Hello,

I'm about to tackle my front suspension. The struts are leaking and need to be replaced.
I have looked at a few videos several times. And tried to order parts. But I keep getting overwhelmed by choices and what is necessary to change.

I'm on a pretty tight budget. I'm not looking to throw a ton of money into the restoration. This is a weekend driver, and I have no plans for the track or anything that will require a higher level of performance
1. Can I get some recommendations on replacement struts?

I want to swap out what needs replacing, but I don't know how to assess what can stay and what should be replaced when doing the front suspension.

2. What are the bits and pieces I should check and replace? Are most things obvious that need changing, or because of time and lack of attention, is it just best to do...(the following).

3. If there is a parts list or a checklist I can follow like I did to remove the engine, please let me know.

4. Any specialty tools I should consider to make the job easier?

As always, thank you in advance for your guidance.
Victor

I suggest taking your struts out and removing the inserts before making a parts list.

This is an article from Pelican. https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...rut_removal.htm. You won’t need everything but Bkrantz, previous thread, suggests taking everything apart and then making a list. Great advice. From personal experience, I always order a couple of wedge pins (1974 914) as I always bugger the up.

You can get into 4 KYBs for less than 300. IMHO they’re a good entry level alternative to spent fronts and rears. Or spend 600+, maybe, prob more taking the Koni/Bilstien route. Don’t forget new rear springs. It’s the new tie rods(?) and ball joints that melt the credit card. Then comes an alignment. It adds up quickly. Welcome to 914 ownership.

This is exactly what I was hoping for. I swear I looked through articles on Pelican but could not find one for the struts. I used their check iist to remove the engine.

Thank you!
Victor

@rhodyguy , @bkrantz ,

Thank you for responding.

If you have any experience in mechanics, I'd suggest a vigorous shakedown of the front end. Check for tie rod looseness and noise, then correctly checking play in the ball joints. If you've got questions, Google will probably help. You can also check Ian Karrs' videos on front end checks and rebuild...his vids are very detailed and will help with most issues. Once you find where to start, any other questions are well fielded by the group here. Good luck!

AA is now offering replicas of the OE Boge/Sachs inserts for $95 I haven't seen any reviews from people who are using them, but if I were on a budget, I'd go with those over KYB. Many people say KYB stands for "Kill Your Back."

Thank you.

I use the AA repro's and they're just fine. My only complaint is that the threads are painted pretty heavily and it's hard to get the top cap/keeper snugged down. Had one work itself loose.