Re: Strut R&R 4kq OOPS

[Wolff <quattro200@earthlink.net>]

Wolff wrote:
> 
> Sorry,
> Patient is a 4kq. I've done the fronts before so I know basically how to
> change the rears. My question is how to get the top nuts off the rear
> struts. They aren't going to come out 'till that nut is off. I can't
> wiggle a wrench in there from the trunk so it looks to me like I've got
> to get the rear deck with the speakers in it out. Then I need that
> special socket that I don't have. Suggestions for getting the deck out
> and getting the nut off welcome. Maybe bend up a wrench?
> Wolff

Ok, I got the seat back out. The trick was to apply firm pessure on each
side under where the seatbelt normally lays to "pop
 the clip loose. After that there were just two metal tabs bent over
holding the deck in. Turns out you can reach the top nuts easily with
the standard 7/8 craftsman offset wrench so no problem there. I couldn't
find my puller so I took the tie rod off at the subframe end and started
removing the A arm, but then realized that I didn't have a wrench that
could get inside the subframe. Is that a 15mm or 17mm in there?
  I did end up finding my puller, so I popped the ball joint and got it
all apart. Curiously, there was already a blue strut bearing on the top
of the rear strut. I have a set of four blue ur-q bearings to put in.
Does anyone know for sure if the blues will work up front? The "correct"
fronts have a higher metal flange, though the rubber part looks
identical except for the first 3 digits of the part number. Is the ur-q
blue one firmer?
TIA,
Wolff