I got the spring off the old one and have the gr2 in but my issue is the kuckle of the car will not line up with the holes on the new strut.. Im lost im on my phone right now so let me get a shot

 

Edited December 4, 201015 yr by 1-3-2-4

Good lord man get a wire wheel on a drill or angle grinder and clean up that rust a little. Throw a little grease or vasoline on there so it slides around better. Loosen up your top three nuts until they are at the "top" of the bolts. That should give you enough free play to get it to line up... don't tighten stuff down until it's all "on." Your hub has play in it, right? as long as you leave everything "loose" you should be able to get it.

What that dude said plus when you can see the hole in the bracket through the hole in the strut use a screwdriver to pry them into alignment on one side and slide the bolt through the other. Just did this 30 minutes ago replacing friends struts. easy peasy.

Is the other wheel still on the ground? You want both front wheels of the ground and disconnect the sway bar from the control arm. Pry the control arm down and pull the strut out away from the car to get the lower bolt in then you can pry the knuckle back towards the car to get the upper in.

yeah it was the sway bar that was the hold up... funny thing was when I went to jack up the front (I wanted to do both left side) I heard the left front pop into place.

 

After all that it only took me about 1 min to put the bolts in and set camber and done..

 

the rears are going to be a pain.. I hit them with the impact wrench and that top bolt is not moving.. I might have to take a little heat to it since PB blaster was not working (getting kroil next)

 

the rears are far worse then the front.. jump on the rear and the car will bounce for a good 2 seconds

 

 

So I took the front left off and pushed the strut down and heh it never came back up.. WELL It did move upwards about 2 inches in 25 min.

 

I'm not going to go crazy on it right now since I gotta do the same stuff over again in the spring.. I'm just installing this now because the car was crap in the snow in every rut you hit...

 

besides I will be putting lowering springs on and new strut mounts.

 

 

having said that I know what that tapping sound is on every bump.. some how my lower caliper bolt fell out (don't know how I made sure it was on) I assume they offer replacement bolts for the lower?

Edited December 4, 201015 yr by 1-3-2-4

Can probably just get one from the hardware store, for a temporary fix at least. IF they have metric bolts.

 

Did you try to loosen the bolt or the nut on the rears? The bolts get stuck pretty bad, but the nut is much easier to get loose if you can get a socket on it.

the rears are hard because my tool will fit the bolt head but it's tight for the nut I'm not sure if my wobble socket will be any help...

 

Fronts are a breeze

 

I held my impact on the top bolt for 20 seconds and it did not move.. the lower bolt well the nut and the bolt started spinning but that's ok I had that happen before.

 

I don't know if it's just me but it seems like the car sits a tad higher

 

And for the bolt for the rear.. I can always use hand tools lol.. but after you use an impact wrench you get a little spoiled

When I work on cars, I never use an impact (Unless I'm swapping springs with a compressor)

 

I would use a breaker bar with a pipe on it. Then you can use a 1/2" drive ratchet to quick'en things up.

 

If the bolt won't turn, try breaking the nut loose. The top bolt is the Camber bolt, so its not going to turn easy. Put the bottom bolt back in, then break lose the other bolt/nut, tap it out and then removed the bottom bolt.

 

Cheers!

the rear is not camber'ed so that's not an issue.

 

I don't have any pipe that long enough or can fit over my 1/2" breaker bar... plus my 1/2" sockets are all deep sockets and I think it would be very tight or not fit with the breaker bar on.

 

I do have a 3/8" socket but It's a huskey so I don't know how much force it can take

 

For the fronts I used my impact on it. I had both bolts out in about a min which include tapping them out.

What do you mean the rear isn't cambered? Mine is, werid.

 

Well, heat it up good spary some deep creep on it and give it hell

yeah the bolt is not a camber bolt nor is the hole in the shape for adjustment..

 

I was going to do it today but I feel I'm going to get caught out too late plus I gotta be to work at 12 Am

 

I will try tomorrow after work..

 

I need to remind myself to get kroil.. PB blaster sucks.

The stock rear strut bolts are straight and don't allow camber adjustment. You have to buy a cam bolt kit if the camber needs adjustment. Sounds like yours probably has been replaced.

The stock rear strut bolts are straight and don't allow camber adjustment. You have to buy a cam bolt kit if the camber needs adjustment. Sounds like yours probably has been replaced.

 

No mine was stock, no one has ever touched the struts on this car. Maybe its an Outback thing?

That doesn't mean it's never had an alignment. Most of the time thats when cam bolts get put on.

That doesn't mean it's never had an alignment. Most of the time thats when cam bolts get put on.

 

That is possible. I have learned something new today

I forgot I get off early tomorrow so I can try the rears.. still can't find my breaker bar.. I mean how hard is it to misplace a 25 inch long bar.. but somehow it got legs!

I lost a practically brand new $160 Craftsman torque wrench somewhere a few years ago. Pretty sure it ended up in the back of an Escort wagon I sold for parts for $40.

rust is so annoying. you probably know this but just in case, if it's really tight, just turn it like one turn then go check your email, have a break, change the oil, etc. then turn it another 180 or 360 degrees. give it time to cool between turns. if it's really tight and you keep cranking it, it just generates heat, making it expand, and weakening the metal. a turn - cool down - a turn - cool down, will save a lot of rusted bolts. annoying, but it helps immensely.

 

if you ever have a hard to remove bolt you can feel the threads afterwards and some i've seen were too hot to touch they were so hot just from unthreading.

 

i've never heard of cambered bolts in the rear, that's interesting.

Yes, I live by that. I have twisted the heads off hot bolts to many times. I hate when you just feel it give, your like OMFG!

 

As for the camber bolts in the rear, I am pretty damn sure they were, I am trying to remember, but I think they did have a lump on one side. I do remember marking them for a reason.

 

All this stuff looked factory too, I don't think anyone ever took this car to a shop or the dealer for servicing

 

rust is so annoying. you probably know this but just in case, if it's really tight, just turn it like one turn then go check your email, have a break, change the oil, etc. then turn it another 180 or 360 degrees. give it time to cool between turns. if it's really tight and you keep cranking it, it just generates heat, making it expand, and weakening the metal. a turn - cool down - a turn - cool down, will save a lot of rusted bolts. annoying, but it helps immensely.

 

if you ever have a hard to remove bolt you can feel the threads afterwards and some i've seen were too hot to touch they were so hot just from unthreading.

 

i've never heard of cambered bolts in the rear, that's interesting.

almost all my bolts under the hood near the radiator snapped.. I need something get them out.. right now my headlights are held into place by the hood.. they just all snapped because of rust.

 

I gotta check out something first before i start again

haha found my breaker bar

Holy chit... How do you get the lower bolt out on the rear? The stupid cv boot is in the way

Holy chit... How do you get the lower bolt out on the rear? The stupid cv boot is in the way

 

You should be able to just push it out, mash down the boot and tap it out.

 

So your breaker bar was found... Ummm, In the Kitchen?

You should be able to just push it out, mash down the boot and tap it out.

 

So your breaker bar was found... Ummm, In the Kitchen?

 

 

Should of been clear the cv body is in the way

 

anyone think a u joint will work?

Edited December 7, 201015 yr by 1-3-2-4