[Shotimes] halfshaft removal from the knuckle

[Mike.Wojton@us.o-i.com]

With respect to struts being different lengths: the Sachs struts I
just put in my car were a good 2" shorter than the ones I took out.
Both assembled and unassembled.  I was worried that I would lose
all compression once I put them back in the car and I'd blow them
out the first time I hit a pothole, but I haven't had any trouble yet.
And they do have compression.  Go figure.

My disclaimer here is that the struts that came out were not the
originals.  The front struts had been replaced at some time in the
past with Motorcraft struts.


Mike Wojton
Toledo, Ohio

-'95 Green MTX  3/01-1/03
   ShoShop y-pipe

-'95 White MTX
   '96 Brake Upgrade

Who'll watch the Watchmen?



shotimes-admin@autox.team.net wrote on 07/31/2003 10:39:31 AM:

> BTW the front strut job on Rich's car was completed last night. The
> struts that came out were worn out Motorcrafts, and Monroe Sensitracs
> went in. Didn't measure 'em but they looked to be similar lengths.
> 
> We had separated the LCA's ball joint from the bottom of the knuckle,
> but they were still interfering with each other. What worked was to
> loosen the 3 nuts on the mount even more, which gave us enough movement
> to clear the LCA. Pulled it down, pulled the strut / knuckle rearward,
> and down came the knuckle off the strut.
> 
> Thanks for all the input guys!
> 
> 
> Justin Schick
> silver 92 SHO in KC MO
> 194k and counting quickly
> 
> >>> <ianf@eden.rutgers.edu> 07/31/03 09:23AM >>>
> Are you guys leaving the mounts bolted to the towers tightly? The strut
> 
> will drop if the nuts are loosened. I managed to get my tokicos in 
> without removing the spindle. Same with Koni's in OEM housings...
> 
> Ian
> 
> > George,
> > 
> > Your instructions were very helpful in getting me started. I did 
> everything you pointed out. But the fact was I could not slide the 
> knuckle off the strut.  The strut was loose in the pinch bore, going up
> 
> and down easily.  Still the tension strut prevented me from pushing the
> 
> knuckle far enough down.  If that had worked, yes, perhaps it would 
> have taken me only 2 hours/side to get it off (I also have to eat and 
> drink, you know.)  But I'd never be able to do it in 15 min/side.  I 
> don't know.  Didn't work for me.  Someone else on the list had trouble
> 
> too.  Your procedure WILL fail at some point when the strut gets too 
> long.  Now my struts were the Tokico struts, which when I compared them
> 
> with the OEM Motorcraft struts were about 1.5" longer than the OEMs.
> > 
> > 
> > 94MTX,green,BOS+
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