Nobimmer 694 Report post Posted October 6, 2008 So I spent all day today trying to get the front struts out of my brothers E30. Have done springs many many times and so figured it'd be just the same. Only problem is I couldn't pull the two tie rods out to get the strut out. The one connected to the steering rack (?) came off easy enough but the other one doesn't seem to want to come off! I pulled the calliper off etc and after a while I ended up stopping bashing it with a hammer and went and bought a tie rod puller. That didn't work so had to open up a 21mm ring spanner and make it fit. After an hour or so of shimmying etc one came off ( drivers side) so I put the new spring in and went to put it back in and when I turn the nut on the tie rods the thred just spins and I can't figure any way of holding the thread to tighten the nut. And also still cant manage to get the other strut out! WTF am I doing wrong, it seems so damn simple but I can't figure it out. Do I just need a bigger hammer All help would be appreciated as it's quite urgent. Cheers Ashkan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Venatus 2 Report post Posted October 6, 2008 yeah mine was an absolute a**hole to lower, what I ended up having to do, was taking the jack, and jacking the bottom of the strut or the tie rod up, compressing the spring etc, and putting heaps of force onto the bit that sits in the hole, that should hold it tight enough for you to do the nut up. if not, jack it a bit higher until it does. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CamB 48 Report post Posted October 6, 2008 (edited) To get it back on, do what Ven says. If you buggered the thread getting it off then it might not work... but it should. I had a reasonably hard time getting them off JiB's car on the w/end (and they've been off recently). The way I do it (and maybe this is what you are doing) is to: - apply pressure to lever the arm away from the strut (carefully but forcefully) with an appropriate tool (I use a breaker bar - LOL) - hammer the strut where the ball joint shaft goes through perpendicular to the ball joint. You hit the strut, not the arm, not the threaded part of the ball joint, not the nut. The goal is to shock it loose. Sometimes you have to hit it quite a lot. Like this: http://www.minitruckinweb.com/tech/suspens...l/photo_28.html Edited October 6, 2008 by CamB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
