Removing Front Shocks

[meadan]

hi everyone,

 

I just bought some new front shocks for my ae71 wagon. Now it seemed like a pretty straightforward task to change them. Ihave managed to get the entire strut out of the car, so the spring is out and brake lines disconnected and such.

I can't seem to get the old insert out of the strut. Does anyone have any tips or advice to get the old one out? I have unscrewed the top thing which holds it in by the way, so i think ithe shock is jammed in there. I'm thinking of a hammer and putting it in the vice once all the oil is drained out, there must be an easier way.

 

thanks

adan

[anastasios]

put the strut in a vice, put the nut on the top with some kind of plate or puller and whack I'm sure it would come out, depends what thing you have lying around that you don't need to act as a puller,

[Raven]

It unscrews. You never hit it.

 

Put the strut in a vice and get some vice grips and clamp on the gland nut and undo it.

 

It'll probably be tight. Watch out for oil in the strut if the struts are a wet strut and not a dry strut (which I think is what you'll be converting it over too as you'll be using inserts)

[anastasios]

um he has said his undone the gland nut...and he has said the oil has leaked all out

[Raven]

Oooo, lol, I didnt read it properly. Sorry people!

 

There is a cir-clip inside the strut. A pair of needle-nose pliers will get that out.

[smacko84]

yeah i had the same problem... from memory we just slowly pulled it out cos the oil stopped it from sliding out :) sounds pretty contradictory but yeah we just slowly pulled until it came out... oh and don't worry about destroying the shock when taking it out cos its gonna be thrown out anyways... haha sorry I'm not much help...

[meadan]

thanks for the help people.

i got it out quite easily once i put it in a vice and used the strut like a slide hammer :)

once i got the first one the next one was easy. Lets hope i don't have to deal with oiled struts again though