Quote:
Originally Posted by brake-fade
If you plan on keeping the car, I'd spend the money on a car that old and replace the control arms, tierod ends and strut bearings then get it aligned. If you don't plan on keeping the car, I'd loosen the arms, spread the knuckles, support the hub so it doesn't flop out and stress the brake lines, and pull the assembly out. Careful not to hit the fender when pulling it out.
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I plan on keeping this car until the heat death of the universe.
Decided to take it apart, have a look, then decide. not my only car so no big if it sits in the air for a few days waiting for parts. Everything looked great. Zero play in the tie rod ends, the suspension bushings look fine too. No cracking, no sign of any fluid leaking (assuming these are hydraulic). So I am leaving them alone for now. Like I said, I barely put 5K a year on this car, and the roads here are baby-butt smooth. I'll probably do them all and get an alignment the next time I need tires in 2-3 years.
Got one side done. Can confirm that you can take the strut out of the fender and on my car it came out of the knuckle with zero effort - I literally just lifted it out - got to love cars that have no idea what salt it.
I did have to remove the brake caliper, there was not quite enough slack in the brake hose. Figuring out the new spring compressor kind of sucked. And then I got to do it twice because I managed to put the dished washer back upside-down. If you do that, your strut bearing won't spin.
So all-together between that and various tries figuring out the right place to put the compressor and the right adapters, took me a good 3hrs to swap that first strut after getting it out of the car. I expect it will take me about an hour and half total to do the other side tomorrow now that I know what I am doing. Ran out of daylight and ambition at about the same time today.
I was very glad that I bought a "strut nut wrench kit" when I was rehabbing a Volvo. I could not find my vise grips to hold the shaft, but remembered I had that. Makes it super easy to deal with that buried nut. Also bought one of the $7 strut spreader tools from Amazon which. He who dies with the most tools wins, right?
