TeamCapri
Tech, Repairs, Upgrades => Brakes/Suspension/Tires/Wheels => Topic started by: Digz on May 17, 2023, 08:38:06 PM
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Working on replacing the front struts, and these nuts on top have me stumped. Is there some secret to them, or some tool I can’t find to remove them? I’ve never seen a strut that didn’t have a hex nut on the end of it.
https://ibb.co/8P9ZR19
Thanks!!
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Working on replacing the front struts, and these nuts on top have me stumped. Is there some secret to them, or some tool I can’t find to remove them? I’ve never seen a strut that didn’t have a hex nut on the end of it.
https://ibb.co/8P9ZR19
Thanks!!
They had me stumped for a bit as well. You just need an open ended wrench. I forget what size, maybe a 21mm? If they put up a fight (if you live in a salt area, they absolutely will) you may need to use some heat to help loosen them up.
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This has me stumped too, how do you stop the shock piston from just rotating, how do you lock it to loosen the nut? I was about to post a new topic but just seen its already here, but what's the answer? Cheers guys I've got some new strut mounts I want to install, the old ones rubber is bulging out and the nut is hitting the bonnet!
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One came right off for me. The other - I had to pull the strut, compress the spring, cut off the base for the spring, slide the spring off, and grind a slot into the piston so that I could fit a wrench into it to hold it. Eventually it came off - but it was a long process lol.
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This has me stumped too, how do you stop the shock piston from just rotating, how do you lock it to loosen the nut? I was about to post a new topic but just seen its already here, but what's the answer? Cheers guys I've got some new strut mounts I want to install, the old ones rubber is bulging out and the nut is hitting the bonnet!
Make sure the spring is in the compressor, and has tension off of it. Pull back the rubber boot that protects the shock body (assuming it's still there) to expose the chrome. Get a pair of vice grips (and a rag if you are re-using the shock, to prevent the tool from biting into it), and lock them onto the shock. Use that to counter-hold while you break free the top nut.
Heat and penetrating oil will be your friend here.
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Thanks for the advise guys! I got it eventually, I used 2 pairs of vice grips with a rubber pipe around the piston as to not scratch it, soaked it in wd40 then came out in the middle of the night when it was freezing and hit the bolt with heat and it came out easily.
The problem was the washer locks to the piston and the washer has a notch that sits in the coil top hat, and locks them together, ( I don't know if it's called a top hat but I mean the top cover that holds the spring) . Something had spun and rounded out the notch that's why the piston was allowed to spin. The other side of the car was easy and only took a few minutes, I could just hold the top hat to stop the piston spinning while undoing the nut..
I welded the washer to the top hat for now so I can remove it easily for when I get a replacement hat and washer, I installed the new strut mounts and I'm really happy with how it drives, I had removed the power steering to make room for the big turbo and I was hanging of the wheel to turn it, it's heaps easier to turn the wheel now! Almost feels like it's got power steering again!