Help - Stuck Strut!

[jamjar1383]

Yes but if I cannot get the nut off the ball joint then I cannot get the track rod end off! Unless I grind through the track rod and then grind off the bolt from the hub later.

right i think were strugging then, could you post a pic of what you have done so far and the i will tell you exatcly what you need to do next

[JonL]

With the aid of a nut splitter and some judicious violence applied I managed to get the nut off and thus removed the entire strut and hub assembly together. Even with the bloody thing on the work bench I could not see how the strut came out of the hub! There was no lug, it rotated freely as if there was a lug but it was held inside the hub casting thus allowing about 310 degrees of rotation before it hit the internal sides of the friction joint slot. Having wasted somuch time already i decided not to bother going any further and just changed the spring wiht the hub still attached. The spring erquires a lot of compression dosen't it! Finally I have a new spring fitted to the strut and it went back on the car reasonably easilly. Cleaning all the threads helped as did the fact that I knew exactally where everything came from! So that took up till about 1930 hrs last night and I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and left it there. I am now back and about to start on side two, wish me luck!

[teamster1975]

Well done Jon, what a nightmare!
The last time I did a spring and couldn't get the strut out I hammered a wedge into the hub to spread it slightly.

[JonL]

Well we had a crow bar in the gap spreading it and still no luck. When we got it onto the bench there was a clear gap all the way round the bottom of the strut and a small ammount of "wiggle" but no vertical movement at all! Still that side is done, this side has already scored a hit, the drop link ball joint has siezed and the allen key hole has rounded off! I am trying to find an imperial equivelent, or a 5.5 mm allen key to try and stop the thread spinning! Oh and the bottom ball joint on this side is well and truley stuck so I'm going to have to use a splitter and the last time I did that I needed a new ball joint! I'll keep you updated.....

[JonL]

What is it with the last few threads of this bloody car? The drop link ball joint is not as stuck as the track rod end on the other side! I am not going to give in though, looking for more allen keys! Might try to find a torex or spline bit and just bugger it up but get it off, as long as I can get it back on I don't care(ish)!

[JonL]

Bloody thing! 5.5mm is too big, 5mm is too small, 30 torex too small, 40 torex too big! Running out of options here!

[jasper5]

Tons of WD40 and mole grips on the back of the bolt, failing that cut it off with the grinder and fit a new one.

[JonL]

Well removal of the nut was achieved, a grinder and lots of violence achieves wonders! This side the strut slipped out of the hub beautifully and so came apart on the bench easilly. Am now struggeling to compress the new spring sufficently to get the strut top back on! Only a sadist could have designed the longest springs in the world and coupled them with the sortest shocks and thickest strut tops!

[teamster1975]

Have you got two pairs of spring compressors? That was the only way I could reassemble the strut when I did my mates xsara picasso.
Good job anyway Jon!

[JonL]

I have three spiring compressors and had to compress the spring, put it in a vice and secure it then undo the compresser and refit including another coil! Tighten and repeat as necessary.

All back together now but I have to re-fill the gearbox oil as that drained out when the driveshafts came out during the removal of the struts! Not sure where the filler is but I'm sure I'll find it.

[JonL]

Oil back in the gearbox and car moving again. Still sounds like a tractor so lets hope it dosent start driving like one!

[JonL]

Car had a nasty judder for a couple of miles but is now running reasonably smoothly. There is a nice klonk most bumps but not corners so I think that the drop links did not tighten quite enough,as the allen key holes are all knackered, and so the noise is the ball joints moving. New ones are only £11 per side so I will change them both out before I re-test the car. I have removed one of the two nuts already and since I am going to replace ultra-violence can commence early!