[Shotimes] Front Strut R&R

Thu, 4 Nov 2004 17:40:09 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)

If the bolt is not held in place by anything and spins freely, what is
your solution?  I'm telling you that this is a real nasty problem on some
cars.  DonD ended up drilling a hole through the bushing and the subframe
so that a screwdriver could be shoved up there to hold the bolt from
spinning.
-- 
Cheers,
Carl Prochilo
92 Ultra Red Crimson

On Thu, November 4, 2004 4:04 pm, Ron Porter said:
> They are not welded. There are tabs inside the frame rail that hold the
> nut.
> Age/corrosion/not being careful during removal can get them loose.
>
> Not saying that it was a pleasant job, but I was able to get a finger or
> two
> in there to hold the nut to get it started. You can bend the horns out of
> the way on the drivers side, BTW.
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of Carl Prochilo
> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 1:31 PM
> To: shotimes@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Front Strut R&R
>
>
> Let me explain this issue further.  The front subframe nuts have tabs that
> are welded to the subframe itself, on the inside.  This keeps the nut from
> spinning when you torque the bolt down or when you have to undo the bolt.
> As the cars start to rust, those tabs will break under stress.  So now you
> have a free spinning nut inside the subframe member, and there is no easy
> way to get a bite on that nut to hold it still and unscrew the bolt.  This
> really really really sucks.  Actually it is beyond "sucks" when it
> happens.
>
> Oh yeah, did I remember to say "really"?
> --
> Cheers,
> Carl Prochilo
> 92 Ultra Red Crimson
>
> On Thu, November 4, 2004 12:04 pm, Paul Nimz said:
>> On my '93 when I put in the solid subframe bushings I had these problems
>> and
>> put in the new nuts and bolts.  Seems to me a good reason to replace
>> them
>> as
>> after this is done you can run the subframe bushing bolt up and down
>> with
>> ease.
>>
>> Paul Nimz
>> '97 TR
>> '93 EG mtx
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Carl Prochilo" <gr8sho@prochilo.myserver.org>
>> To: <shotimes@autox.team.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 10:19 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Front Strut R&R
>>
>>
>>> Yes, that would have the same basic effect.  The only negative about
>>> that
>>> on older SHOs is that rust will cause the subframe retaining nut tabs
>>> to
>>> fail.  The end result is that the nut will spin freely and cause you a
>>> myriad of new headaches.  BTDT.
>>> --
>>> Cheers,
>>> Carl Prochilo
>>> 92 Ultra Red Crimson
>>>
>>> On Thu, November 4, 2004 10:24 am, Paul Nimz said:
>>>> On my '97 I will loosen the subframe bushings on the side I am working
>>>> on
>>>> and drop the subframe another inch or so.  The strut will easily slide
>>>> out
>>>> of the knuckle then.
>>>>
>>>> Paul Nimz
>>>> '97 TR
>>>> '93 EG mtx
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Carl Prochilo" <gr8sho@prochilo.myserver.org>
>>>> To: <shotimes@autox.team.net>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 6:32 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Front Strut R&R
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> What I told Robert was that the real trick to get that last bit of
>>>>> clearance was to remove the tension strut bushing.  That bugger will
>>>>> keep
>>>>> the knuckle from moving, even with the nut removed.  Since the
>>>>> bushing
>>>>> is
>>>>> pressed in, it takes a good bit of time to remove it without damaging
>>>>> it.
>>>>> Once the bushing was out, there was enough play to drop the knuckle
>>>>> enough
>>>>> to get the strut out.
>>>>>
>>>>> BTW, this in no way follows the official service manual procedure for
>>>>> this
>>>>> job...
>>>>> --
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Carl Prochilo
>>>>> 92 Ultra Red Crimson
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, November 4, 2004 2:12 am, George Fourchy said:
>>>>>> On Wed, 3 Nov 2004 20:45:08 -0500, ROBERT SCHIRMER wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I swear my problem must have been
>>>>>>>getting the steering knuckle bolt loose enough, so that thde strut
>>>>>>> could
>>>>>>> slide
>>>>>>>off???
>>>>>>
>>>>>> No...I think it was getting the tension strut bushing loose enough
>>>>>> so
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> you could
>>>>>> slide the whole thing back off of it and give yourself some more
>>>>>> downward
>>>>>> movement
>>>>>> on the knuckle.  Once it slides a bit, it will slide all the way, as
>>>>>> long
>>>>>> as rust
>>>>>> hasn't destroyed the bottom of the strut.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> George
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Shotimes mailing list
>>>>>> Shotimes@autox.team.net
>>>>>> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Shotimes mailing list
>>>>> Shotimes@autox.team.net
>>>>> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Shotimes mailing list
>>>> Shotimes@autox.team.net
>>>> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Shotimes mailing list
>>> Shotimes@autox.team.net
>>> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
>> _______________________________________________
>> Shotimes mailing list
>> Shotimes@autox.team.net
>> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes