installing upper strut mount kit, any suggestions?

[RoTTirocket]

Installing new upper strut mounts on my 02 TT quattro. It seems fairly basic, just pop the 3 nuts holding the strut tower bar down, and take the other bolts holding the bottom of the strut (behind the front wheel) and drop the strut assembly, and replace old parts with new parts, is this pretty much it? Are there any other things that I need to look out for?

Link for what i'm replacing (http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-TT_MKI...ension/ES5123/)

[RoTTirocket]

So far i'm following the instructions on this fotki which I found through the search button on Quattroworld: http://public.fotki.com/martt/audi_t...019.html#media

Right now I am stuck at picture #24. In this picture the strut completely lowers, to the point where the rubber bushing is able to be taken out. However my strut will not lower, it only goes low enough to the point where it rests ontop of the front sway bay, and there is not enough room to get the strut low enough so I can pry out the mount. Any suggestions? Someone please chime in!!

[RoTTirocket]

that's the height of the strut once everything is removed from the top, and with the whole strut assembly hanging.


There is my problem, driveshaft is resting ontop of the sway bar preventing the front strut to lower further.


Spring compressors helped just a little, but although the spring is compressed, the top of the strut is still in the way

EDIT: re-worded few things, and strut assembly is Bilstein(duh) with Eibach springs

[clarkma5]

Have you disconnected the sway bar at both ends? You could even go so far as to remove it but what I've read (I'm doing this soon myself) is that you can just disconnect the sway bar and rotate it out of the way.

[RoTTirocket]

Have you disconnected the sway bar at both ends? You could even go so far as to remove it but what I've read (I'm doing this soon myself) is that you can just disconnect the sway bar and rotate it out of the way.

I have not removed the sway bar, but if I would, then just remove that bolt holding the sway bar and same as on the other side, and it's able to rotate?

EDIT: re-wording some more

[RoTTirocket]

So I removed the driver side sway bar link from the strut, this allowed me to rotate the sway bar giving me all the clearance I need to remove the strut mount, now I'm stuck on what type of grease I could use to lubricate the mount before I install it. The OE Audi grease pictured here http://public.fotki.com/martt/audi_t...044.html#media is not available at any of the nearby Audi/vw dealerships. Are there any other comparable greases which I could use?