Strut rebuild

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D366Y
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Car(s): 1986 Laser 1.6, daily runaround project
1981 GL Auto 2.0, Barn-Find-Resto, now also a runaround project
1980 3.0S, crash damage resto
1993 Fiesta 1.1

Currently full up and no more space but I still want a 2.8...
Location: Buckinghamshire

Strut rebuild

Post by D366Y »

Evening all! Spent the evening stripping the front suspension on the S to paint it all up, Haynes doesn't say anything about removing the damper though and I was hoping to take it off to be asked to paint it all up but can't figure it out for the life of me... I undid the bottom bolt but it didn't move and the join at the bottom of the rubber also seems like our won't separate at all so wondered if there were any tips or tricks please!

Cheers
Danny
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Bug
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Re: Strut rebuild

Post by Bug »

Not sure what bottom bolt you mean? Thought only the 2.8i units had a lock nut on the bottom. Take that off and the damper is upside down, with the rod threaded into the housing.
However, on yours, if it is standard, you need to remove the rubber gaiter, then you'll see the big fat old collar at the top. That needs unscrewing with a large C-Spanner, but you can tap it round with a drift if you're careful. Then all the damper and oil can come out the top. Unless you find it's previously been replaced with a cartridge type replacement.
Personally, if you don't need to change the dampers, i'd leave them where they are, just remove the gaiter and mask the shiny rod up. A standard jubilee clip can be used to put the gaiter back in place.
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Bug
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Re: Strut rebuild

Post by Bug »

Looking at your photo, you still have the TCA in place. Have you got that off now?
If you don't have a puller/separator then you can use this trick.
Put your foot on the end of the TCA to hold it down. Lift the strut to put some tension on the ball joint and strike firmly with a hammer on the outer curved section of the mounting that the TCA bolts through. 9 times out of 10, this is sufficient for the tapered joint to separate.
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D366Y
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Posts: 2569
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:26 pm
Car(s): 1986 Laser 1.6, daily runaround project
1981 GL Auto 2.0, Barn-Find-Resto, now also a runaround project
1980 3.0S, crash damage resto
1993 Fiesta 1.1

Currently full up and no more space but I still want a 2.8...
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Strut rebuild

Post by D366Y »

Bug wrote: Tue May 19, 2020 9:43 am Not sure what bottom bolt you mean? Thought only the 2.8i units had a lock nut on the bottom. Take that off and the damper is upside down, with the rod threaded into the housing.
However, on yours, if it is standard, you need to remove the rubber gaiter, then you'll see the big fat old collar at the top. That needs unscrewing with a large C-Spanner, but you can tap it round with a drift if you're careful. Then all the damper and oil can come out the top. Unless you find it's previously been replaced with a cartridge type replacement.
Personally, if you don't need to change the dampers, i'd leave them where they are, just remove the gaiter and mask the shiny rod up. A standard jubilee clip can be used to put the gaiter back in place.
I think these are 2.8 struts as they came off the 3.0 and have bigger vented discs on them - need to check if they are stamped as billies or not, but they have a small nut at the bottom that i managed to get off but still couldn't get the thing to move at at all. If the advice is to leave it in place then I'll fight off that top clip and mask up the damper then, that saves me some time! I was planning to use a jubilee clip instead if I did manage to get it off - that thing is seriously on there! Might have to just cut the bloody thing off

Everything has been completely taken off, I just loosely put it back together last night while I was tidying up so I didn't lose anything - good tip though!

Cheers
Danny
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Bug
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Re: Strut rebuild

Post by Bug »

OK, so if they are Bilsteins then the small nut on the bottom is a locknut only.
The damper is upside down and threaded into the bottom of the leg. With that small nut off, there should be a slot in the protruding thread to unscrew it. Remember that you are effectively trying to 'tighten' the thread back into the strut, so it's 'righty-tighty'. However, if these have been in place for a few years they could be fairly tight and it is not unusual for the slotted bit to snap off. Then you're stuffed.
So my advice would remain that you should leave well alone. Maybe just remove the rubber gaiter for access to mask it all up. Then jubilee clip it back in place. In fact, even a tywrap would do it, depending on your OCD levels. Clean up the gaiter with Autoglym bumper gel or something similar.
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D366Y
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Posts: 2569
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:26 pm
Car(s): 1986 Laser 1.6, daily runaround project
1981 GL Auto 2.0, Barn-Find-Resto, now also a runaround project
1980 3.0S, crash damage resto
1993 Fiesta 1.1

Currently full up and no more space but I still want a 2.8...
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Strut rebuild

Post by D366Y »

Bug wrote: Tue May 19, 2020 12:24 pm Then you're stuffed.
So my advice would remain that you should leave well alone. Maybe just remove the rubber gaiter for access to mask it all up. Then jubilee clip it back in place. In fact, even a tywrap would do it, depending on your OCD levels. Clean up the gaiter with Autoglym bumper gel or something similar.
Sold.
I'll get the old clip off, mask up the damper and leave it all alone!

Checked the leg and they say bilstein on so at least I know what I have on there now

Thanks for the help :)
Danny
A wise man once said... "you can never have too many capris - buy another" :beer:
It's me, I'm the wise man.
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