Front Strut Removal. Some Questions.
 

The pair of new front Strut Assemblies I ordered will arrive soon.

I have already carefully undone the pinch bolts and refitted them them with a good smear of Copper Based anti-seize grease. Also a liberal soaking of good penetrating oil for the lower part of the Strut in the Hub clamp location.

So the main question. How many other parts of the hub and lower suspension have to be removed or undone before the Lower part of the Strut can be "persuaded" out of its hub location?

Have searched a range of "how to" but those seen so far do not cover this part of the job in detail. Some mention it is very difficult.

Is it possible in some way to remove the strut with minimal disturbance of the rest of the suspension and hub assembly?

Would it be best to remove the Strut AND the Hub? Then off the car, more access to the hub to apply carefully placed and controlled hammer blows to separate the lower part of the Strut from the hub.

Any advice to make the job less of a pain experienced by others I have read will be greatly appreciated.

With a ZT/ZTT it shouldn't be necessary to undo anything other than the pinch bolt to allow the swivel hub to be separated from the damper.

However if you do experience difficulties, slacken the subframe mounting bolts on the side you are tackling, this will allow for a little extra clearance, this is essential if tackling 75 struts if you don't want to disturb the bottom ball joint ;)

Brian :D

just drop links, pinch bolt and the ball joint connecting the hub to the control arm/wishbone.

I replaced mine recently - easy enough with complete assemblies :cool:


just remember to support the hub so as not to affect the driveshafts ;)



Paul.



* my car is a 75 - the ZT may be able to be done without releasing the balljoint ;)

I have always found it difficult to re-unite the strut with the hub if the hub is left on the car. So, I remove the strut/hub as one lump, having cracked the upper hub/strut pinch bolt whilst the assembly is still on the car, before removal. This does mean you have to crack the driveshaft nuts, remove the brake caliper and crack the track rod end/steering arm joint (as well as unbolting the drop link lower nut), as well as disconnecting the ABS and brake pad wear indicator leads at the black/blue connectors on the inner wing. See my 'how to' for front wheel bearing replacement for more details. I realise this is more involved than many other folks on here would suggest, but it makes for a more relaxed job, with less risk of damage to the new strut if you have to resort to brute force to get the hub back onto it.

Pete

Brian's solution sounds nice and easy I myself have never tried that way, but most certainly will in the future, hopefully these photo's below will give you a little bit more insight as to what may need doing should the above not work out.


First loosen the front wheel studs.
https://i.imgur.com/phUxz8Kl.jpg1

Jack car up at the front.
https://i.imgur.com/wfm84ORl.jpg2

Remove wheel & add a axle stand to the jacking point for wheel removal.
https://i.imgur.com/IpPLYl8l.jpg3

The ABS sensor wire needs unclipping as does the brake hose.
https://i.imgur.com/v4MyXtXl.jpg3

https://i.imgur.com/f0z8EiTl.jpg4

Brake hose prise clip upward with a screw driver etc.
https://i.imgur.com/Y74ZJbSl.jpg5

Then use a pair of long nose pliers to pull clip off completely.
https://i.imgur.com/v3tVNbhl.jpg6

https://i.imgur.com/2TMnqR5l.jpg7

The brake hose now can be removed from the strut.
https://i.imgur.com/AgAstzql.jpg8

https://i.imgur.com/kerjvshl.jpg9

You can now turn your attention to the removing the drop link bottom fixing to antiroll bar 15mm or maybe 17mm depending.
https://i.imgur.com/bLrzehJl.jpg10

https://i.imgur.com/qHBMsQkl.jpg11

https://i.imgur.com/weY7DwBl.jpg12

Now you need to undo the lower ball joint bolt/nut
https://i.imgur.com/1WTVGl5l.jpg13

https://i.imgur.com/RAtKmJEl.jpg14

https://i.imgur.com/6vet122l.jpg15

You now need to pull or tap out the ball joint I used a piece of 2"x2" wood and a lump hammer as below.
https://i.imgur.com/Sp5EW5Hl.jpg16

https://i.imgur.com/84Ws9sol.jpg17

The next part is to tackle the front strut bolt

https://i.imgur.com/dNzsk9ul.jpg18

Use a good six sided socket & bar to crack the bolt
https://i.imgur.com/Hjazuoul.jpg19

Make sure you have something under the disc/hub I used a plant pot :D
https://i.imgur.com/EUtka9al.jpg20

Add some penetrating oil to the strut and joint and tap down with the sane piece of wood slowly, until the strut becomes free from the hub.
https://i.imgur.com/eCE70Xnl.jpg21

You can now unlock the three nuts holding the strut on to the car
https://i.imgur.com/9HhUp4ll.jpg22

Lower the strut from and out of the wheel arch
https://i.imgur.com/trAZ3POl.jpg23

https://i.imgur.com/lsGZclMl.jpg24

https://i.imgur.com/1Vm6ifGl.jpg25

Refitting is the reverse good luck Arctic ;)

Many thanks Arctic.
 

Many thanks Arctic for that reply and those superb illustrations. By the way, you have the same Trolley Jack and Axle Stands as those I bought about a dozen years ago. Very useful kit.

I will try Brian's sub-frame Mounting Bolt loosening technique first and if that works for me then well and good. Otherwise the complete Strut and Hub Assembly removal option I will use as a long stop. No hurry if the job takes me over a few days to do both sides, I have other transport options available.

I have removed, cleaned up and Copper Based greased one of the Pinch Bolts already. I think it's worth my mentioning that before removal of the Near-Side Strut Pinch Bolt, I placed a good quality Hex-Socket on the Bolt Head and using my big daddy 3/4" Bergen Breaker Bar with 3/4 to 1/2" reducers, applied my weight to TIGHTEN the Bolt a fraction. I felt it move a fraction. That actually broke the corrosion. Then using another Socket, one which acts on the Flats of the Bolt Head, not on the points of the Hex-Flats, was relieved to feel it start to become undone. It was just a very little at a time but became easier with each application of my controlled weight on the 3/4" Breaker Bar. Then later, much later after patient use of the breaker bar, the bolt became sufficiently loosened to allow n use of a Ratchet Socket Wrench.

Just getting round to doing this myself and this has been very helpful.

It took me 3 days, an blow torch that I think is older than me and a lot of plus gas to get the pinch bolt undone on one side but I defeated it.

Just waiting on a pair of new shocks to arrive, then i'll take the struts to a garage and have them combine the new springs, shocks, drop links and top bearings with all the little bits and pieces and what not from my originals.

It's a shame a complete strut isn't available for a diesel, would have made my life a whole lot simpler.

An excellent how to with superb pictures there from Arctic, as usual.:bowdown::bowdown:




Steve

Why not treat yourself to some spring compressors, you wouldn't need the garage then.

I did buy some spring compressors but scared myself with some a few years ago so I'm too chicken to use them.

:getmecoat: