Need some opinions/help with struts

93 teal terror

Founding Member
Jul 13, 2001
971
62
69
Durham N.C.
Ok....heres the deal. I ordered a set of koni reds from summit yesterday. How hard is it to put these on without getting a spring in the chest. I dont have air tools, just a long piece of pipe. My dad is not real keen on me messing with springs, and I think he has a valid point. What a waste it would be to die from a damn spring going through your chest.

Just out of curiosity I talked to the local mustang shop here and they was $60 to put them on. Thats really tempting.....its fairly cheap and I wouldnt have to bother with picking up a piece of chain and or a spring compressor.
What would you guys do? Tire King wanted $300 to put on a set of monroe crappamatic struts. If I let the mustang shop put them on Id have a set of koni's on for $340. What would you guys do??? If you would do it yourslelf, any tips or tricks??
 
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Unless you're replacing the springs at the same time, you just get a jack under the control arm to hold it up (and the spring in) while you do the strut. No worries about spring-inflicted death there. :nice: Even if you are changing the springs, you can just slowly lower the control arm with a jack and then pry the spring out....mine didn't show any sign of lethally jumping out.

Rears, of course, are a piece of cake. :)

1600th post! :banana:

Ash
 
You don't even have to jack the car up if all you're doing is replacing the strutw. It makes it easier, but it's not necessary. And, as stated above, if you aren't replacing the springs, or messing with a coil-over system, you don't need the spring compressor or any other special tools. A pneumatic wrench will make removal and replacement of the struts a 20 minute job / side. Doing it with hand tools will dramatically increase the time required. The labot rates at your aforementioned local shop may well prove worth it if you don't have access to pneumatic tools. Good luck.
 
bt15 said:
You don't even have to jack the car up if all you're doing is replacing the strutw. It makes it easier, but it's not necessary. And, as stated above, if you aren't replacing the springs, or messing with a coil-over system, you don't need the spring compressor or any other special tools. A pneumatic wrench will make removal and replacement of the struts a 20 minute job / side. Doing it with hand tools will dramatically increase the time required. The labot rates at your aforementioned local shop may well prove worth it if you don't have access to pneumatic tools. Good luck.
Thats what I was thiking....what are the torque specs??? Im thinking they are 180-200ft-lbs, but Im not sure
 
If you dont jack the car up, how the hell are you going to get to the strut nuts on the spindle? Jack the car up, put it on stands and support the a-arm.

If your struts on your car are old and junky, you could use the ghetto way and just vice grip them. Only do that if you are going to junk them though. Swap the struts and have a shop zip them on with the impact.