montana struts (2000)
fred mcnurf
03-29-2007, 07:55 AM
the upper strut spring keeper is bent letting the spring slide up the strut. Is this a hard fix? I know I need a spring compresser and do most maint. myself but how hard is it to get at the upper strut mts and do i need torches for the lower bolts and stuff? thnx
cdru
04-06-2007, 11:06 AM
The worst part of doing the struts is by far getting to and removing the 3 nuts in the engine compartment. In order to gain access, you must remove the wiper linkage and then access is quite limited. A gear wrench will help immensely too.
You mentioned that you will need a spring compressor. If you don't already have one, check with local mechanics to see if you can just drop off your struts and have them do it. The Montanas have a larger spring diameter then what a lot of the cheaper spring compressors were meant to handle so there is a definite safety concern. I took my struts down to a local brakes-tires-alignment type place and they did both for like $10 or $15.
You mentioned that you will need a spring compressor. If you don't already have one, check with local mechanics to see if you can just drop off your struts and have them do it. The Montanas have a larger spring diameter then what a lot of the cheaper spring compressors were meant to handle so there is a definite safety concern. I took my struts down to a local brakes-tires-alignment type place and they did both for like $10 or $15.
1999montana
04-06-2007, 08:55 PM
...The worst part of doing the struts is by far getting to and removing the 3 nuts in the engine compartment...If you don't already have one, check with local mechanics.....
Well said!
Fred, you can also rent the spring compressor, (actually borrow it at no cost) from the closest PartSource store...yours would likely be in Oshawa on Simcoe Street North. Princess Auto (in Whitby south of the 401) on Victoria just west of Thickson has a set of compressors that might work too, for about $9.00 on sale but they probably have a better pair for a few dollars more too.
For safety's sake though the ones at PartSource are Professional grade...you can't go wrong there. It's a safety issue making sure the compressor is 'locked' to the spring and can't release accidentally. The problem with most is getting the compressor (usually two shafts/screws with locking clamps that go over the spring coils) between the top shock mount and the bottom support for the spring.
I placed each shock in a bench vise and turned down the springs to remove the top shock mount. If you decide to use an air impact, make sure the load on the springs has been transferred to the spring compressor first to avoid a time bomb going off when the nut spins off the rod.
An impact works well to replace the nut on top of the shock mount too, but this is best done once some of the load is back on the top mount plate. They talk about not over torquing the top nut, but frankly you'd need guerrilla arms to do that. A few quick zaps with an impact shouldn't hurt it at all. Max torque oddly is set at 44ft/lb...don't know why...if you look at the nut, the rod and the threads, you'd wonder why they set it so low.
During disassembly, with the spring compressor in place and some load transferred to it, I did use an allen-wrench in the the top of the shock strut rod to keep it from turning and a pair of large vise grips locked on the nut (and a big screw driver between the jaws to twist the vise grips) to loosen it a few fractions of turn at a time. Sounds hokey, but it worked.
Since you will be in it this deep now, I'd replace the shock mounts with new ones...you don't want to do this again...trust me!
(Monroe shock mounts are about $75 each at PartSource)
Hey, I have a question:
Is it possible to put the mount back in the van in more than one position? Based on the pattern of the three bolts I'd say no, but I still wonder about it two years later!:uhoh:
Well said!
Fred, you can also rent the spring compressor, (actually borrow it at no cost) from the closest PartSource store...yours would likely be in Oshawa on Simcoe Street North. Princess Auto (in Whitby south of the 401) on Victoria just west of Thickson has a set of compressors that might work too, for about $9.00 on sale but they probably have a better pair for a few dollars more too.
For safety's sake though the ones at PartSource are Professional grade...you can't go wrong there. It's a safety issue making sure the compressor is 'locked' to the spring and can't release accidentally. The problem with most is getting the compressor (usually two shafts/screws with locking clamps that go over the spring coils) between the top shock mount and the bottom support for the spring.
I placed each shock in a bench vise and turned down the springs to remove the top shock mount. If you decide to use an air impact, make sure the load on the springs has been transferred to the spring compressor first to avoid a time bomb going off when the nut spins off the rod.
An impact works well to replace the nut on top of the shock mount too, but this is best done once some of the load is back on the top mount plate. They talk about not over torquing the top nut, but frankly you'd need guerrilla arms to do that. A few quick zaps with an impact shouldn't hurt it at all. Max torque oddly is set at 44ft/lb...don't know why...if you look at the nut, the rod and the threads, you'd wonder why they set it so low.
During disassembly, with the spring compressor in place and some load transferred to it, I did use an allen-wrench in the the top of the shock strut rod to keep it from turning and a pair of large vise grips locked on the nut (and a big screw driver between the jaws to twist the vise grips) to loosen it a few fractions of turn at a time. Sounds hokey, but it worked.
Since you will be in it this deep now, I'd replace the shock mounts with new ones...you don't want to do this again...trust me!
(Monroe shock mounts are about $75 each at PartSource)
Hey, I have a question:
Is it possible to put the mount back in the van in more than one position? Based on the pattern of the three bolts I'd say no, but I still wonder about it two years later!:uhoh:
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