So I was planning on putting a bunch of new suspension parts on my car this weekend, but I have run into a little problem with the front struts...



As you can see this front axle and strut sleeve are completely destroyed, thanks to my moronic room mate who thought there was no way the struts were sleeved. He took this part (without asking me, while I was out of town) to the shop he works at and took an air chisel to it.

Anyway, now that I need to get replacements, does anyone have any advise on how to get the struts out correctly? When I tried to turn the big "nut" on the cap it just broke off.

 

CRINGE! I wonder if the air chisel collapsed the tube around the strut & is now inhibiting it from coming out?

When I did this w/ a friend on his 79, we sortof slide-hammered them out, w/ the nut on top & a big washer, against a cement wall of his house. The wall was just a jetti to cover up where the trash can goes, only about 2' wide & 3' high...

Good luck man!

 

The big cap nut on top is what does it. Put the housing in a vice and and grab that nut looking thing with a big pipe wrench. Should do the trick. You should be able to find some replacements at a junkyard or from a partout here.

 

That sucks, did he even look at the new shocks? The big nut/cap at the top is what holds them in, once you unscrew that they just slide out the top. If the nut breaks off you should be able to grind a slot in whats left and use a hammer and chisel to spin it out. You might need to use a bit of heat to get it started moving, but not too much since torch+oil filled tube=bomb. The stock shock uses that tube as the outer shell of the shock, the tube is filled with oil so be careful when you pull it out and have a drain pan ready to catch the oil and drain the tube before putting in the new shock. The illuminas I got came with a new cap for the top. It's hard to tell from the picture just how much damage he did, you *might* be able to weld it if he didn't crack the casting or start to separate the tube from the casting.

 

I think your friend owes you a new strut housing.

 

He did not look at the new struts, and he will be buying me new ones. He ran the air chisel all the way through the sleeve into the strut, about 1/2 the way around the strut body. It does not look cracked, but Ill never be able to get the strut out of the sleeve now that it is all mangled at that end.

Is there any difference in the front strut sleeves over the years? I hope I'm not limited to only finding ones for an 84-85 GSL-SE...

 

You need to find 84+ housings, because they have the big bearing spindle. G'luck.

 

Step one: beat the stupid out of your friend, to protect the rest of society. Preferably with the air chisel. What did he think held the "strut" in the knuckle, without any bolts? A press-fit? Good intentions and clean living? Such people shouldn't be allowed around tools.
Step two: new spindle and strut - - I'd never trust a strut that'd been abused that way, and the spindle's obviously toast. Even if welded the alignment is screwed forever.
Step three; download the FSM for your car from the link in the stickied thread at the top of the forum. Make sure any friends who plan on 'helping' you without asking have read it first - people who know only modern cars known absolutely nothing about 30-year-old cars. Too much help like that and you're going to end up needing stuff you can't buy any more.

 

A tip for removing that big nut, loosen it while it is still installed on the car.

 

I actually have an FSM, a haynes, and a chilton manual in the garage he could have looked at. It would have been nice if he had even at least asked me if I wanted help, so I could have told him no... Instead I got a "surprise I wrecked your part, welcome home from texas"

 

to remove the big nut i use an air ratchet, and you definately need a new housing since he mangled it. make sure you get the 84+ housing as stated above, and keep your buddy away from your car :p

 

...because next thing you know, he's gonna want to drive it...