I might get flamed for bumping an old thread, but I wanted to share a short synopsis for all that I've learned from researching this install over the last week:
1) manual trans owners, don't worry about dropping the subframe. Fortune favors you once you've installed a real clutch and flywheel on your car. Keep being awesome. Enjoy your weight savings and your better front end packaging.
2) DSG owners willing to drop the subframe: re-install it with some type of DeadSet kit, which properly centers the subframe every time. Dropping (even just the front of the subframe a few inches) makes for better geometry during reassembly to get the lower ball joint studs into the new arm, but also creates more to worry about during reassembly.
You can witness this played out with DAP's install video here (excellent coverage):
DAP Mk7 GTI LCA install & subframe lowering
3) DSG owners NOT wishing to drop the subframe: if you're on a 2-post lift, many folks have reported success from unbolting the dog bone/pendulum mount and using a large pry bar to shift the motor out of the way in order to extract the left front LCA bolt. This is still likely a 2-person job. One person works the motor and trans, the other works the bolt out.
If you can do both by yourself with only two arms and two hands, then your woman is very well satisfied at night. Well done, faithful multitasker.
4) DSG owners working solo in a driveway or garage on jackstands: unbolt the upper trans mount (likely at the mount to body location on the inner fender), remove bolts from lower pendulum mount, and gently raise the trans side of the powertrain a couple inches with a small floor jack (and optionally, a small piece of 2x4 to disperse the load).
This will gain you the net clearance needed to remove the LCA bolt, without disturbing the location and TTY bolts of the front subframe.
Veterans and hot shoes - let me know if I missed anything with that rundown above.
Last thing: I'm interested to learn which front subframe centering kit is the best/preferred brand as of late:
-TyrolSport
-ECS (they catch a lot of heat around here for some of their lesser products)
-034 Motorsports
-Did I miss any?
Search results produced dozens of threads, but most concluded that the TyrolSport was a good mod if the subframe ever had to be removed.
I haven't researched the other kits yet.