I'm stumped...ZXT front strut/shock removal

[Mayolives]

I need some advice. I'm installing Eibach springs and Tokico HP struts on my 82 zxt. The rears were a piece of cake but now I attempting to install the fronts. I have removed the complete assembly from the car, removed the spring, insulator, dust seal etc, and also removed the wheel hub to make things easier to handle. Perhaps brain death has set in because I have read and re-read the FSM but I can't figure out how to remove the strut from the outer tube.(The one that contains the oil.) I have removed the gland nut and the strut will only pull out about 5 inches or so but will not come out of the tube. What am I missing? What do I need to do? Thanks for your advice, I'm stumped. mayolives

[JMortensen]

Sounds like you might have a bent strut.

[Mayolives]

The strut is not bent. I moves freely in and out but will not come all the way out of the outer tube. I stated that it would only come out about 5 " but it really moves about 10".

[JMortensen]

Hmm... pull harder?

[johnc]

Drill a hole in the bottom of the strut tube and use a long pin punch to knock the insert out.

[Mayolives]

Thanks for the suggestion but If I had just paid attention to the FSM and removed the "o" ring, I would not have had to ask for help. The older I get and the longer I work on stuff, the "stupider" I get.

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

Tom, if you can get the strut out a few inches then I'd suggest spraying a good penetrating oil/rust breaker into the narrow annulus b/t the strut and strut tube...it quite likely has some corrosion in place that's jamming up on you or a slightly external dent/kink that binds at that point as Jon noted.

 

With the strut partially out and mounted in a vice or otherwise you can put a pipe wrench on the strut insert to apply both torque and pull on the strut.....you may be able to progressively twist it out ....you don't care about damaging the old insert so it's fine to bite the pipe wrench right in.

 

Once you do get it out, clean the inside very well.......I've used rust breakers sprayed, then a chisel/prybar end to scratch/break it up and a rag wrapped on a prybar twisted inside the strut and it'll bind right up and scrub it very well.....may take a few rags/efforts....had to do this to one strut tube for our recent show prep to get an insert into the tube.

 

Good luck.

 

PS, I'd caution against modifying those springs to achieve the 1.5" ride drop you were looking for when last we emailed this August. (assuming they don't yield the 1.5" out of the box) They may not limit your rear compression travel enough at that drop to yield proper tire geometry under load.

 

PSS How's the 280 track buildup coming?