Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Suspension STRUT instalation, whats the trick????

With the help of a friend, we installed new front struts on my 95 SE. We also replaced the left front wheel bearing.

I must be missing some trick to getting the strut back into the steering knuckle. That was a real pain. Getting them out was hard enough. Does anyone have a trick for compressing the strut (not just the spring) and lowering it, under control, back down into the knuckle????

I want to do the rear struts next weekend. Can the rear knuckles be lowered enough to get the new strut back into the knuckle, with out compressing the strut???

TIA

I'm not sure exactly how similiar our cars are considering the year difference but on mine the fronts were just more of a PITA reinstalling the new parts. You should be happy when you get to the rears as it went by easier and quicker than the front did on my car. The problem in the front is dealing with all the extra crap. Drive shafts, A-arm attachment, etc. The rear should be much easier for you. Good Luck.

Easiest way I found to put the Strut back into the spindle is oiling up the inside of the knuckle where the strut goes back in.. I put the strut up into the tower and put the bolt on, but not all the way.. I had anotehr person push down on the control arm as well as pushing the knuckle towards the motor. While that was done I pushed up on the strut and got it to site on top of the hole on the knuckle. I proceted to hit the sides of the knuckle and bottom to get it to slide slightly up so the strut went into the hole. Then I put a jack under the control arm and jacked it up. The strut still sat at the same position in the hole, so i hit it with a hammer and it slid in slowly. I just kept jacking the arm up more and more until it finally droped all the way to the spot where the bolt goes through.. Hope that helped somewhat. So be careful while working though!

I'll tell you what my trick is - A HAMMER! I use the hammer to hammer the knuckle down, and hammer it back up into place. Also get yourself a ball-joint seperator to put the ball-joint back on. I've taken the knuckle out at least 3 times by myself already.

I have taken my struts of 3 different times. And every time it took a 1 pound sledge to get the job done. My father is a mechanic and he would always tell me that if you are going to do suspension work you need 2 things. A HAMMER, and a PRY BAR. The rear's are alot easier.

Airknight Why? How? I saw the separator tool in the haynes manual for removing the outer tie rod end joint. But a slight tap with a hammer and the tie rod end bolt poped out of the knuckle. How and why would a ball-joint separator tool be need for removing the knuckle?

You don't need one. Because if a small tap with a hammer won't break it loose then you could use the pry bar. But it shouldn't come to that and if it does something might be bent. A ball joint remover is just another high priced tool you don't need.

I used the ball joint separator fork on my suspension when we put on the BAT kit, and managed to rip a ball joint boot :rolleyes:

That fork is a POS. J-Lab did the other side with a hammer, we did not even remove the ball joint! I'm now in the market for upgradede bushings...and a ball joint boot...

BAT has ball joints available now. And rebuilt A-arms. Check they're catalog, it just got updated not to long ago.

Well, you guys were right. The rear struts were very easy compared to the front. Did them yesterday my self, didn't need to call the brother-inlaw.

Though I could not have done it without an air wrench on that dang 18mm knuckle pinch bolt. Took alot of tries, WD40, and patience.

I've heard of a tool that will compress the strut/spring together, so you can uncompress the assembly under control, to lower in down into the front steering knuckle. If I ever do front struts again, I want that tool. With out compressing the strut, the A-arm just couldn't be forced down enough to get the bottom of the strut into the knuckle. Anyone heard of this strap/tool???