[Shotimes] Re: spring and struts replacement

[David P]

I don't see how you can claim your method is quicker, since you have more
steps, and 13 wrenchings compares to my 9 ;p  No bothering with the three
strut tower nuts, or ABS sensor bracket, or LCA bolt, or fooling around with
wedging anything. By your estimate, you should be able to complete my steps
in about 1.5 minutes or less...

Try it sometime!

Remove tire (5 wrenchings)

Remove LCA to knuckle bolt, and separate (1 wrenching).

Remove Strut to knuckle bolt (1 wrenching). Separate. Use block of wood
between mallet and knuckle if stuck.

Disconnect Swaybar from strut (1 wrenching).

Put floor jack under strut, on piece of wood so it can't roll. No floor
jack? Put notch in 6 foot 2x4 at 2 feet, and put IT under strut.

Remove strut rod nut (1 wrenching).

Lower strut.



David P

95MTX



~
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Fourchy" <krazgeo@jps.net>
To: <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 20:29
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Re: spring and struts replacement


> On Tue, 4 Feb 2003 17:46:27 -0500, David P wrote:
>
> >For those of us that maintain all the rubber components in the front
> >suspension, hammering down the spindle does not work, at least on the
five
> >different Taurii/Sables that I've maintained, the suspension does not
want
> >to go down that far, even when leveraging a 6 foot 2x4 on the torque arm.
>
> OK FOLKS......PAY ATTENTION......THERE WILL BE A TEST LATER.....
>
> ........STOMPING HIS FOOT.............
>
> You can do this the hard way, or you can do it the easy way.  (Rust not
> withstanding.)  No hammers or prybars necessary.  Hammering on the knuckle
is poor
> practice....leaves dents and deformities on the knuckle, disturbs the
neighbors, and
> you can miss and hit the strut.
>
> ......after you have loosened the three nuts that hold the bearing to the
strut
> tower, and loosened the big center nut that holds the spring on the strut,
and
> removed the tire........
>
> 1.  Remove the antilock sensor bracket from the strut and fasten it out of
the way.
>
> 2.  Remove the swaybar end link from the strut, and fasten it out of the
way, any
> way you desire.
>
> 3.  Remove the nut from the rear of the tension strut and pull the knuckle
back
> about an inch or so from its position against the front side tension strut
bushing.
> (This is the missing link....the part that stops you from needing to use a
prybar to
> take the knuckle off the strut.)
>
> 4.  Remove the pinch bolt from the knuckle, turn it around, screw it in
from the
> back side and stick a big screwdriver or metal wedge into the pinch, then
tighten
> the bolt up to open the pinch about 3/16ths of an inch.
>
> 5.  Remove the bolt and wedge or screwdriver.....check the knuckle for
looseness
> from the strut...if it will rock a bit, push down with both hands (if not,
spread
> the pinch a bit more)....no hammer required....and the knuckle will drop
right off
> the end of the strut....faster than you can blink your eyes....when I show
folks
> this technique in my driveway, they sometimes blink and miss it....so I do
it again
> and again, until they get the idea.
>
> Total time for having the strut in my hand after removing the tire, (after
loosening
> the lugs while it is still on the ground, before jacking).....3 minutes
> nominal....if it is a virgin knuckle, it might take 5 minutes.....!!
>
> Removing and installing two new front struts, including swapping the
springs, with
> the help of an impact gun and spring compressors.....40 minutes tops, from
driving
> in to driving out.  Cutting and drilling strut housings to add Koni
inserts....add 5
> minutes per side.   (But I quit doing that after two sets.)
>
> I have already said I will do this for everyone to see at the
convention.....I'm not
> doing it on someone else's rusty car.....I'm doing it on MY car.  You all
can deal
> with your own rust.
>
> (:^)
>
> George
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