The original Volkswagen Beetle changed a number of things for the maintenance technician. The muffler was part of the engine, the suspension consisted of front and rear torsion bars, and the brakes, though actually large for a car of the Bug's weight, needed adjustment on a regular basis to make them safe.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. The VW models of the last three decades have come to use the same basic suspension, brakes and exhaust that are standard for makes and models from all over the world. While not different in basic design, VW consistently makes improvements to the designs for application in its line of cars. These improvements have reduced replacement cycles and increased durability.

The focus of this article will be the more common models that you'll encounter on a regular basis: The Golf, Jetta, New Beetle and Cabrio. A lot of this information is applicable to other VWs as well.

Two series of VWs have been produced since 1993. The A3 and A4 series cars are similar with respect to powertrains, but the suspension and brakes have changed along with the increase in wheelbase, wheel size and horsepower. I'll mention here that, due to the many different models and equipment levels available during this period, you will need to have the VIN, engine code, wheel size and brake system type (disc/disc, disc/drum, with or without ABS) to order parts.

BRAKES

A3 cars come with disc front b...