This is the second time I need to take down the front struts to get out the shock inserts. After the first trial, where I installed new KyB GR-2's, they came out rettling within the strut tubes. Now I am trying to take the assemblies apart a second time to insert spacers into the bottoms of the tubes.

Problem is, I can't get the strut assembly out ot the strut towers. The assembly is too high now to clear the tower. And not by just a hair....

I'm talking the entire top turn os the coil, the top plate, and the strut bearing are all above the clearance of the tower. I put a sping compressor on the coil. It compresser the spring enough to loosen the coil from its perch. But the assembly is still way to tall to drop out of the tower.

The sway bar link and tie rod end s diaassembled (doing one side at a time). Brake hose bracket is loosened from its mount.

What am I missing?

When I installed the new inseerts and strut bearings (Scan Tech), the assemble was just one bearing stud too tall to swing into the tower. Had to put the compressor on the coil to get them in.

But this 4-6" of excess height now is a real downer.

This all seems very strange to me. Take a step back and check all the logical things. Are you sure you have the right strut insert? Just call and check part numbers with a diffrent supplier. Are you sure that the locking nuts at the top of the tube a tightened down all the way and doing thier job?

Just step back and think of all the possibilites and it will all of a sudden snap on you and you will know what the problem is. It is something that you are doing diffretnly then the first time.

Good luck

I don't get this. The height should be fixed. Is the top strut nut off? I do not get any change in the fixed length of the strut with any of these manipulations. Do you step down hard on the brake rotor to swing it low enough?

> I don't get this. The height should be fixed. Is the top strut nut

> off? I do not get any change in the fixed length of the strut with

> any of these manipulations.

Well, lessee....

The old assembly swung down out of the tower without incident. I noticed that the KYB insert, once I unstrapped it, seemed a bit longer because the piston expanded once I took off the pachaging tape. Of course, the old cartridge was weak and floppy, so, you can't go much by its length.

Upon installation, I tightened the top nut by sight and measurement (not torque) using the hieght of exposed threads on my '86 as a guide, and ramming the nut tight using an impact wrench.... about 1" of thread showed above each top nut.

When I swung the assembly up into the tower, it cleared the bottom of the strut tower by all but one stud on the strut bearing. It needed about 1/2 to 3/4" shortness to get it in. I needed to reapply the spring compressors to get both assemblies into the towers.

I wondered at that time whether or not tightening the top nuts even more would have made that 1/2" differnce?

Anyway, now I have about 4" of stuff still hanging up in the tower -- from the top coil of the spring to the tips of the bolts on the strut bearing.

Since posting, I think maybe I didn't actually slip the brake hose bracket out of its notch on the frame. I removed the bolt, but I think maybe that is hangind things up.

Why do you think the length should be fixed? To a fine degree, however tight you have the top nut will determine a few millimeteres of overall height, no? Because that would compress the strut earing and top plate down onto the spring some, thus changing the length.

Maybe just enough to remove my niggling little 1/2" that got the one stud caught up.

> Do you step down hard on the brake rotor

> to swing it low enough?

I believe so. As I said above, though, maybe I didn't free the brake hose bracket and that is holding things.

Thanks.

Yes,

You need to remove the brake line bracket and put it on the other side

so it can swing lower. If you have put new front control arm bushings in

that makes it much harder to swing the strut out also. Sometimes I use

a helper to apply the pressure downward while I handle the strut and

move it out. Then I use a jackstand under the lower spring perch to hold

the strut while I work on it.

Dave 82 242ti