Tricky Infiniti j30 struts!

[samsfng]

How are you guys there?

I reaaaaally need some help from a someone that knows about this tricky J30 struts replacement problem! I made a real mess for myself by trying to replace the front struts and spring!I put my 95 J30 to a mechanic to change my break pads and it came back without front suspension, the front drops to the ground when there is bump and it dosen't even bounce, so I brought it back and they said my struts had gone bad. Instead of getting a new pair which is rare and incredibly expensive, I bought a re-cycled pair along with spings. When I got the re-cycled parts by mail, the struts show no resistance at all when I pull it up, they drop right down in a flash, it don't seem normal at all. Since the front dosen't bounce at all but only drop, and my original struts don't have leak or breakage, I figured maybe it is the problem with the spring and not the struts, so I decided to replace the spring only. Now my front still drop to the ground but it bounces a little like a boat. During the installation, I see that there is a break-oil line feeding into the cylinder that house the struts. Does anyone knows how these struts works? Do they work with the break-oil pressure or it supposed to work independently with sealed air or hydraulic pressure. I need to know how these struts work before I replace the re-cycled pair that appears to be junk!

No auto shop or mechanic knows about this car here, please help me!

[DAEDALUS]

The struts do not work off brake line pressure. Are you sure the lines are routed into the struts, or just along them? Struts are compressed gas I think, probably with a light oil as a fluid. They are not meant to provide a reactive force based on position (like a spring). Rather, a strut's reaction is related to the speed of movement. The faster you pull or compress the strut rod, the more opposing force it exerts.

[samsfng]

Hi, Thank you for you advice, I'm can't tell for sure if the struts is working with the break oil, but there is a break oil line feeding into the cylinder that house the struts, the junction is about 3 inches above the bottom of that cylinder, which it also attach to the breaks hub. Whether the line go through that cylinder to the breaks or it is for the use of the struts, I don't know, but when I recived the re-cycled struts, they were full of oil inside and out. That's why I'm not sure how it works.

Sam

[diamond]

little late sorry.may be an option for you.you can use a strut insert that koni makes.they are 4 a 96 maxima or i30 here.i dont know what ya got there,so.hope it helps.i run them.they use your oem housing cut anddrilled in bottom,put insert in,bolt from bottom of oem case to become one with it.pretty simple really.i use yellow inserts in front and custom koni's on back.hope it helps.forgot,they are adjustable.
Modified by diamond at 12:17 AM 3/9/2005