Silicone Lubricant - For Bushes
2x Long Subframe Bolts
2x Short Subframe Bolts
4x Steering Rack Bolts
2x Bush Bracket Bolts
2x Dogbone Mount Bolts

It is absolutely a good idea to change these bolts, as they dont really cost that much to replace. The reason being they are stretch bolts, they have plastic style coating (Loctite style) which locks the bolt in place to give even more strength. Once you use them and take them off, the glue like stuff is no longer going to bond. If you dont have them at hand, you can use the existing ones till you get replacements, make sure you get them quick.

1: Gaining Access:
Jack the car up according to the manufacturers recommendations. I choked the rear wheels so they don't roll back, using a trolley jack, i raised the front. Stuck some jack stands in place so the car was solid off the ground. I put the jack stands where the red bits are in the pic below, these are the manufacturers recommended jacking points:

I jacked my car up on the left and on the right, here you can see the engine and transmission being supported by a hydraulic jack holding a peice of wood to distribute the weight (Not recommended). In the back you also see the subframe being supported. As we are going to take the dogbone mount off as well as lower the subframe.

Axle stand on the drivers side

Axle stand on the passenger side. If you are having problems getting a axle stand there as you are also jacking up on that point. What i did was to put the axle stand under suspension bar and then jack up from the subframe, allowing enough clearance to put the axle stands where they are in the pictures

A pic of the existing ARB in between the subframe and car. Its the big bar going from center left to bottom right

This is the endlinks for the front arb. I sprayed plus gas on the endlink bolts as well as all the other bolts that need to be removed. 4 Subframe bolts, 4 steering rack bolts, 2 bush braket bolts, 2 end link bolts, and 2 dogbone mount bolts. Spray and leave for about 10 minutes. Once that time has elapsed, you can start lowering the subframe, gently ease the pressure on the jack supporting your subframe, you need to go down enough so that the arb can fit through where the Subframe + Bolt Hole is pictured in the pic below this one.

Once the subframe is low enough, turn the steering to one side, that way it gives you more access to the bush bracket bolts. Just loosen the bush bracket bolts, you will need a 13mm spanner for this. Then you can start undoing the endlinks, its best doing the endlinks while the bush brackets are already connected. My spanner is in the pic vafter the subframe has been lowered, in this pic i am undoing the bracket for the bushes. After undoing both sides, you can push out the bar via the Subframe + Bolt Hole bit in the picture below. Once you take the arb out, you will need to keep the brackets as you will be reusing these.

You can see the nut for the Bush here (13mm)

Now the end links are disconnected

Arb Comparisons, the H&R ones are bigger (Turns out the Stock ones are also by H&R. It weighs about twice as much as the stock one.

Anyways, now your at the stage to put the new bar into place, one thing you should take note, do not connect the brackets yet, just put the bar in place, and raise it slightly, as you will need to attach the steering rack first otherwise you will have major nightmares. Due to the steering rack tie rods having a 10mm bit that is protruding, this bit goes into the subframe and if you try to insert it while the brackets of the bar are connected, there is no chance. After you connect the steering rack to the subframe, dont tighten it yet, connect the arb bush brackets and leave loose, here you may find that the bracket does not go close enough to get a hold for the bolt, what i did was to lift the end link part and lower while pushing at the bracket, this worked a charm, may need 2 or 3 takes, but it does get there, other option is to use long long nose pliers, very big ones as well. Also, at this point you can connect the end links as well (here you have two choices, just like the rear bar, the front has two settings, one for stiffest and the other not so stiff. Use the not so stiff setting at first, meaning the hole at the end). What you need to do now is raise the subframe and connect all the bolts, dont tighten either, just make sure they got a good hold. Once everything is ready, start torquing the bush brackets, then the end links, then the steering rack and finally the sub frame. Check all the bolts are on, double check all the bolts again, it may save your life, then recheck them all again. Now you can connect the dogbone mount bolts back into place and torque them to the correct settings. Once all that is done, try the steering while the car is raised, make sure theres no clunks or anything stopping the steering from moving side to side. Check nothing is out of place, one good hint is to take pics of the areas your messing with before hand and compare with the finished article. After that, you can put your wheels back on and lower the car. Now, the final bit, tidy up and slowly test drive the car. If you hear any noise or feel a lot more vibrations, then stop and double check what you did, somethings not right. Just to be on the safe side, if everything works fine, then go for a short drive, or long one depending on how its feeling. One thing to note is double check the torque settings on every single bolt after a couple of days, making sure nothing has come loose.

Dogbone Mount (PowerFlex):

Tools:
Axle Stands x2
Jack x2
Chocks x2
13mm Open ended xx (Bush Bracket)
13mm Socket
16mm Socket
18mm Open ended x2 (EndLink Nuts)
Torque Wrench 20-100nm - May need two different ones, one for low torque and the other for the high torque bits.
WD40/Plus Gas - To loosen nuts

It is absolutely a good idea to change these bolts, as they dont really cost that much to replace. The reason being they are stretch bolts, they have plastic style coating (Loctite style) which locks the bolt in place to give even more strength. Once you use them and take them off, the glue like stuff is no longer going to bond. If you dont have them at hand, you can use the existing ones till you get replacements, make sure you get them quick.

1: Gaining Access:
Jack the car up according to the manufacturers recommendations. I choked the rear wheels so they don't roll back, using a trolley jack, i raised the front. Stuck some jack stands in place so the car was solid off the ground. I put the jack stands where the red bits are in the pic below, these are the manufacturers recommended jacking points:

Axle stand on the drivers side

You wont need to support the subframe here, the pic was taken while doing the front ARB, which pretty much has nearly everything similar in getting the car ready as a dogbone mount change. Once you have the car jacked up and supported, you need to undo both the Transmission bolts as well as the bolts attaching the mount to the subframe. Once removed you can either change the bushes or put on a different mount like the VF Engineering mount. This will reduce wheel hop and may also bring extra vibrations into the car as the aftermarket bushes are stiffer than the stock ones. Refitting is the reverse of taking the mount off. If you dont have a strut brace at the bottom its a lot easier.

Front Lower Strut Brace (Neuspeed):
Tools:
Axle Stands x2
Jack x2
Chocks x2
21mm Socket (Subframe Bolts)
13mm Socket (Steering Rack and Bush Brackets)
16mm Socket (Dogbone Mount)
13mm Open ended xx (Bush Bracket)
18mm Open ended x2 (EndLink Nuts)
Torque Wrench 20-100nm - May need two different ones, one for low torque and the other for the high torque bits. May also need an adapter to lengthen the sockets unless you got a deep reach socket.
WD40/Plus Gas - To loosen nuts
Silicone Lubricant - For Bushes
2x Long Subframe Bolts
2x Short Subframe Bolts
4x Steering Rack Bolts
2x Bush Bracket Bolts
2x Dogbone Mount Bolts
2x Bolts for Strut Brace (Use VW Bolts)

It is absolutely a good idea to change these bolts, as they dont really cost that much to replace. The reason being they are stretch bolts, they have plastic style coating (Loctite style) which locks the bolt in place to give even more strength. Once you use them and take them off, the glue like stuff is no longer going to bond. If you dont have them at hand, you can use the existing ones till you get replacements, make sure you get them quick.

1: Gaining Access:
Jack the car up according to the manufacturers recommendations. I choked the rear wheels so they don't roll back, using a trolley jack, i raised the front. Stuck some jack stands in place so the car was solid off the ground. I put the jack stands where the red bits are in the pic below, these are the manufacturers recommended jacking points:

I jacked my car up on the left and on the right, here you can see the engine and transmission being supported by a hydraulic jack holding a peice of wood to distribute the weight (Not recommended). In the back you also see the subframe being supported.We are only going to lower the subframe a little so we can undo the bolts and put the strut brace in place, i cant recollect if the steering rack tie rod needs to be removed.

Axle stand on the drivers side

Here you can see the dogbone mount as well as my lower strut brace from Neuspeed. The yellow bit is the powerflex bush which i replaced not long ago. Either side of the bush, is two nuts securing it to the subframe. You wont need to do anything to them. On the right hand side of the strut brace, theres two big nuts (16mm) securing the dogbone mount to the transmission housing. The nut in the middle is a lot longer than the one on the far right. I had absolutely no problems with it in place. You can see two of the steering rack bolts in the pic, theres two more on the other side as thats the passenger side. Also, the subframe bolt, theres one showing there, theres another on the other side as well as two more hidden, which is easier to find if your under the car. I sprayed Plus Gas on all the bolts that i have to remove, in the pic below, all those bolts pictures are removed, as well as the two bolts on the end of the strut brace you see there, obviously you wont have the strut brace there already, or you may have another one to replace. Once you remove all the bolts, you can slowly let the jack holding the subframe up down, not too much, just enough for you to put the strut brace in place and torque to spec. At this point, you can also change the dogbone mount if you like, wise to do everything that is needed under there at the same time. Saves time and hassle. After this, refit everything in reverse order of how you took them off. Use new bolts, as it is recommended. once you have everything back on and the car is off the jacks, drive slowly, making sure you hear no clunks or the car is not having problems. If everything is ok, go for a short drive, and if all is good then, go for a long drive and enjoy your work.

Rear Strut Brace (Yarrow SPort):

Front Upper Strut Brace (Neuspeed):

Short Shifter (HPA):

Cold Air Intake (Carbonio):

Cold Air Intake (Apexi Filter):

Cat Back (BlueFlame):

High Flow Catalytic Converter (BlueFlame):

S3 Covers (OEM):
Here you will see my trial fitting of the S3 Battery Cover and the S3 Expansion Tank cover. The whole thing makes the engine bay a lot more tidy looking. Will be spraying it soon.