Strut Removal Problem

[CalPencil]

I finally got the endlinks out by dremelling it away, and I took at those difficult bolts, but when it came to lowering the strut with the spring around it... it gets caught on the top, and it won't come all the way out. Did anyone else have to problem?

What am I suppose to do? I've tried putting on one of the spring compressors, but it didn't seem to make the strut shorter for it to come out.

Any hints would be great...thanks.

[slidr]

I'm not sure what you are asking exactly.

Is the strut still on the car and you are having problems getting it off?

And is this in the front or back?

[Ch33z]

so ur saying after you remove the 3 nuts on top and the endlinks and all the other bolts the strut wont slide out? try hitting the strut with a mallet to loosen up the strut (sometimes metal to metal contact gets stuck real good) then shake the strut loose and remove them...maybe take some pics for us to see?

[Punkers7465]

I'm not quite sure what you're talking about either, but if you're talking about the rear struts.... you need to rotate the the endlinks/sway bar counter clockwise from the drivers side and push the strut toward the rear of the car where your endlink/sway used to be to drop them out.

hope this helps!

[Booster1]

I had that problem when I tried to remove it. What I did, I unbolted 3 bolts on the bottom you see the picture pointing in orange under neat? That will loosen the whole parts and you'll have more space to remove your struts.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9504/sampleih2.jpg

[CalPencil]

Sorry, it's the rear struts. I removed the bolt on the bottom holding the strut to the car and the three bolts on the top from inside the trunk.

The problem is, when I try to lower the strut from down from the car, the top of the strut hat gets stuck/caught by the hole it's in from. I tried rotating it, but it doesn't turn much. I tried compressing one side of the springs, but it still won't come out all the way. I looked around the strut... it's not being blocked by anything.

I'm thinking, it's the angle of the strut when I'm taking it out, but I don't see any other way of taking it out. Any help please...

[slidr]

You just have to mess with the bottom of the strut to get it at a certain angle and it will come out.

[CalPencil]

is that angle, away from me? or towards the rear of the car, like that other guy said?

What I'm doing is, pushing it forward freeing from the notches, then trying to get it down.

I'll try different angles tomorrow...I hope something works.

[Booster1]

Here you go......


http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1585/p18wf8.jpg




http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/903/p17pe3.jpg

[slidr]

Ah, it's all coming back now.

You can do that or just use a pry bar to pry the arm out of the way while you pull the strut out.

[Booster1]

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5879/p17dv6.jpg

[Ch33z]

use ur leg and force it out..thats what i did one time lol

[Booster1]

I finally got the endlinks out by dremelling it away, and I took at those difficult bolts, but when it came to lowering the strut with the spring around it... it gets caught on the top, and it won't come all the way out. Did anyone else have to problem?

What am I suppose to do? I've tried putting on one of the spring compressors, but it didn't seem to make the strut shorter for it to come out.

Any hints would be great...thanks.



What type of springs are you going to use? Are you just gonna install a spring and not change the struts? and how low are you going for? I'm doing the same thing your doing lols. I gave up on mine cause it didn't drop lols. I put the stock springs back to the struts or shocks.

[Booster1]

use ur leg and force it out..thats what i did one time lol

You can cut your leg if you don't be careful. some of the parts have sharp edges. lols no more sexy legs for you..lols just kidding. :gap:

[Thor]

Don't bother with that complex diagram, just unbolt the "control arm". I believe it's two major bolts. Don't forget to support the back (wheel area with the brake disc) and you are done.

Get an alignment when done regardless.

[Booster1]

Don't bother with that complex diagram, just unbolt the "control arm". I believe it's two major bolts. Don't forget to support the back (wheel area with the brake disc) and you are done.

Get an alignment when done regardless.

Whatever....... :no:

[Thor]

You're wrong. No need to put your stupidity public.

There are easier ways, that's all I'm writing.

[Booster1]

You're wrong. No need to put your stupidity public.

There are easier ways, that's all I'm writing.

It's stupidity? show me some diagram? I want to see your technique?


Read this: " No need to put your stupidity public."
It's not right. Go back to school and take grammar class?

Let me correct that, example: "Thor, no need to put your stupidity in public."
Who's stupid now? haha...
:fawk:

[CalPencil]

I unbolted everything in that one picture, but I'll try to unbolt that one with the three bolts. I can see what you guy say to support the axle, but then when I took the support off, it seemed to be fine. So I just left it there unsupported overnight, it should be fine.

You mention in one of the pictures to slide it in a circular motion...but, I can't rotate the strut at all. Do you mean to rotate the brake caliper or something, I'm confused.

I can get the strut off the entire assembly...it's just it looks like it needs to come straight down in order to come out. Right now, I can only pull it out on an angle. I'll look into removing a couple of more bolts to help me.

[Booster1]

I unbolted everything in that one picture, but I'll try to unbolt that one with the three bolts. I can see what you guy say to support the axle, but then when I took the support off, it seemed to be fine. So I just left it there unsupported overnight, it should be fine.

You mention in one of the pictures to slide it in a circular motion...but, I can't rotate the strut at all. Do you mean to rotate the brake caliper or something, I'm confused.

I can get the strut off the entire assembly...it's just it looks like it needs to come straight down in order to come out. Right now, I can only pull it out on an angle. I'll look into removing a couple of more bolts to help me.


YOu know why it won't come out cause the spring is hitting the assemble at the bottom. That's why you have to remove those three bolts under your car that way the brake assembly will go down in angle towards you. Then you'll have more room to play with the shocks assembly. Do a circular motion and twist it left and right, it's common sense. You'll know. Good luck I'm going to redo mine again in an hour, shoot it's cold and dark outside.Cops might pass by and thinking I'm stealing some parts lols..

[Barabaika]

Just push the axle down with your hand. It's springy.

[shadytunerGTS]

Here you go......


http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1585/p18wf8.jpg




http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/903/p17pe3.jpg

:werd: That's exactly how I got my rear strut/spring assembly off.

When unbolt the three bolts underneath, you should have enough room to push down on it to take the strut out.

Hint: After putting everything back together, put a piece of board under the tire so you can get the jack out.

[deltaB]

I left all of the suspension bolts in place and used a 2x4 to lever down the suspension. It wasn't easy but I didn't want to mess with the alignment by undoing the lower arm bolts. To get the upper spring perch out of the "tower" I had to pull the shock assembly straight down. If I tried to completely clear the lower shackle, the spring perch would get hung up.

After pulling it straight down, then I had to snap the shock lower eye over the shackle. After doing a couple times it wasn't that bad. I wish I had other cars to do. I know next time it take a while to figure out the first one, then it will be easy.
I didn't take any pictures of the back like I did for the front.
ΔB

[CalPencil]

Okay, I unbolted those three points, and it came out in a snap. It was pretty simple. I can see what needs to go back, so I'll just use my jack to help support those points when I'm reinstalling the piece.

Then I ran into another problem. The strut itself. I couldn't get the hat off!!!!!! It was another allen wrench thing. I compressed the springs just fine, they even rotated loosey on the strut while I was trying to get the top off, but... nothing worked!

I took a impact wrench to it, to help loosen up the top...but the thing kept spinning in place. I don't have any table or vice to hold the part in place. It looks like I'm giving up and I'm just going to take the parts to a shop to have the bolts taken off. and replaced.

I don't see how anyone can get these things off. I wish it just required an impact wrench...but these allen key type bolts are the worst thing I've ever seen on a car....

[deltaB]

I don't see how anyone can get these things off. I wish it just required an impact wrench...but these allen key type bolts are the worst thing I've ever seen on a car....The back ones don't have the "important oval" http://www.newcelica.org/forums/showthread.php?t=223037 so you can't just apply the countertorque to the rear spring bracket sub-assy. I remember just having it on the floor without a spring compressor and using two feet to turn the wrenches until it broke free. Then I put it on the compressor to remove the nut the rest of the way.
ΔB

[Barabaika]

It looks like I'm giving up and I'm just going to take the parts to a shop to have the bolts taken off. and replaced.

Just drill out the center of the rod. It's made of soft steel.
You can always replace the bolt with the one that comes with a new shock and a washer.