Originally posted by Andy W.:
Actually is pretty common to have to take off the lower ball joint to remove the strut. Just because you don't understand something doesn't make it stupid. At least our lower ball joints don't fail like most older hondas.

-Andy



I "understand" how it works and I "understand" that the strut is clamped into the spindle, but I "understand" that it very often refuses to come loose, much less come all the way out of the spindle, and it is also my "understanding" that the shop manual doesn't address having to undo the ball joint, so that as far as the factory is concerned, you shouldn't have to. And I also "understand" that most other strut cars out there use a simple but effective and relatively painless bolt-it-to-the-spindle method of attachment, which also provides a nice way of adjusting caster and camber if need be, unlike the Contour. So as far as I'm concerned, the Contour's method of attaching the strut to the spindle is stupid on multiple levels, not because I "don't understand" it, but because I DO.

Pacific Green '96 Contour LX V6 â??98 GTP, light mods, 14.66/94 Calypso Green '92 Mustang LX coupe, 13.56/101 Crown Autocross Club 1999 Street Tire Champion, 2000/2001/2002 Street Modified Champion KCR SCCA 2002 Solo II Street Modified Champion