Re: Replacing shocks and struts

[dlawson@ball.com (Dave Lawson)]

Mike,

>I'm assembling parts and tools to change the shocks and struts on my
>'86 Coupe GT.  I've been mentally going over what needs to be done,
>comparing Bentley with the car with the archives.

I did this last may on my 86 GT, it took me about 6 hrs on the front
working at a leisurely pace and 2 hrs for the rear.

>On the front (standard 4000 series suspension), I think it goes like this:

Step O should be inserted here, a few days before starting the work, spray
all the nuts and joints and such with penetrating oil, may be 2 times a day
for a couple/3 days. I did this and everythinmg
>1. Loosen axle nut, jack up car, and remove wheel and axle nut.  The axle
>nut needs to be replaced.

Yup, new nut.

>2. Unbolt brake caliper and move aside.  Remove brake disc.

Be sure to clean up the brake caliper bolts and use locktite on
assembly. Also hang the caliper with a tie wrap.

>3. Remove wheel bearing housing/ball joint clamp bolt.  I think this
>nut is self-locking also.

Yup, new nut here.

>4. Press off tie rod end with tie rod presser tool.

Remove the tie rod nut and you need a new nut here.

>5. Remove link rod nut -- another nut that needs replacement.

Yup, another new nut.

>6. Pry down control arm to pop out ball joint.  I gather from looking
>at the big U-shaped wedges sold as ball joint tools that this takes a
>good bit of force.

I haven't needed a pickle fork yet to get this out. With the clamp bolt
removed, use a chisel and pry apart the joint. I then use a rubber mallet
and tap the lower A arm down. It slides right out.

>7. Pull out driveshaft with driveshaft puller tool.  You now need to
>replace the inner CV joint gasket.

The CV boot only needs to be replaced if it is ripped.

>8. Remove upper shock absorber nut.  This is the one which has a hex-head
>recess in the center, which you need to hold steady with an allen wrench
>while turning the larger hex nut.  Bentley shows a special tool (3078)
>to do this.  Haynes says a "peg spanner" can be used instead; I don't
>know what they call that in the US.

I got a socket and had the sides milled so a 1 in open end wrench
will hold it. I then use the opening on the end to fit the allen wrench 
through.
I use a 2 ft breaker bar to hold  the allen wrench as I turn the socket.

>9. At this point the whole strut assembly comes off, if I understand the
>suspension -- everything from wheel bearing housing to strut bearing,
>intact.  No spring compressors are involved yet, right?  The spring is
>prevented from expanding by the inner nut I was holding with the allen
>key, and not by the one I removed in step 8?

Put a floor jack under the strut to hold it in place while you are
removing the upper strut nut. The upper spring perch/strut bushing
 is held in place by a slotted nut. There is a special tool for removing
this nut. I bought mine at Asembacher(sp?) Speciality Tools. Get
new slotted nuts too.

>10. So it's off the car.  I fit spring compressors on the spring and
>compress it until it's no longer exerting tension.  I then remove the
>nut that holds it together and can disassemble the entire thing and put
>it back together with new parts.

Correct. If you are going this far, be sure to replace the upper strut 
bushings.
Also, you might consider replacing the wheel bearings since the strut is out
and replacing the control(A) arm bushings. You are just 2 bolts away here.

>11. And assembly is the reverse, with new nuts and gaskets and Loctite
>in the appropriate places.  Anything special about getting the driveshaft
>back in the hub, or the ball joint back in the wheel bearing housing?

Nothing special, it slides in. I use a floor jack to reinsert the ball 
joint.
Get everything lined up and slowly giud it in.

>So the tools involved, apart from sockets and such, are a spring
>compressor, a tie rod press, a driveshaft puller, and a 3078.
>I'm not sure where to get these, or what I might substitute for a 3078.
>J.C. Whitney has spring compressors and tie rod presses, but I'm reluctant
>to order from the land of $7.99 torque wrenches.  Where do I get these
>tools?

I use a sears 6in gear puller for most of the above. It works on removing
the drive axle from the hub and removing the tie rod. I bought a spring
compressor from a local speed shop.

>The rear looks to be much easier, since it's not a driven axle --
>basically, remove the upper bolt and jack up the body, and the spring will
>reach maximum expansion and the shock should just fall out.  Unbolt the
>lower side, reassemble it all, and you're done.  It looks like there
>are no spring compressors, no parts to replace for better handling,
>not even any self-locking nuts.

I found it easier to remove the upper back seat to loosed the upper
strut nut. The rear is real easy. Also, new nuts all around.

>Oh, which locking compound is locking compound D6?

Not sure, I use blue locktite.

HTH.
 -
Dave Lawson  dlawson@ball.com