[Shotimes] Removing front struts

[Michael]

OK. I figured out a way to use the spring compressor to compress the two lowest spring windings just enough that I could nudge out the strut from the spindle. It wasn't easy, that's for sure. Thanks for the advice. The Koni should go in easier. It is about 1/2" shorter than the Tokicos.

Btw, after taking the strut out I inspected the strut assembly in detail.  What I found made me upset, and I'm never ever again handing my car over to Bill Kolb Ford in Blauvelt, NY. The bump stop bushing had been totally demolished, and the bushing in the bearing had shifted about 1/4" horizontally.  Obviously, as a result of bottoming out the strut. I'm upset because this never happened to me, and therefore must have happened to someone else who drove the car; with 99% certainty the shop mechanics I've been using for the last 8 years, namely Bill Kolb Ford, Blauvelt, NY.
 
They also realigned the car at some point (probably when they installed the Tokico/Eibach combo). And the way they reattached the alignment plate to the strut tower is so sloppy.  Four "nail pops" (best way I can describe it) extruded 4-5mm on the underside of the top of the strut tower. This explains the occasional sickening sound during turning the steering wheel, from the bearing plate scraping against the nail pops.

Actually, I have not been using Bill Kolb for the last two years due to other "pig" jobs they did. Stupid me for using them for the first 7 years. I even thought they were good at some point. And then when I complained to the service agents, they give me the line, "Well, we got probably the best technicians around here." 

Grrrrrrrrr.
Michael
94MTX,green,BOS+

 --- On Thu 05/15, Ron Porter < ronporter@prodigy.net > wrote:
From: Ron Porter [mailto: ronporter@prodigy.net]
To: molsen@excite.com, vanOss@centurytel.net, shotimes@autox.team.net
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 17:30:05 -0400
Subject: RE: [Shotimes] Removing front struts

When I pulled my stock struts/springs off my '95, the right side came out in<br>10 minutes, with only unbolting the strut and pushing down on the knuckle.<br><br>Now, the left side!!!!!!  Knuckle didn't drop NEAR enough!! Turns out that I<br>had borrowed a spring compressor from AZ, so I snuck it up on the bottom few<br>coils, and it was enough to compress the spring to get the strut out. Turns<br>out that the strut mount was cockeyed on that strut (maybe from the<br>factory??), and extended the strut. That also explained why my car sat high<br>in the front, because the Koni/Eibachs then dropped the front a full inch.<br><br>I suppose it would have been easy to pull the knuckle/LCA off, but I had not<br>ever done that before and the spring compressor was convenient.<br><br>FWIW, I would hate to mess with a spring compressor without using air tools,<br>it would seem to take forever by hand.<br><br>Ron Porter <br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team
 .net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]<br>On Behalf Of Michael<br>Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 4:13 PM<br>To: vanOss@centurytel.net; shotimes@autox.team.net<br>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Removing front struts<br><br><br>I have spring compressors. But how can I use them while the strut is still<br>mounted in the car (in the strut tower)?<br><br>And even if I could fit the compressor onto the spring, doesn't the downward<br>force of the strut itself ensure that the strut is still fully extended?<br><br>Michael<br>94MTX,green,BOS+<br><br> --- On Thu 05/15, van Oss < vanOss@centurytel.net > wrote:<br>From: van Oss [mailto: vanOss@centurytel.net]<br>To: molsen@excite.com<br>Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 14:55:28 -0500<br>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Removing front struts<br><br>Are you using spring compressors?<br><br>Joseph<br><br><br><br>-----<br>Original Message -----<br>From: "Michael" <molsen@excite.com><br>To:<br><shotimes@autox.team.net><br>Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 2:51<br>PM<br
 >Subject: [Shotimes] Removing front struts<br><br><br>I just started<br>removing the front struts (Tokico/Eibach) to replace them<br>with<br>Koni/Intrax. On ShoTimes.com someone mentioned that the struts can<br>be<br>removed without removing the spindle. So far, I have disconnected<br>the<br>swaybar link and the tie-rod end and I have removed the<br>brake<br>caliber+bracket, rotor and shield.<br><br>I'm sitting here looking<br>at all the suspension components, and there doesn't<br>seem to be room<br>enough to pull the spindle off the strut. When I try to do<br>it, the<br>tension strut hits the subframe and prevents the lower control arm<br>from<br>moving further downwards. I didn't disconnect the LCA from the<br>spindle<br>yet. Should I? (This can't be done either, btw, since the tension<br>strut hits<br>t<br> he subframe. Only way to remove the LCA is to push the spindle upwards<br>~2<br>inches or so with a jack.)<br><br>Any advice how this should be<br>done?<br><br>Michael
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