need help with struts please?
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Joined: Jul 2009
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need help with struts please? I have a 98 camaro ss..I have lowering spings to put on front but how the hell do i get the old struts off the car?????? I loosened the 4 bolts up top and used spring commpressers but they dont seem to give enough pull..I know im doing something wrong please help..or post me some pics so i can get the old ******* off..I put lowering springs in back my car looks really funny lol with back dropped but i cant do the front lol please help thanks>>>>>>>>
You need to get as many coils of the spring in the compressor as you can and it takes a lot of compressing to get them loose. Its a ton of work doing the fronts. I just replaced my shocks and that was a pain.
Do you see where the shock is connected to the a-arm? There are 2 bolts down there you need a 15mm and 13mm socket because you to turn them both at once. But before you do this you need to disconnect the sway bar endlinks and separate the spindle from the upper control arm, they are connected by the upper ball joint.
Check out this article on LS1HowTo.com, it should make your life a bit easier.
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=6
Check out this article on LS1HowTo.com, it should make your life a bit easier.
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=6
TECH Resident
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 827
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From: Dallas, TX
So you have a spring compressor w/ the shock and spring still on the car? Either read the how-tos or take it to someone before you hurt yourself or others.
And you have shocks and springs, not struts.
And you have shocks and springs, not struts.
TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,591
Likes: 1
From: Massachusetts
Note that you need to be REALLY careful removing the nut off of the top of the shock to get the mount off. They rust so badly on these cars. Do what you can to remove as much of the rust as you can before you try and get that nut off. I had a hard time with it on my sister's T/A the first time I tried it and I split the top of the shock shaft open a little bit (fortunately it didn't go down deep to make anything unusable!) 
Other than that, others have pretty much nailed it. You need to remove the sway bar links and the upper ball joint. You'll want a ball joint puller; I use the 2-jaw one as opposed to the fork when I can, but I think either will work in this application. Put a jackstand under the knuckle as far out as possible as you do that because it WILL come flying down once that ball joint is released.
The car must be on jack stands not just for safety but so you can use your jack to help position the knuckle when you are reinstalling everything.
Also, you need to make sure you get the spring lined up correctly before you put the upper mount back on, because you will not be able to adjust it later. You need the shock mounting holes to line up.
Other than that, others have pretty much nailed it. You need to remove the sway bar links and the upper ball joint. You'll want a ball joint puller; I use the 2-jaw one as opposed to the fork when I can, but I think either will work in this application. Put a jackstand under the knuckle as far out as possible as you do that because it WILL come flying down once that ball joint is released.
The car must be on jack stands not just for safety but so you can use your jack to help position the knuckle when you are reinstalling everything.
Also, you need to make sure you get the spring lined up correctly before you put the upper mount back on, because you will not be able to adjust it later. You need the shock mounting holes to line up.
The upper ball joint does not have to be removed from the car. Just the spindle needs disconnected from the ball joint. After removing the castle nut, I just used a hammer, tapped the spindle on either side of the ball joint shaft, then tapped the shaft of the upper joint upwards. After a few thwacks it popped free.
The tougher part is keeping the weight of the spindle from stressing the lower ball joint. I took all the brake hardware off (caliper, caliper bracket, and rotor) to remove the weight from the spindle. Used a coat hanger wire to hang the caliper so it wouldn't stress the rubber brake line.
The tougher part is keeping the weight of the spindle from stressing the lower ball joint. I took all the brake hardware off (caliper, caliper bracket, and rotor) to remove the weight from the spindle. Used a coat hanger wire to hang the caliper so it wouldn't stress the rubber brake line.
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TECH Resident
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 827
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
The upper ball joint does not have to be removed from the car. Just the spindle needs disconnected from the ball joint. After removing the castle nut, I just used a hammer, tapped the spindle on either side of the ball joint shaft, then tapped the shaft of the upper joint upwards. After a few thwacks it popped free.
The tougher part is keeping the weight of the spindle from stressing the lower ball joint. I took all the brake hardware off (caliper, caliper bracket, and rotor) to remove the weight from the spindle. Used a coat hanger wire to hang the caliper so it wouldn't stress the rubber brake line.
The tougher part is keeping the weight of the spindle from stressing the lower ball joint. I took all the brake hardware off (caliper, caliper bracket, and rotor) to remove the weight from the spindle. Used a coat hanger wire to hang the caliper so it wouldn't stress the rubber brake line.
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