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Front strut removal

UmmScott

CEG'er
Joined
May 4, 2009
Messages
292
Location
Omaha, NE
Hey again guys. question...
2.0L engine 95 GL contour
Is there a special procedure for removing the front struts, or am i just overlooking something simple. Heres what ive done:
remove tire, disconnected brake hose and sway bar links, disconnected tie rod end from knuckle, remove knuckle to strut pinch bolt, remove top mount, then heres where i get stuck.
The darn thing wont come out of the knuckle. It has about 1/2 still left inside the knuckle, but if i try to move it upwards, it goes against the spring...

Should i just attempt it like the rear struts and compress the spring while its still in the car?
 
The darn thing wont come out of the knuckle. It has about 1/2 still left inside the knuckle, but if i try to move it upwards, it goes against the spring...

Should i just attempt it like the rear struts and compress the spring while its still in the car?

I put a cold steel chisel in the knuckle pinch bolt area and gave it a few taps to spread the knuckle and break free any rust-grip-adhesion, and then used a hand sledge and pounded down on the knuckle area and drifted the knuckle off the strut. No spring compressors are needed while it's just being removed.
 
yea I'd remove the ball joint. I didn't do it on my car cause I didn't wanna buy a new ball joint. looking back it would of been worth the time. struts are a PTA on these cars.
 
You don't need to remove the ball joint, although it will help seeing as you have 4-bolt control arms, which don't flex downward as easily or as far.
 
instead of removing the ball joint I loosened the 4 bolt control arms. it helped but was still hard.
 
Definitely pop the ball joint out. Then support the knuckle lightly with a jack and pound down with the sledge. The strut will slowly slide out and then full support the knuckle on the jack, otherwise you risk ripping your cv boots.

Trust me, after a 3 day lowering project i'd reccomend not cutting corners.
 

No not really :shrug:. If the knuckle is "attached" to only the axle and the strut, and you pound it off the strut, then the axle is the only thing left "attached" to it. That's a risk I wouldn't want to run as the knuckle goes crashing to the floor. You can pound the axle out of the hub if you turn it far in one direction, as long as you're careful not to pull the CV apart before you pound out the axle.
 
I guess that would be a last resort kinda thing. I've never gotten to a point doing struts where I thought it was time to disassemble everything since wiggling and turning the wheel for clearance has always done it for me.
 
I guess that would be a last resort kinda thing. I've never gotten to a point doing struts where I thought it was time to disassemble everything since wiggling and turning the wheel for clearance has always done it for me.

Remember, you have 2-bolt LCAs, so you can push down on them much further. No need for you to remove the knuckle from the ball joint. It's very difficult to work with the 4-bolt LCAs.
 
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