Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

How hard is it to replace my front struts?
It looks like just 3 bolts. I know I will have to have the front end re-aligned. The reason Im asking is because nobody will put aftermarket struts on unless I purchase from them, some places want to charge me $60 per side. The hell with that. So how hard is it? Is this something i can do?
Firestone has a special for lifetime alignment for $98 i think. That a good deal.

help me out on this.....thanks

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wishmister@yahoo.com

1987 White IROC-Z
305 TPI LB9
700-R4 auto tranny
87,000 miles
Very Clean car
Performance Resource Chip
Flowmaster Muffler
Throttle Body Coolant bypass
TPIS air Foil
K&N's
Gutted air box
Accel 8.0 plug wires
Moroso Super Coil
Blue Streak Cap and Rotor
AC Delco Rapidfire plugs
Mobil 1 15/50 Synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic Trans fluid.

TomP

Hey Wishmaster, here's a link that'll help you out-
https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/000264.html


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

turbo497

you can byu struts online I know www.tirerack.com and I think its shocks.com and bring to install to local shop

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

I hope it wont be that hard to do. Should I be able to get to the bolts with a floor jack? Also I didnt think that you have to compress the springs on our cars, just take the tension off with I guess another jack or something. Once the bolts are off do the strut come right out? or do I have to jimmy it outta there? anymore pointers n thanks

TomP

When I totalled my car out, I bent the strut (the strut tower was mashed). I had bought an '84 parts car, and put that strut onto my '86.

I didn't have to compress the front spring. I unbolted the "adjuster" from the top of the strut tower, instead of "just" the top strut nut. (My adjuster was also shot.)

So I removed that adjuster, removed the lower strut-to-knuckle bolts, and lifted the strut out. Then I dropped the parts car's strut in. If you do it this way, take white-out, and mark the location of that adjuster to the top of your strut tower. That way you can "sort of" align the strut the way it was, so you can limp to an alignment shop.

I probably had the control arm jacked as I usually do, with a floor jack under the "outermost lip" of the spring perch. Be safe around that spring, tho! Just cause this worked for me doesn't mean it'll work the same for you, and don't cross the road without looking both ways, and ...


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

LOL.:-)

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

How come my KYB's dont come with a rubber boot covering the top of the struts?
also should I have gotten the strut mounts as well or will my originals be OK...

badbird88

a floor jack works great on slowly letting the A-arm down to release the tension of the spring once the bolts are out of the strut. The bolts need to be torqued t osomething above 150ft-lbs so get a good torque wrench! I would be very careful on the spring release b/c it can and will shoot out of the a-arm when letting the a-arm down and can cause some serious injury. You can buy spring compressors that will compress the spring slightly and hold it together which you will need once you try to put the spring back in...makes it much easier than trying to get it to compress with the jack. I've even seen people wraping the spring with a bunch of strong wire/cable tohold the spring together but I would reccommend the compressors for safety. My dad couldn't find the compressors the other day when he was changing the struts on his buick so he wrap the things in wire like crazy and it worked!

Mark the spindles around the outline of the strut before you take the old strut off so you can get the new struts lined back up pretty close to the original location. And put some jack stands or blocks under the frame just behind the a-arms in case the jack gives way or something.

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1988 TA 300+hp 350 w/ TBI and Holley TB unit, Holley projection intake,
WC T-5, 3.42 gears w/ Auburn posi. MSD 6A, edelbrock TES headers, dynomax 3" cat and cat-back system, ACCEL coil, polyurethane bushings all around, aluminum driveshaft, Mr. Gasket open air cleaner.

1993 S-10 w/ 4.3L V6 TBI, slightly bigger cam, Mild polish job and 3 angle valve job on heads, Edlebrock TES headers, Dynomax cat back, MSD 6A, ADS chip

2000 Kawasaki KX 125

TomP

Badbird, they call for 200 ft/lbs- past what my torque wrench goes to

I'm with you tho, get a torque wrench that can go as high as that; one man's "tight" is different from another's... and who can tell between 150 and 200?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

thunderstick

I answered your post over on the Z28 board... my info was taken out of a Chilton's book, so take it for what it's worth...

KAM