Strut replacement idiot's guide?, Haynes a little vague....for a newbie! Options

[tadink]

Hey all -

I'm going to be replacing front and rear shocks / struts - and after looking at the Haynes manual, I'm wondering if someone has posted "the idiot's guide" for doing this?

In particular, the photo in Haynes shows a special tool-looking gadget holding the locking plate in place while loosening the nut (figure 7.5, page 101). Is that thing the dude is holding in his left hand an integral part of this procedure?

Also - for a strut insert, is this a 'strut off the car' procedure? I read a recent post where someone talked about this taking like 38 minute per side, taking the whole strut assembly off the car seems like it would take a LOT longer than that!

Please help the ignorant -

thx

td

[tradisrad]

Did you get new spring fro the rear also?

You can change the fronts w/o removing the strut from the car; you need to take care that you don't bend/damage the brake line. There is a special tool like the pic in the haynes manual, but I think a lot of folks use a pipe wrench or big channel locks. It's a bit difficulty to swing the strut out and get it apart. Watch your paint.

The rears need to come off of the car. If you don't have spring compressors you can put the base of the shock in a bucket and place a rim over the top and have an assistant press down on the rim while you remove the nut. Be careful. If you have 140lb springs or the like you probably wont need to compress the spring.

Where in SF are you?

[914itis]

Last week I used a pipe wrench for the front, it was peice of cake. I think your local FLAPS like autozone will let you use their tools free of charge to remove your rear springs.

[shuie]

pipewrench.

[Dave_Darling]

For the front struts:

Yes, as long as the gland nut (that's the big nut that holds the shock into the strut) has an edge on the outside of the strut, you can use a pipe wrench on it. No problem.

Haynes would have you remove the strut completely from the car; it's a lot easier to leave it attached to the ball joint at the bottom. You unbolt the top from the mount, push it down into the fender, collapse the strut, and swing the top out from inside the fender. That lets you pull the cover off the top, then you swing the strut back into the fender and put the shaft back up through the upper mount. That holds the strut so you can use the pipe wrench on the gland nut. It's a little easier of you have someone helping you out by holding the wheel so the strut doesn't turn, but it's doable by yourself.

Once the gland nut is loosened, you collapse the strut again and swing it out of the fender again. Remove the gland nut, remove the shock, put the new shock in (possibly with some light weight oil in the tube as well), put the gland nut back on. Then it goes back into the fender so you can tighten the gland nut. Then back out again to put the cover on, then back in and finally attach it to the car.

That leaves out one or two things, like flattening out the lock-washers, torquing the mounting nut to spec, folding up the edge of the lock washer, and so on.

--DD

[tadink]

Did you get new spring fro the rear also?

You can change the fronts w/o removing the strut from the car; you need to take care that you don't bend/damage the brake line. There is a special tool like the pic in the haynes manual, but I think a lot of folks use a pipe wrench or big channel locks. It's a bit difficulty to swing the strut out and get it apart. Watch your paint.

The rears need to come off of the car. If you don't have spring compressors you can put the base of the shock in a bucket and place a rim over the top and have an assistant press down on the rim while you remove the nut. Be careful. If you have 140lb springs or the like you probably wont need to compress the spring.

Where in SF are you?

howdy - we split time between SF and Napa, car is currently in Napa where I have room to work on it. Our (rent controlled) apt is above Pier39 on Telegraph Hill....it was a fluke to find it, and we won't be going anywhere anytime soon! If you fancy a trip to Napa to help change the fr struts and rear shocks / springs, I can provide the wine!

www.doslagosvineyards.com is our website, winemaker is Robert Foley, we have only cabernet sauvignon that is grown on our property.... might have to do a teener rally up to our place - we have a 'long and winding road' to get to the property!

All - thanks for all the help - I'm encouraged to give this a try after all - the whole strut removal thing seemed a bridge too far.... also need to do the tie rods .... is that a discrete project as well or should I go for both at the same time?

thx
tom

[Valy]

I don't like the spring compressors, especially after one did a trick on me.

I use the smallest tie-down bands. While the spring is on the car, tie it with the band in 3 locations, about 120 degrees. I said tie with a knot, don't use the quick release from the tie-down. After you take the spring down, it will remain compressed.
Reassembly is a reverse.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
After the spring is back on the car, cut the bands throw then away.

Faster and safer than spring compressors. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

For the big nut on the front ones, I use the pipe wrench.

[r_towle]

For the fronts, Jack up the car.
Place on jack stands.
Remove any anti sway drop link from the a-arm.
Remove torsion bar adjuster at rear of torsion bar... (its an 11mm bolt...remove that and pull the adjust towards the rear)
Remove the top bolt on the strut.
from the wheel well, pull the strut down hard and pull it out of the wheel well to the outside of the fender.
Remove the dust shield.
Remove the upper strut insert nut.
Remove the strut insert.
Installation is the reverse of the removal.

For the rear.
Jack it up, on stands.
Remove the upper and lower bolts on the rear shock and spring assembly.
Remove the shock.
Set it on the floor and pleace the tire over the top of the unit so you can lean down on the tire to remove the pressure on the spring.
Remove the nut.
These are 100 lb springs and I would assume that you weigh more than 100 lbs...so its simple and easy to do this.

Rich

[Dave_Darling]

I don't bother unhooking the sway-bar or even touching the ride height adjustment screw. You get plenty enough travel with those hooked up, IME. At least, you do if both wheels are up in the air; the sway-bar won't prevent both wheels from going to full droop at that point.

--DD

[Chris Pincetich]

You can du it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)
For fronts, be careful careful not to kink the brake hose or scratch your paint when contorting the insert from and into the strut.
I always loosen the top nut on the rear shock inside the trunk before lifting the rear of the car. I have KONI yellows with a mini-nut that holds the shock tube from spinning on top, so I can manage that top nut w/o needing to hold the insert from spinning to opposite direction.
Good luck (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[shuie]

here is an old Pelican tech article that was a huge help for me when I did this on one of my old cars.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...rut_removal.htm

[r_towle]

I don't bother unhooking the sway-bar or even touching the ride height adjustment screw. You get plenty enough travel with those hooked up, IME. At least, you do if both wheels are up in the air; the sway-bar won't prevent both wheels from going to full droop at that point.

--DD

Try it with Bilsteins....

Rich

[Dave_Darling]

911 ones or 914 ones? I think I did with the 914 ones...

With 911 Bilstiens, you need to punch the roll pin out anyway.

--DD

[tadink]

911 ones or 914 ones? I think I did with the 914 ones...

With 911 Bilstiens, you need to punch the roll pin out anyway.

--DD

Thanks everyone - all a great help and the kind of encouragement I need to get 'er done! I'll update you all when I get to the task.....many thanks indeed.

td

[rgalla9146]

One thing to add.
It is difficult to force the top of the strut up into the mount
on the fender.
Especially because the shaft cannot be grabbed with the dust sleeve in place.
The top of the shaft (Boge,Koni) has threads inside.
Thread a 2" long (m 6 x 1.0 ) bolt into the top of the strut, push the long bolt up through the strut top mount , then use a Vise Grip on the long bolt to pull the shaft up into position.

[rhodyguy]

Before you swing the strut assem out, cover the fender over the wheel well with a towel. I use one of my floor jacks to control everything on the way down and back up, In place prior to loosening the top nut. Don't forget to bend the tabs down first. You only have to remove one bolt from a sway bar drop link to free up the movement. Just fold the drop link up out of the way.