So, a week ago Suzanne was driving the Golf along and heard an alarming "Sproing!!" from the front passenger's side. I jacked it up and sure enough, about 3 inches had broken off of the coil spring on the strut. And actually, once I got into the job, I discovered another 2 or 3 inches of spring, so 5-6 inches had broken off in total. Not dangerous but definitely disconcerting.
So I replaced the struts. not much more expensive than only replacing the springs, and "easier" since one doesn't have to get the spring compressors out, deal with heavily loaded coil springs and such.
However, I should have gotten the spring compressors out, as the struts have only so much clearance. Technically it's only 2 bolts, but after you've removed the brake caliper, disconnected the sway-bar end link, disconnected the passenger's side driveshaft (for which you had to remove the skid plate, at which point you discovered 2 spinning rivnuts and had to grind off the bolts with an angle grinder)...
It's more than 2 bolts. But in hindsight, I could probably have gotten the clearance I needed by compressing the strut!
Ah, live and learn. And write it down so that next time you don't have to learn it all over again!
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