Suspension and brakes on the Golf

 With the Civic squared away well enough to the the heavy lifting of being a daily driver, I directed attention to the MK4 Golf. There were various squeaks and behaviors that I wanted to address. None seemed urgent, but I would find out that the car was in worse shape that I first thought.

When I would release the parking brake in the morning, the was a terrible sound that can best be described as a "squeak moan". So I checked the rear brakes and noticed that the pads were more worn on one side. After a bit of troubleshooting, I noticed that the parking brake cable was not fully releasing on one side. The cable itself was corroded and needed lube and and a few cycles before it was free. The caliper was also partially seized. So, I replaced the caliper, installed new pads and rotors and bled the brakes. I drove it a few hundred miles and called it good.

Next, I had to address the noise coming from the front suspension when I went over bumps. I jacked up the front of the car and the problem became obvious. When I would wiggle the front suspension, the upper shock mount had tons of play. As it turns out, the bushings were work and...installed upside down. I opted for PowerFlex polyurethane bushings and installed then a few days after they arrived. I drove the car for a few days and the sound from the front was gone. But, the sounds from the rear suspension became the star of the show.