Finished the rear suspension of my Wagon. It got new bushings,ipd sway and bilsteins. Everything was cleaned and given 3 coats of POR 15.

Getting ready to start the front. Struts,bushings and IPD sways. Any rust will be sanded and then painted with POR 15. My plan is to remove control arms and control arm brackets clean and paint with POR 15. Change the bushings and sway bar and re-install. Then change the strut as described in the IPD catalog.(leave the assembly on the car.) The IPD catalog says that some people perfer to remove the whole assembly. Would it make more sense to remove everything and combine this into 1 job. What's the best way to attack this? Any feedback appreciated.
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1990 240 Sdn 277K,tach,strut brace,turbo sway 1990 240 Wgn M47II 157K,tach,strut brace,poly bushings,IPD sways

Before you start, you might enjoy and even learn from this story w/instructive pictures: http://www.cabinnaise.com/vpage/242dl.htm
Scroll down to the Bilstein and Brakes Story.

Good luck!

Erling.
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My 240 Page

Erling,

Informative site.

thanks
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1990 240 Sdn 277K,tach,strut brace,turbo sway 1990 240 Wgn M47II 157K,tach,strut brace,poly bushings,IPD sways

I've done it both ways. If you need to get the car back on the road quick, don't disconnect the brakes and don't pull the whole strut/front wheel assembly but if time is available and you want to clean and inspect the complete front suspsension, go ahead and pull the assemblies. You might even decide to rebuild the brake caliburs, replace the ball joints, pack the front wheel bearings, turn the rotors, replace the tire rod ends and rebuild the steering gear. Toe-in alignment is easy to set yourself with a tape measure. Castor (or is it camber) is more difficult to check but if it is correct before replacing the strut cartridges and you mark the set points, it will be correct when you reassemble. I hope you have an impact wrench for those top strut nuts.

I would start spraying the brake line fittings with Kroil or PB Blaster now and take the strut off and to the bench when I did it. I have done it three or four times and I've done it just that way. I personally can't imagine having the restricted workspace that results if you don't remove them. Also gives you better leverage on the strut tube nut to have it out of there. Sure you end up having to bleed the brake system, but that is just another item that will be done on the car at the end of the job. Good luck.

Randy