Question about strut replacement

[tery]

Hey guys,
I am wondering if Front strut and spring assembly replacement on a 93 is pretty cut and dry, Or do you have to drop the subframe and take out the hub or any other shenanigans, or will the hub/axle drop down low enough to release the bottom of the strut so you can just pop in the new complete assembly?

 

[Devin]

Try this http://shoforum.com/index.php?threads/struts-and-lca.130248/

 

[shobote]

Easy job, just need spring compressors which you can rent from AZ or buy at harbor freight, etc.. Just removed the caliper and rotor, and removed strut without removing either the tie rod or ball joint. I removed the strut from the knuckle by placing a bottle jack on top of the knuckle, with the piston positioned on the underside of the strut where the spring is seated, comes right out in no time with no pounding on the knuckle. Loosening the strut bolt slightly while still mounted on the car makes the job easier too. Took me about an hour a side and good idea to replace the spring insulators and bellows too as they are not expensive, but had to special order those on the web as no parts stores in my area stock em.

 

[tery]

Hey, thanks very much for the reply, I was thinking bottle jack or maybe a section of pipe pushed up under the bottom of the strut with a floor jack.. But didn't you have to take off the sway bar link connected halfway up the strut. I'm just gonna buy complete spring and strut kits from Rock auto. or Andrew maybe...Monroe makes a quick change full assembly so I won't have to mess with the spring...and besides one of them is broken bad. Thanks again,
T

 

[jimtash]

I leave the upper strut nuts attached and disconnect the tie rod ends and also the ball joint from the knuckle and it slides right off.

 

[shobote]

yes, you need to remove the nut connecting the sway bar link to the strut, forgot that.. Monroe Quickstruts will also raise your ride height from stock a bit so you are aware

 

[tery]

Hey, thank you both very much, I'll let you know how it goes. I'm still nursing my foot out of a gout flare up and waiting on the parts. I've not done it before but it doesn't look too scary and it appears that I can take off brake of course, and then release the strut from the housing/ knuckle, take off the sway link, and then mess with the body height vs the hub assembly to get the strut to come out of the sleeve that's bolted around it and maybe push up with a bottle jack or the like. some pounding and pb I'm sure

this part..
from another post on the forum

and tie rod end.
Remove lower control arm to steering knuckle pinch nut and bolt, then slightly spread joint and remove lower control arm.
Using suitable hub remover/installer, press axle from hub. Wire axle shaft to body to maintain level position.
Remove strut to steering knuckle pinch bolt, then spread joint slightly and remove steering knuckle and hub assembly

seems like I might be able to skip and still get the strut out of the sleeve....

 

[Devin]

You won't be able to skip the last step.

 

[tery]

Hey, thanks again Devin, I get that now...I was thinking about the other pinch bolt that holds the lower ball joint up from the control arm.
I'm still mulling it over vs the many hundreds that the shop wants to do the work...
I liked that description that someone wrote earlier where they put the bolt in backwards and turned it against something in the sleeve gap, which would force it to open up a bit??
And this idea too looks good to me...I removed the strut from the knuckle by placing a bottle jack on top of the knuckle, with the piston positioned on the underside of the strut where the spring is seated, comes right out in no time with no pounding on the knuckle
Its all so rusty, I'm nervous about breaking off bolts.. Do you use an impact?? I've got a nice electric one but its so strong that I think it tore up the threads on a control arm r&r that I did on my daughter's Metro. Maybe use impact, but not just grab on an squeeze to death...like be a bit more delicate and back and forth and...heat

 

[RonPorter]

DO NOT DO MONROE QUIKSTRUTS!! They are SLO units, and are better than nothing, but not much. The front SHO struts and springs last a long time, far longer than the rears. I had the Quikstruts put on as a quick fix when I bought my white 89 SHO that had broken rear springs. They were sad!! Eventually went to new Tokicos with B&G lowering springs, and life was good again!!

 

[Devin]

Getting struts out was never my problem. Getting them back on was always my pain point. But if you live in a salt area, that will complicate things.

 

[tery]

Thanks for the warnings guys. I do live in the salt belt as former pics of Ginger..named for her orange hidden undersides.. will attest to. I didn't get any parts yet, I'm working on wheel wells and letting my foot get over the bout of gout. Then I'll give it a try. I don't like hearing what someone else said that those monroes will raise the frnt end a bit, that sounds like they'll just be harder to get in place. Bob has tokikos and they look nice. I haven't driven it around enough to notice how they ride since there's still that shifting issue and I just did those wheel wells too, they were nasty!

 

[SHOdded]

Nice work, Terry! Can't even tell there was a problem there.

 

[tery]

Sure...of course, I grew up in East Pines...Maryland, They probably don't even call it that anymore, It was off riverdale road between say...kenilworth ave and the BW parkway, right off the parkway actually,,

 

[SHOdded]

Been within a few miles of that area all the while I've been in MD

 

[shobote]

Hey, thanks again Devin, I get that now...I was thinking about the other pinch bolt that holds the lower ball joint up from the control arm.
I'm still mulling it over vs the many hundreds that the shop wants to do the work...
I liked that description that someone wrote earlier where they put the bolt in backwards and turned it against something in the sleeve gap, which would force it to open up a bit??
And this idea too looks good to me...I removed the strut from the knuckle by placing a bottle jack on top of the knuckle, with the piston positioned on the underside of the strut where the spring is seated, comes right out in no time with no pounding on the knuckle
Its all so rusty, I'm nervous about breaking off bolts.. Do you use an impact?? I've got a nice electric one but its so strong that I think it tore up the threads on a control arm r&r that I did on my daughter's Metro. Maybe use impact, but not just grab on an squeeze to death...like be a bit more delicate and back and forth and...heat

The best product for loosening rusty bolts is Kroil. Spray and let it sit overnight and should be no problem to remove the strut pinch bolt. You should get get new pinch bolts too. I just used hand tools, no impact wrench or cheater bar, and using the bottle jack method saved me tons of time, particularly with the rears. The 89 rears are long tube and more difficult to remove, the Gen II are shorties and easier.

 

[tery]

Hey Shobote, thanks again for help. I just went and ordered some kroil. I've always just used PB, but...what do I know...It looks great and highly recommended.
Take Care,
T