Any trick to installing struts?

[Leash]

I'm replacing the springs on my struts. I was able to get it on the first time but now I'm just having a hard time getting it back on the second time.

Any trick to making this easier? I just can't get the holes to line up for the bolts that attach it to the brake.

[yoda671]

IM SORRY BUT I JUST ORDERED SOME SPRINGS TO AND GOING TO BE IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING THEM LATER..HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEY FROM INSTALLING STRUTS ON SAY CIVICS AND SENTRAS?? I HOPE THEY ARENT GOING TO BE TO DIFFICULT..

[srpowered240sx]

put the top bolts in loosely, then just muscle the brake assy into place and slid a bolt through the bottom of the shock. once one is through the other is a breeze.

[srpowered240sx]

IM SORRY BUT I JUST ORDERED SOME SPRINGS TO AND GOING TO BE IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING THEM LATER..HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEY FROM INSTALLING STRUTS ON SAY CIVICS AND SENTRAS?? I HOPE THEY ARENT GOING TO BE TO DIFFICULT..

take the damn caps lock off. they are relatively the same. only difference i can think of is two bolts on the bottom of the front on.

[Leash]

put the top bolts in loosely, then just muscle the brake assy into place and slid a bolt through the bottom of the shock. once one is through the other is a breeze.

^ Thats exactly what I did the first time (I had to put it back on because I forgot to lossen up the strut bolt a bit), but trying to get it back on the second time is taking me more than five times as long.

I just can't get them to line up, the hole is about an 1" away from each other. No matter how much I push down on the brake, bottom part of the strut keeps hitting the brake assemby, preventing me from lining up the bottom hole. I thought of trying to use the spring compressor but there isn't enough space.

I've been at this for about 2 hours now. I just don't get it, it was easy the first time
Modified by Leash at 1:04 PM 3/16/2007

[Dano]

Take a quick pic and we'll tell you exactly what to do.

-Dan

[srpowered240sx]

front or back?? take some pics if you can.

[Leash]

I'm still on the front:

[Leash]

The closest I've gotten them to line up was 1/2cm, after that the bottom of the struts hits part of the brake assembly.

[TheOne]

take out the sway bar(just the end link, not the whole thing), that will give ya enough leverage to be able to put it back.

[Leash]

I was hoping to avoid that but I'll give it a try if I can't a find another way,

[killablue240]

hey man, for the front just step on the rotor assembly with one foot and use your hands to push the top part toward the mounting point and just slide in one bolt, ive done this a million times without taking apart anything

[le_ryan]

thats how i did mine ^^

[Leash]

^ Thanks that did it. I was a bit afraid that I would brake somthing but it worked. Thanks a bunch everyone!

[neverlift]

or just jack the other front wheel up lol

[srpowered240sx]

either that, or use a spring compressor to compress the spring and push up. honestly removing the swaybar endlink is gonna be the easiest way.

[neverlift]

no jacking the other front tire up is the easiest way seeing you need it up too and that you wont need to un~do / re~do extra bolts....

[BoBa524]

make sure that both sides are jacked up, i ran into this silly problem when i did my shocks. took me a few mins to figure out.