[Shotimes] Removing front struts

Thu, 15 May 2003 17:30:05 -0400

When I pulled my stock struts/springs off my '95, the right side came out in
10 minutes, with only unbolting the strut and pushing down on the knuckle.

Now, the left side!!!!!!  Knuckle didn't drop NEAR enough!! Turns out that I
had borrowed a spring compressor from AZ, so I snuck it up on the bottom few
coils, and it was enough to compress the spring to get the strut out. Turns
out that the strut mount was cockeyed on that strut (maybe from the
factory??), and extended the strut. That also explained why my car sat high
in the front, because the Koni/Eibachs then dropped the front a full inch.

I suppose it would have been easy to pull the knuckle/LCA off, but I had not
ever done that before and the spring compressor was convenient.

FWIW, I would hate to mess with a spring compressor without using air tools,
it would seem to take forever by hand.

Ron Porter 

-----Original Message-----
From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Michael
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 4:13 PM
To: vanOss@centurytel.net; shotimes@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Removing front struts

I have spring compressors. But how can I use them while the strut is still
mounted in the car (in the strut tower)?

And even if I could fit the compressor onto the spring, doesn't the downward
force of the strut itself ensure that the strut is still fully extended?

Michael
94MTX,green,BOS+

 --- On Thu 05/15, van Oss < vanOss@centurytel.net > wrote:
From: van Oss [mailto: vanOss@centurytel.net]
To: molsen@excite.com
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 14:55:28 -0500
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Removing front struts

Are you using spring compressors? Joseph -----
Original Message ----- From: "Michael" <molsen@excite.com> To:
<shotimes@autox.team.net> Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 2:51
PM Subject: [Shotimes] Removing front struts I just started
removing the front struts (Tokico/Eibach) to replace them with
Koni/Intrax. On ShoTimes.com someone mentioned that the struts can
be removed without removing the spindle. So far, I have disconnected
the swaybar link and the tie-rod end and I have removed the
brake caliber+bracket, rotor and shield. I'm sitting here looking
at all the suspension components, and there doesn't seem to be room
enough to pull the spindle off the strut. When I try to do it, the
tension strut hits the subframe and prevents the lower control arm from
moving further downwards. I didn't disconnect the LCA from the
spindle yet. Should I? (This can't be done either, btw, since the tension
strut hits t
 he subframe. Only way to remove the LCA is to push the spindle upwards
~2 inches or so with a jack.) Any advice how this should be
done? Michael 94MTX,green,BOS+ ____________________________
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