[Shotimes] Front Strut R&R Part 1

[Mark Mucher]

Thanks, George!

But have you got (or have you seen) good 1st gen axle shaft instructions?
(I didn't see any in SHOtimes .)

Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of George Fourchy
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 2:40 PM
To: shotimes@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Front Strut R&R Part 1

I'm getting sick and tired of this....this was a 6.3 kb message.....but the
server thinks (apparently) it was too big.  Other messages on the list are
as big as 15 kb, and there is one with an attachment that is 53 kb.  What's
up with that!!??

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 21:21:57 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time), Carl Prochilo
wrote:

> That was done on purpose.  George's intentions were/are good.  The 
>idea is that once you know the routine, it should in fact take about 30 
>minutes.  I'm assuming the time is quoted as the time to pull the strut 
>out of the car.  There is obviously some additional time to apply the 
>spring compressors and then remove the insert from the strut if that is 
>the case for you.

We don't have rusty cars out here that are younger than 25 years.  We just
don't. 
Whether in the PnP for 6 months, or in my driveway for 15 years (in two
months),
they don't rust....at least the fasteners don't sieze.   I apologize for
that, and I
send my sincere regrets to the rest of you that have to deal with rust and
frozen fasteners.  (Really!)

I got a first-hand dose of frozen strut fasteners when I helped Kris and
Andy Angermeier swap a pair of rears out of the '91 plus they drove to the
Madison convention.  Things were progressing normally....a bit slower than I
was used to...but normally....until it was time to remove the nut from the
right rear tension strut.  It turned about 1/4 of a turn, and then that was
it.  After some extra effort, thanks to my right leg, it gave up the ghost
with a snap and bang, tinkle-tinkle, as the 20 inch ratchet hit the
pavement.  I am VERY glad I don't have to deal with that on a regular basis,
when I do struts on my car or someone else's here in my garage.

The following scenario supposes that the tools are laying out ready to go,
and the air is on, with the Workmate set up and ready to take a strut.

Time to remove a single front strut on my car in my garage....  

Thirty seconds to loosen the big nut in the center of the top, and to loosen
the three nuts that hold the strut to the tower...10 seconds to open the
hood.  Two minutes to remove the center cap from the wheel and loosen the
lugs (digging out the wrench and key from the glove compartment).  An extra
minute if it is the right front, which has a bugered up lock that the key
has to be driven onto with a hammer.
 90 seconds to jack it up and place the jackstand.  90 seconds to remove the
five finger tight lugs and the tire.  A minute per, to remove the pinch
bolt, the sway bar link, the antilock sensor, and the tension strut nut and
bushing.  One minute to loosen and invert the tie-rod nut so that it can be
tapped out with a hammer.  30 seconds to slide around to the front of the
car and push the knuckle backwards off the tension strut so that it will
slide down the strut body.  15 seconds to slide the knuckle off the strut
(remember...I have spread the pinch on my knuckles long ago.....add 2
minutes to rethread the pinch bolt in backwards and tighten it against a
shim in the pinch if that hasn't been done before).  One minute to unscrew
the three nuts on top, and to pop the strut out of the fender, and into the
Workmate. 
That's 12 minutes, 45 seconds.

To remove the spring....

One minute to install the strut in the workmate, and place the two spring
compressors opposite each other on the spring....remember, the top nut is
loose. 
One minute per compressor to impact them down so that the spring is loose.
30
seconds to remove the nut and bearing/retainer.    Three minutes, 30
seconds.

To install a Koni strut cartridge in a non modified stock strut.....

One minute to measure and cut off the top of the strut housing (with a
sawsall with metal blade) and remove the the innards.  Two minutes (ok,
maybe three) to turn the housing over, predrill a small pilot hole in the
bottom for the retainer bolt, then drill the actual hole.  One minute to
slide the new cartridge down into the strut and tighten the bottom bolt.
One minute to slip and snap the top seal and strut
bumper onto the new strut rod and top of the strut.    Five minutes.

End of part 1.

George

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