Three questions for strut replacement

[StageLeft]

1) Should I loosen (not remove) the center nut holding the strut together before removing the strut from the vehicle? I know it's normally done with the strut out of the car, but I know that sometimes nuts can need a lot of torque, and it would be easier to at least loosen it (a quarter turn) before doing anything else.

2) Do I grease parts typically when replacing (I'm replacing basically all the parts, including bearing, new rubber seats, too).

3) How can I avoid having to get a front end alignment (it's a newish minivan)? Apparently when taking the strut from the knuckle, there is some way to keep those bolts aligned in some fashion to save me having to re align.

 

[bruceb]

You could loosen the top nut about 1/2 turn or so .. but no more until you have a spring compressor installed to keep the spring from getting away and causing damage. As to avoiding a realignment .. you can try and measure the distance from the strut flange to the knuckle and try to put the new one the same distance. But be aware, that on some cars, the position of the top mounting plate can be put in any of 4 positions and will affect caster. The amount of distance adjusted by the strut mount bolts adjust the camber. So I would suggest an alignment shop check it after the parts are installed.

 

[StageLeft]

Thanks, bruce.

Any idea how to undo this bolt? Here is the bottom of it.

It's twisting fine, but it's not coming out, so it's like I need to grip the back of it somehow, but there's no way to get a grip on it because it only has those four plastic stops (and they don't look strong anyway). I've given it about 1.5 turns counterclockwise and it's still quite stiff and not really coming out from what I can tell...

 

[Vette73]

^

That bolt is easy. Put a allen wrench into the opening of the stud and use a wrench on the nut. The allen will keep the stud from turning.


And I agree with bruceb. At least get the aligmnet checked if not done.

 

[alpineranger]

Liberally apply penetrating oil first. It looks quite rusted. Is that the sway bar link?

 

[StageLeft]

I didn't see the hole for the allen key (was too rusted).

It's turning out to be one of the most bitchy fasteners I've ever tried to undo. Getting the leverage with the allen key has been hell and I'm having to hold an open ended wrench tight and hammer it. I'm very close to just dremeling the entire bolt away, but I imagine I'll have to buy a new piece of whatever the hell is attached to the strut.

FWIW I've never had any luck whatsoever with penetrating oil, because if there was room for it to penetrate, the thing wouldn't be such a pain to undo; it's almost completely seized, and as it's coming undone it's just guming itself up with the rust in front of it.

*EDIT*

Yep, that bolt is fvcked, I'm going to have to dremel it off. If it ruins this piece I'll have to dremel the other one, too, I presume.

 

[bruceb]

You don't turn the allen wrench .. you need to put a 6 pt box end wrench on the nut ... use the allen key to hold it and turn the box wrench .. you may need to get the allen key on a socket drive .. Sears has them .. that way you can hold it with a ratchet handle for more leverage ... worst case is a nut cracker to remove the nut .. you would need a new nut as the tool splits the nut

 

[StageLeft]

Never heard of a nut cracker Anyway, that is what I did--turned with the wrench just using the allen to hold it (I had the allen turning up against the strut, so it was absolutely not budging). I went to the other side just now and undid it in about 4 minutes, but I just now finished drilling/dremeling this fvcking rusted one, so I need to find what the part is and buy a new one, it's completely unsalvageable.

One lesson learned is that if undoing a rusty bolt, wire brush it first so that the rust doesn't get ground in as it turns. I do believe that's what caused this problem and I pre-brushed the other side.

EDIT: Sh*t, well now I know. That nut cracker they sell on sears would have sorted this out no problems. I will definitely get one of those bad boys.

 

[bruceb]

This is a nut cracker ... http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kdt710.html
Most large auto parts stores sell them as do the tool vans like Snap On
or Matco tools. Also at most Sears stores

 

[StageLeft]

OK the sway bar link is removed. It's likely not a repair part but spares are about $30.

I tried loosening the strut center bolts but the strut shafts spin with the strut, so loosening it so far is not possible. I guess that's why it has a flat spot so that I can leverage it against something when it's off the car.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You'll need a front end alignment regardless. There is really no way to avoid this...you might get it close but it will still most likely be off.

 

[StageLeft]

Got it all apart. The impact wrench was definitely the ticket for that center nut. I don't know how I'd have gotten it off otherwise.

strutmount.jpg

On that strut mount, is there anything I do with that center bit that the strut goes through? I'm positive that when I was first trying to loosen the nut on the strut that the center bit spins separate from the top, but it looks completely sealed up.

Anyway, there was also a thin layer of grease between the strut bearing and the plate that it attaches to. I don't have any grease, will I be fine without it?

Otherwise, all should be good now except for that sway bar link.

 

[bruceb]

Nothing you can do ... That is the strut mount & bearing plate and they do fail. When they do, you hear a clunk in the front end. Best bet is replace them while everything is apart as you can't get to them without removing the strut again. They sit on top of the coil spring and considered part of the strut, but you can buy them seperate as they are not always needed. And as you found
out, & I neglected to mention, an impact gun is the easiest way to remove & also tightnen that center strut nut. Replace the mounts on both sides. They run about $30- $50 each.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
You'll need a front end alignment regardless. There is really no way to avoid this...you might get it close but it will still most likely be off.

Yes, and you may not even notice until one day you realize you've worn the tread off only one side of a tire.

I'm speaking from experience.

 

[StageLeft]

A guy at expertexchange online has a vid explaining how to spate or state the bolts before removing them to save an alignment, but I will go ahead and get one.

 

[kevman]

Nice Job Skoorb, I recently did my i35 I used a clamshell style spring compressor. I didn't have an impact wrench so compressing was a pain in the ass. I used a vise grip plier attached to the flat part of the strut shaft and then turned the top hat nut with an open ended wrench. Its hard to get the torque on it , but I was able to get loose after some work.

 

[kevman]

I didn't have any grease either so I kinda cleaned the dirt off the strut bearings and re-assembled with the old ones. So far so good.