Strut Cartridge removal
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: Tenn.
if you have a hayne manual, page 219, or go to auto zone or library and print out the page, pretty easy, if bolts cooperate, and you have a warm place to do the job,,,,good luck, the cartridge just screws out, but u have to pull the whole coil assembly out......
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 12,865
Likes: 572
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
The strut housing and knuckle are one piece. The strut cartridge slides in the top of the strut housing. Once you have the strut off of the car and the spring removed, you can twist off the threaded cap at the top of the strut housing, and you can pull the old catridge out and put the new one in.
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 7,855
Likes: 517
From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
Use a chain saw and an air hammer. That's how I like to take things apart. 
If you want the parts to live, you'll have to use more conventional methods as suggested by "peejay" and "DONNA"... As is the case with most bolts on our old cars, they are probably severely rusted. Use LOTS of WD-40 and let it soak in. We **** it away at my shop. I used half a can on one front end alignment one time.
If you want the parts to live, you'll have to use more conventional methods as suggested by "peejay" and "DONNA"... As is the case with most bolts on our old cars, they are probably severely rusted. Use LOTS of WD-40 and let it soak in. We **** it away at my shop. I used half a can on one front end alignment one time.
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 12,865
Likes: 572
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
PB Blaster is better. Not only does it work better, but after you heat up rusted tie rods, or more usually the awful toe adjusters on Escorts and Probes (and the mazda equivalents) to a nice cherry red, and make your adjustments, if you use PB Blaster to cool them off again you get clouds of white smoke thick enough that you completely fill that end of the shop and make your manager wonder if you've set the car on fire
BTW I know you really shouldn't heat suspension parts... but I've seen people literally break those rear control arms in half by trying to force the locknuts to turn! Heating and cooling them won't weaken them any more than they already are from the factory.
BTW I know you really shouldn't heat suspension parts... but I've seen people literally break those rear control arms in half by trying to force the locknuts to turn! Heating and cooling them won't weaken them any more than they already are from the factory.
Full Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
Hi.
My personal experience was that the cartridge was close to impossible to remove. It didn't come out as the Haynes manual described.
I've done quite a bit of messing around with my car now, and that was the only part where I had to get a professional to do it. It was quick and cheap. If I was doing it again I would take the struts straight to a shop.
Of course, the chainsaw method would be satisfying in its own way.
Bye,
ScruffyChimp
My personal experience was that the cartridge was close to impossible to remove. It didn't come out as the Haynes manual described.
I've done quite a bit of messing around with my car now, and that was the only part where I had to get a professional to do it. It was quick and cheap. If I was doing it again I would take the struts straight to a shop.
Of course, the chainsaw method would be satisfying in its own way.
Bye,
ScruffyChimp
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Full Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
Hi.
My springs had been cut in half to ghetto lower it (previous owner), so I didn't even need to compress the spring to get it off. And I'll agree that it was pretty easy up to that point.
But once I had the strut off it just would not come apart. I don't know: maybe the fact that the springs were so crap and the cartidge had been ruined by the weight of the car had squashed them into the strut and locked them there or something.
Whatever the difference was, it was a pain in the neck and I'm glad that in my case I went to a pro in the end.
Bye,
ScruffyChimp
My springs had been cut in half to ghetto lower it (previous owner), so I didn't even need to compress the spring to get it off. And I'll agree that it was pretty easy up to that point.
But once I had the strut off it just would not come apart. I don't know: maybe the fact that the springs were so crap and the cartidge had been ruined by the weight of the car had squashed them into the strut and locked them there or something.
Whatever the difference was, it was a pain in the neck and I'm glad that in my case I went to a pro in the end.
Bye,
ScruffyChimp
Junk yard style strut/coil spring removal
While the tires are still on the ground, loosen the strut bolt. Otherwise, use an impact gun.
1. Raise the car, remove the strut tower and the strut nuts, remove the brake calipers and unclip the line from the holder (secure it away from the strut), and remove the 2 lower large bolts.
2. Now for the fun part, removing/uncompressing the coil spring w/o a spring compressor. Place a pipe (I use the floor jack handle) between lower control arm/sway bar and the frame. Slowly step on the pipe to lower the lower control arm to release the coil spring pressure and pull it out slowly.
3. Strut removal. Use a pipe wrench to loosen the twist on cap. Otherwise, get a hammer and a chisel of some sort like the socket extension or large screwdriver.
While the tires are still on the ground, loosen the strut bolt. Otherwise, use an impact gun.
1. Raise the car, remove the strut tower and the strut nuts, remove the brake calipers and unclip the line from the holder (secure it away from the strut), and remove the 2 lower large bolts.
2. Now for the fun part, removing/uncompressing the coil spring w/o a spring compressor. Place a pipe (I use the floor jack handle) between lower control arm/sway bar and the frame. Slowly step on the pipe to lower the lower control arm to release the coil spring pressure and pull it out slowly.
3. Strut removal. Use a pipe wrench to loosen the twist on cap. Otherwise, get a hammer and a chisel of some sort like the socket extension or large screwdriver.
Passenger
Posts: n/a
While the tires are still on the ground, loosen the strut bolt
2. Now for the fun part, removing/uncompressing the coil spring w/o a spring compressor. Place a pipe (I use the floor jack handle) between lower control arm/sway bar and the frame. Slowly step on the pipe to lower the lower control arm to release the coil spring pressure and pull it out slowly.
i took the old strut nut off using am impact and a pipe wrench on the strut rod. ate the teeth right off my cheapie pipe wrench. the shaft is nitrated i suppose. it took a fair amout of hammering with a good Rigid to take a bite on the shaft. now ya can't use a pipe wrench on the new strut for obvious reasons. it took me a week to find a box wrench with enough offset and that was small enough to fit down in where the strut nut is. i tighened it up with cressent wrench on top of the strut. what a pain in the ***.
when you remove the old strut from the strut assembly, be prepared to get hydraulic oil everywhere. it takes a good yank to get it out and will paint your garage if you don't spend some time working the strut ups and down to pump the fluid out.
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 7,855
Likes: 517
From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
I finally found PB Blaster! CarQuest Sells it.
We have it at the shop. In this yellowish can. Looks like it was old as hell. The stuff that advertizes it can eat through a styrofoam cup in a minute.
It seems that I was too distracted to read the PB Blaster label by the images of a dissolving cup.
I always called it "That caustic ****, Maaannn."
Everyone else in the shop calls it penetrant. I'll have to pilfer a can or two.
We have it at the shop. In this yellowish can. Looks like it was old as hell. The stuff that advertizes it can eat through a styrofoam cup in a minute.
It seems that I was too distracted to read the PB Blaster label by the images of a dissolving cup.
I always called it "That caustic ****, Maaannn."
Everyone else in the shop calls it penetrant. I'll have to pilfer a can or two.
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 12,865
Likes: 572
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
That stuff is like Liquid Schwartz so use it wisely 
Seriously... we had an E-brake cable that we replaced, it was solid rust and there was no way it was ever going to move, just rusted to the housing... sprayed a bunch of PB Blaster in there an let it soak overnight, next morning came up to it and the cable was nice and free... also used to soak rusted-solid drum brake adjusters in it overnight, frees them right up too.
Seriously... we had an E-brake cable that we replaced, it was solid rust and there was no way it was ever going to move, just rusted to the housing... sprayed a bunch of PB Blaster in there an let it soak overnight, next morning came up to it and the cable was nice and free... also used to soak rusted-solid drum brake adjusters in it overnight, frees them right up too.
