[oohsam]

Hey guys,
I'm chucking in some dobinsons front struts at the moment. Just took my front struts off and the triangle that has the 3 bolts into the body, the rubber is stuffed. Its shredded right off and half of it stuck on the strut.

Should I temporarily put the dobinsons in until I get some new triangles?
Not sure what to do here.

Cheers

[atari4x4]

triangle thing = strut top

get replacement ones, either off a wreck or new, don't go driving on them as it will collapse & bad things will happen.

check the forsale section there is a vitara getting wrecked in vic at the moment.

[oohsam]

Thanks Atari. Always helpful as always.

Cheers

[christover1]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/McPherson-St ... 3cc7a0d98c

They are cheap enough new, but lots available from wreckers.
I think strut would fall out without it.
I don;t think its wise to put in new strut without it,
but I have done unwise temporary things when desperate.

[atari4x4]

the large cupped washer that holds the dust boot should stop it pushing right up & into the bonnet. but you will have epic camber & be low on that side if it does go.

[atari4x4]

just wondering if you damaged them trying to remove the old struts whilst fitted to the car?

you really need to either remove the complete strut top/strut & put the large thin flat nut in a vice & undo the centre strut nut or if removing them on the car you need to get a big spanner onto that thin flat nut to stop the rubber from being torn when undoing the centre nut.

[DarkHorse]

Yep, not pretty when it goes. Air intake piping doesn't appreciate it if the passenger one goes.


I trashed that one swapping the new struts in. Bitch of a job when it hasn't been done for 17 years and you're a ham fisted noob.

[Built4thrashing]

I do believe Ollies has some still in his LWB vit hes wrecking.

[oohsam]

Man. I wish I knew before hand or had a decent look. I was following the tech guide in strut replacement.
The write up says to "crack" the top centre bolt first while the car is not jacked up. It also says to use a breaker bar. Thats wat I did. Used a breaker bar, gave it a bit of torque, and then it gave way and just spun...Now I realised what I did. Failing that I grabbed my rattle gun, which I should have bloody done in the first place.

First time ever in the history of my life changing struts...but common sense should have known better....so yes, I damaged them while taking the old ones off.
I'm a bike rebuilder, so there's a few things in my brain that are foreign when working on cars...

I wasn't going to run them without, just re-use the damaged ones for a few days, but I decided to park the car and just wait till they come in. Would rather be safe than sorry, suspension isnt something I like to gamble with, that and brakes..ha.

[atari4x4]

bugger, it happens to the best of us.

got a link to the write up?

[oohsam]

haha yep. All good.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=21735

Thats the one there.

[atari4x4]

oh crap, its on here!!!

didn't even realise someone had done a write up otherwise i would have posted in it.

[oohsam]

hahaha. Yes! It's in good tech. Should be in "not so good Tech" lol. Nah only joking.

[atari4x4]

i just copied & pasted that bit about the large thin nut into that other thread, spewing you got caught out.

[oohsam]

Awesome.

At least now no one else will get caught out. its all good, not an expensive problem.

[royce]

I wouldn't get too worried, it's an old rubber part, it wears. I doubt you killed it and he you did it wasn't going to last much longer anyway