Remove front struts
12-11-2010, 05:54 PM
#1
Race Car
Thread Starter
Remove front struts
Okay I am wanting to get some springs off a car in the junkyard. I would like to just get the springs. Without air tool is there anyway to remove that top strut nut on top? I have a huge breaker bar, but earlier when I tried it just kept spinning the shaft? Any ideas would help. This is an early car 84 N/A
12-11-2010, 07:23 PM
#4
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Lay strut on ground pointing in a safe direction, cordless impact on the top nut, brace yourself, hit the trigger. Strut will shoot about 2 feet tops. It is quite uneventful.
Note: I do not recommend this on most cars if you are unfamiliar with their struts. Porsche's really don't spread very far. Try that with a lexus suv for instance, flight time of the strut is about 10 seconds.
Note: I do not recommend this on most cars if you are unfamiliar with their struts. Porsche's really don't spread very far. Try that with a lexus suv for instance, flight time of the strut is about 10 seconds.
12-11-2010, 08:01 PM
#6
Nordschleife Master
Lay strut on ground pointing in a safe direction, cordless impact on the top nut, brace yourself, hit the trigger. Strut will shoot about 2 feet tops. It is quite uneventful.
Note: I do not recommend this on most cars if you are unfamiliar with their struts. Porsche's really don't spread very far. Try that with a lexus suv for instance, flight time of the strut is about 10 seconds.
Note: I do not recommend this on most cars if you are unfamiliar with their struts. Porsche's really don't spread very far. Try that with a lexus suv for instance, flight time of the strut is about 10 seconds.
I think they try to save weight by using a small diameter, but longer spring. Then when its compressed into the strut, it becomes tough enough to hold the car up.
12-11-2010, 08:27 PM
#7
Race Car
Thread Starter
Lay strut on ground pointing in a safe direction, cordless impact on the top nut, brace yourself, hit the trigger. Strut will shoot about 2 feet tops. It is quite uneventful.
Note: I do not recommend this on most cars if you are unfamiliar with their struts. Porsche's really don't spread very far. Try that with a lexus suv for instance, flight time of the strut is about 10 seconds.
Note: I do not recommend this on most cars if you are unfamiliar with their struts. Porsche's really don't spread very far. Try that with a lexus suv for instance, flight time of the strut is about 10 seconds.
Trending Topics
12-11-2010, 08:45 PM
#8
Nordschleife Master
Can't really do it with a breaker bar. The strut rod will turn. You either need the special strut socket, or an impact.
Buy the whole strut from the junk yard, then disassemble it at home.
Buy the whole strut from the junk yard, then disassemble it at home.
12-11-2010, 08:56 PM
#9
Instructor
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you have spring compressors on the spring, maybe you (or a helper) could grab the strut shaft with a large pair of channel locks to keep it from spinning. Probably more danger than its worth, but it just might work.
also, a good battery powered impact is $ in the bank... now you know what to ask for for christmas
also, a good battery powered impact is $ in the bank... now you know what to ask for for christmas
12-12-2010, 05:55 AM
#10
Instructor
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sussex, England
Posts: 140
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did mine with the vice lock on the strut shaft. Compressed the spring...removed the strut from the car and laid it on the workshop floor.
The vice lock handle was parallel to the floor which stopes the shaft from turning. I had a colleague stand on the end of the strut to stop it moving and used a breaker bar on the nut after spraying it with a freeze and shock spray from my local motor factors.
Not the most 'health and safety' method, but with care it worked for me.
Jon
The vice lock handle was parallel to the floor which stopes the shaft from turning. I had a colleague stand on the end of the strut to stop it moving and used a breaker bar on the nut after spraying it with a freeze and shock spray from my local motor factors.
Not the most 'health and safety' method, but with care it worked for me.
Jon
12-12-2010, 03:28 PM
#13
I just recently did another set of early struts and had to resort to using Vice grips on the shaft and tossed the old inserts. You should only do this method if you don't plan on re-using the strut cartridge because scarring the shaft can cause the shaft seal to leak later. I reinstalled the new strut cartridges with anti-seize compound on the top locknut for ease of removal in the future.