Glad you were able to get it.

 

Yes, Thanks. When this first happened. I was fed-up. I was just about ready to take it to the scrap yard for $250 per ton.

 

Update: When I went to loosen the front bushing bolt on the lower control arm. I heard a snap. I thought I snapped-off the bolt. Behold, the bolt came-out intact. Nightmare, The nut inside the subframe for the bolt. The tack weld busted. That was the snap I heard. The nut is lost for ever inside the subframe with no access to get to it. What I also, learned from this nightmare is, it's not a nut. It's a shoulder-less threaded thing with no Hex-head to tighten nor get a hold of to tighten. What was VW thinking when they did this is beyond me.
My solution,
Using a air cutting wheel and air chisel. Behind the nut location. I cut a 1 inch in size access door. Just big enough to fit a socket into the access door. Peel back to open. Behold there's the nut or they say, the shoulder-less threaded thing. I then, grinded a Hex shaped head on the shoulder-less threaded thing so I'm able to get a socket on it to tighten. I added a lock-washer behind the nut. I tightened it. Bent back the metal door. Done! I feel I didn't weaken the sub-frame by cutting a 1 inch door into it. Still solid. Drives fine with no issues.

 

You will not accidentally remove the axle after removing the 3 ball joint bolts. Your biggest issue will be the front bushing bolt on each side. There is a capture nut tack welded on the inside of the subframe. That capture nut tends to become detached and then the bolt is more or less impossible to get out.

Here is the thread explaining the problem and how to fix it.

Subframe repair

Well, today started out nicely. Beautiful weather, and a nice day planned doing maintance on my tdi. I had planned on replacing the passenger front wheelbearing, both ball joints, and the a-arm rubber bushings with poly ones. I should have known something was happening when the ball-joints didnt...

forums.tdiclub.com

Some cut a door as oldpoopie did, others drill a large circular hole. I cut a door but with limited access to a welder just bent it back into place. I’ve had to do both sides on mine. My daughters beetle on the other hand has been ok so far.

I’ve never done an automatic before but if you need to lower the subframe just loosen the big 21mm bolts and let it down an inch or two. Make sure you tighten those bolts back up.