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Well, I got my parts in on Friday from fcpgroton, SACHS shocks and struts, springs, ball joints, tie rods, strut bushings etc. and I got to work.
What immediately confronted me was just how much corrosion there was. This car has lived in NY these past 15 years. I live in GA now and I actually went to the junkyard to practice on someone else's car first.
The FAQ for strut removal is pretty good, although I think a couple things should be updated. For one, the loosening of the top strut nut is entirely possible without the use of air tools. I went with a 15/16 craftsman deep offset wrench ($20) and a crescent wrench to counterhold the strut insert. It was tough, but it definitely came off. I think if they made a socket type insert to put over the flat counterhold portion that allowed you to use a long breaker bar as teh counterhold, this would allow much easier strut nut loosening. I found it easiest to first remove the tie rod, then loosen the front radius rod bolt, then remove the two bolts securing the ball joint to the strut tube, Then... remove teh strut from the car.
Everything went relatively smoothly until it came to getting the gland nut off of the strut tube. I tried channel locks, I made a 4 ft extension the channel locks, I tried penetrating oil, heating, sawing... nothing the damn thing had fused into the strut tube. I guess 15 years of New York winters will do that. I had to go back the junkyard and get a new (used) strut tube with spindle.
Installation went smoothly. I first installed the strut insert into the tube, compressed the spring and installed the strut bearing mount. I then installed this into the car first before I put the ball joint on. With it in there, and bolted in place, it left me free to put on new tie rods, the new ball joint and the new radius rod bushings. Installing the ball joint onto the strut tube first, then inserting the threaded end into the control arm worked well. Unfortunately, I had to get new sway bar links because the originals snapped like twigs (rusted to shit) when I tried to remove them. The new struts and springs actually raised the front ride height about an inch or so it seems.
The rear springs went in fairly easily except the stud that holds the rear spring in place were trashed on both sides. I actually had same size bolts in my misc. volvo parts bin and they worked fine. The only thing I wasn't able to do is get the rear shock bolts loose. I bought a 4ft steel pipe at home depot last night so hopefully it will do the trick. If not, well then I guess I go with the heat wrench.
Overall, the only problem now is that the new strut tube came from an older car with a different type bearing assembly. My car (an 88 740) has what looks like a large 30mm or larger mm nut holding the spindle on, whereas the new (used) strut tube has a castellated nut with a cotter pin. Unfortunately, in my haste to get the strut tube out of the loaner car, I never checked to see the condition of the bearings... they were loose. I tightened them up according to Haynes' recommendations but it still worries me that they were loose to begin with.
Can I take the spindle off of my original strut assembly and put it on this one? Or can I just replace the wheel bearings on the one I have on the car now? Is this new strut tube-spindle assembly going to effect my overal ride height?
thanks for listening... and thanks for any advice.
Mike
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