Top Strut Mounts Help Needed

[richiezx9]

I im trying to change the top strut mounts on my Yplate galaxy, the cups have filled up with water and the threads are heavily rusted, the allen key inserts are also heavily corroded and are starting to round off, due to there positioning there is not an awfull lot of room to work, anyone know if there is a special tool for this, or has anyone else had this problem and found a solution?

[Willie Krashitt]

Hi,

 

Do a search as it has been covered many times before. Concensus was to use either air or electric impact wrench (like the ones that the tyre shops use to get your wheels off). You may have to remove the bonnet to get decent access?

 

Good Luck,

 

George.

[richiezx9]

already tried my air impact wrench and it just spins the whole shaft, thanks anyway

[Shabazmo]

I used a blow torch on the nut to expand it, and then an allen key with a hollow socket. (Draper vortex). Without the blow torch it would have been imposible.

[richiezx9]

i have a set of hollow sockets but unfortunatley they are not big enough (they finish at 19mm and the nut is 20mm ...sods law prevails)....so i have repeatedly heated it and am now bathing it in penetrating oil overnight....im reckoning if i get a new set of molegrips on the shaft this will help as my old ones are a bit blunt!!! so a de stress and a beer this evening and another go at it tomorrow! thanks for all your help and ill keep you posted! Edited October 30, 2010 by richiezx9

[sparky Paul]

i have a set of hollow sockets but unfortunatley they are not big enough (they finish at 19mm and the nut is 20mm ...sods law prevails)....so i have repeatedly heated it and am now bathing it in penetrating oil overnight....im reckoning if i get a new set of molegrips on the shaft this will help as my old ones are a bit blunt!!! so a de stress and a beer this evening and another go at it tomorrow! thanks for all your help and ill keep you posted!

 

What a pig of a job when they are rusted solid. I ended up using a small gas cutting torch to blow through the top mounts - they were so rotten they had holes in, and had to be replaced anyway. It is possible to cut the lip off the top mounts with a cutting disc in a small angle grinder, jacking the strut back up into the suspension turret just gives you enough clearance - but you have to take care not to damage the turrets. With the lip removed from the top mount, it just passes through the hole in the turret, and you can tackle the rest of the job on the bench.

 

If you are scrapping the front shockers, it makes life a whole lot easier - mole grips, or better still, stillsons on the strut shaft are the way to go.

 

From memory, I think the nut is 21mm - I found a 21mm spark plug socket in the toolbox with 24mm flats on it... so that, a 24mm spanner and a 7mm allen key down the middle worked for me to replace the (new) top mounts.

[richiezx9]

ok update time ...... top strut mount complete!!!! oxy acetalene on the nut does the trick!!! 2 days and a whole lot of cursing later and its done ....... a steel rear brake pipe replaced, just a track rod end and re weld the finger mounts on the exhaust downpipe and another years m.o.t will be mine!!!!! (just a shame that its booked for its retest at 9 am tomorrow morning !!....so that will have to be postponed but hey ho such is life!

 

a big thanks to all that have replied with tips and advice on this one ...... much appreciated!

[cell]

Hi.. best advice I can give is this......

 

Buy a set of new top mounts on ebay for

[sparky Paul]

It took them 5 days to replace the shocks.. They snapped the special tool they use trying to undo one side even though they soaked the cups in release oil.. think the shocks had been on the car from the factory. I did notice they had ground a couple of notches on the old shock shaft through the gaps in the spring so they could get a spanner onto the shock shaft.. They then broke one of the bolts that holds the hub to the bottom of the shock... that took a couple of days to get a replacement.. I think the total time spent on replacing 2 shocks was around 10 hours.. bonus is they still only charged me the

[dbc]

Large ring spanner (I think its 21mm) and a good quality allen key with a long bar on it. Spray the hole lot with WD 40 or alike and fill the cups with engine oil for several days before hand to help loosen it up.

 

With a lot of patient, a good assistant and care not to strip the allen key hole it will come off.

 

Top tip - Fill the new cups with grease when fitted - that'll stop any more water getting in and keep everything pristine underneath. OK a bit messy for next time but how many time are you gonna replace the shocks in a car life?

[sparky Paul]

If you have anything that still resembles an allen key hole, the strut tops are in pretty good nick... mine just had rusty, vaguely circular holes.

 

Good tip about packing the top mounts with grease, but be careful what you use - the rubber bumpers around the edge of the mounts seem to be adversely affected by some mineral oils/greases. I moulded a bit of nice greasy denso tape around the nut and thread, keeping it away from the rubbers. It's also worth making sure you fit the plastic bulkhead panel back correctly, it's very easy to miss the metal clips at the back - it should be a tight fit to minimise any leakage into the top mount cups. If the panel fits back in easily, it is possible for the panel to ride over the clips, leaving a gap at the back edge.

Edited November 8, 2010 by sparky Paul