best tool for strut dissassembly?

[eyeballs]

Went to swap springs last night and the strut top nut got the best of me. First time I've even been unable to get a strut apart! Usually I use an electric impact on the nut and sometimes have to hold the shaft to prevent spining, but nothing I tried worked. Not even vice-grips on a socket and a t-grip allen wrench.

I may have my local guy just do the fronts for me but in your experiences what is the best tool for macpherson strut disassemblies? Something that can easily be used on the garage floor without a vice.

 

[ngd298]

Use a long screwdriver or similar sized metal rod and wrap a piece of cloth around it (to prevent messing up your threads) and place it between 2 of the 3 small studs on top of the strut. This will keep the strut assembly and the stud with the Allen head from turning, then just use a good impact wrench to drive the big nut off (with the spring compressed of course). Worked great for me.

 

[kcdirtbro54]

I usually have a 3/8 or 1/2 impact gun to take off the top strut nut. If you're having problems, you could try and put a little of the spring tension back on the strut (when you normally have it compressed a bunch to take the strut mount off) so that you can spin the nut and you have the spring pushing up on the mount. That should take care of spinning if that all makes sense.

 

[eyeballs]

I actually already tried leaving some tension on the spring (as scary as that would be if the nut came off entirely). I like ngd's idea...very simple and I think I didn't try it since I was thinking that stoping the hat from rotating wouldn't necessarity stop the shaft from spinning. But if that is the case I might see if there is room to just get the impact in to break the nut loose with the unit still bolted into the car, and then remove it once the nut is loose. Some people did that with the miata setup but I had no problems on my NB (except one shock where the threads had rusted). We'll see how it goes...I can't get to it this weekend unfortunately since I got a vasectomy yesterday afternoon and need to take it easy.

one more thing...I am bringing the car into mazda to have my fuel issue checked out and just for the hell of it I asked that they charge for a spring install. Ready?...........$180/corner!!! My local guy would do all four for that price I think but I'm going to try and not be lazy. Problem is with the wife and I working full-time (she works many weekend days too) and two kids it's difficult to get significant garage time.

 

[Ryno666]

$180/corner!!! My local guy would do all four for that price I think but I'm going to try and not be lazy. Problem is with the wife and I working full-time (she works many weekend days too) and two kids it's difficult to get significant garage time.[/QUOTE]

Whatever you do don't move at all! After I had my vasectomy I rested three days but after I went back work. I was on lite duty but all the walking caused my boys to swell up like an Orange and I popped a stitch from the pressure.

 

[eyeballs]

Yea I already made the mistake of walking through a couple stores immediately after...I was still numb so it didn't bother me. Paying for it now though...I certainly won't be going to work monday unless I get some major improvement. On the upside at least I'm getting to see most of the olympics.

 

[Its a Demio]

Yea I already made the mistake of walking through a couple stores immediately after...I was still numb so it didn't bother me. Paying for it now though...I certainly won't be going to work monday unless I get some major improvement. On the upside at least I'm getting to see most of the olympics.

Man I am so glad that I got that out of the way at the beginning of this year. Just hope you don't go all black and blue and swollen like I did about a month after. Ugh. Hey eyeballs, where are you located at in Gainesville?

 

[Racebrewer]

On mine I did the following:

Removed struts. Put on ground. Placed foot on top of spring. Removed nut with 1/2 drive 110 volt electric impact from Sears. Knocked nut right off. No spring compression tool involved. Assembly popped apart about 4 inches.

John

 

[Max Archer]

I compressed the crap out of the spring and then hit the nut with an impact gun, no issue.

 

[eyeballs]

MaxArcher&Racebrewer - It sounds like yours came apart as they should have...mine just didn't want to cooperate. Hopefully soon I can give it another shot. My wife and father-in-law volunteered to do the rears for me, so now it has a subaru stance (higher in the front).

Demio - I'm on the north end of town. Just off of Price Rd near Thompson Br Rd. Just a few doors down from where that guy was building bombs from fireworks that was on the news. Bomb squad, helicopters, cop cars, and news crew made the time off work a little more exciting.

For those interested...only one side is black and blue and swollen, other side normal. Doing a bit better now but yesterday morning had some intense pain that caused me to break out into a heavy sweat along with dizziness. Had me worried for a little while.

 

[Racebrewer]

It might have been the impact tool. My 110 volt (Black & Decker Industrial) is gutsy.

Now that I think about it, the strut shaft did rotate a bit.

Try a small Vise-Grip through the springs to keep the shaft from spinning. You'll need to wrap the shaft with something rubber-like to prevent any scoring. Don't over tighten the Vise-Grip, just need a little.

John

 

[exalted_one]

I always brace the strut with a long screwdriver or piece of steel rod, but I don't have and impact gun yet.

 

[zps2004]

Vice grips on the shaft with a piece of rubber hose so you don't scratch the shock shaft. It works really well. Sometimes you need to use 2 vice grips to prevent it from spinning but not always. It usually holds it good enough to use a normal socket as well so you don't need to use an impact.

 

[colonelangus]

note to everyone doing struts..
if no impact is available then before you start the job open hood loosen nut while the weight of the car is on the wheels ..must be the preload of the spring ?..did mine and another m2 with little effort

 

[eyeballs]

^ I was actually planning on trying that, I already confirmed the socket will fit in there on the nut while on the car.

And I already tried the vice-grip thing...used a few rags to protect the shaft but it was still spinning and I didn't want to risk damaging the shaft so I didn't go too crazy on it. Rubber hose idea is good though.

 

[zps2004]

Rags will not really grip on the polished steel shaft. Rubber or silicone hose will.

 

[eyeballs]

Rags will not really grip on the polished steel shaft. Rubber or silicone hose will.

Which is why I still have the front RB springs sitting on a shelf in the garage.

 

[Max Archer]

Oh, I just noticed that you're using an electric impact. Is there any way you could get access to air tools? I used an actual air impact wrench, and I think that's what made the difference, since they spin so fast with so much torque that the nut comes off before the shaft can spin.

The other thing that might work is a big box end wrench and a really burly t-handle allen wrench. I saw that you tried vice grips, but an actual wrench might have more luck.

 

[eyeballs]

OK, I finally got the fronts done. The reason that nut is so difficult to remove is because there is lock-tite on there from the factory. I had to sacrifice a bike tube to grip the shaft with vice-grips, and had no problem. The impact could not reach with the units still on the car, and using a socket wrench the shaft was spinning. For the second side I tried the no-spring-compressor dissassembly method which I do not recommend, since the bearings popped out. Fortunately it just took a moment to get back together. And I'm pretty sure I gained a bit of extra camber since there was some wiggle room with the stock bolts and I was able to push in a little while tightening. Visually I'd say I've got 1-1.5 degrees of negative camber, and looks to be just a tad less than the rear and certainly more than I had stock.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[Racebrewer]

Good job ! ! !

Nothing like the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

Your camber sounds about right from my experience. However, dropping the front will also change the toe quite a bit. You might get lucky and not need an alignment, but that depends upon where the original alignment was set by Mazda.

I "stringed" my car to set the alignment myself and so far, so good.

John