What a day :(

[troyzstang]

Just finished putting new rear struts on my boys car. What a pain in the ass.
Nuts & bolts rusted. Had to cut a link pin out. This was our first experience with struts and it sucked. On a positive note though; we saved about $400.00 dollars by doing it ourself. Great family time too, and we learned how to install struts. So I guess overall not to bad.

Troy

 

[sicivicdude]

What type of vehicle?

PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

 

[troyzstang]

He's got a Hyundai Tiburon. He got a great deal on it ( 5 speed with 80,000 miles) all leather. Paid $2,000 for it & he's real happy with it. Sorry no pics. I can take one of the old struts that are in the trash can though.

 

[sicivicdude]

Pictures of old struts will suffice

Do you have a strut spring compressor, rig something, or "rent" a set of spring compressors?

 

[troyzstang]

Rented one from autozone.
That was a learning experience too. I thought i had to depress the springs on the old struts before we pulled them. Like I said it was my first enperience with struts. Took us about three hours including a break for dinner and post clean up.

 

[super noober]

piiiiics!!! lol

 

[troyzstang]

Tough crowd here.
please don't make me go out there and dig through the trash.
Give an old man a break.

 

[sicivicdude]

Rented one from autozone.
That was a learning experience too. I thought i had to depress the springs on the old struts before we pulled them. Like I said it was my first enperience with struts. Took us about three hours including a break for dinner and post clean up.

You sir are brave with no previous experience with struts to tackle them like that.

Obviously now you know, but for anyone else. Strut springs are "caged" by the strut and the strut pillow is bolted to the vehicle with the bottom of the strut bolted to the hub.

You remove the (usually) three pillow nuts and two hub bolts and pull the strut and spring out of the vehicle.

Once the strut is safely on the ground, you can lay a few pieces of fire wood on each side (recommended in case the compressors slip and the spring tried to come off sideways) and begin to compress the spring down until the tension is no longer on the strut nut and then use an impact gun to remove the pillow assembly. Once the nut is off the strut pillow, the strut slides out bottom and the new strut slides back up through the spring. Reassembly is opposite of disassembly. With two people, it's a 3 beer a piece job.

 

[troyzstang]

Thanks for the kind words.
I figured it would be kind of like replacing a set of shocks. Then The reality set in when I picked them up from Bap Geon ( auto parts store) I looked in the box and said to the cashier " What are these" Anyway I am fortunate enough to have a decent set of tools and common sense. Tommorow I'm back to MY TOYS

 

[Surfrjag]

its easier when your going with a lowering spring or coilovers because you cont usually have to compress them to get the strut in.. good work troy!!