Nuts

"Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig" (AndySheehan-StreetsideStig) 03/27/2015 at 11:29 • Filed to: None

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The Tercel's ancient struts are two-piece units. You just replace the strut cartridge, and the strut body stays. Sadly, they don't just pull out of the top like GM struts. You have to pull the strut body, remove the top hat, bump stop, spring surround, and spring, and then you have to loosen the cartridge nut holding the whole thing in.

I braced the strut body against the ground and put my trusty punch through the a hole in the spring seat to counter the rotation of the channel locks on the cartridge nut. I put a foot on it. I put a pipe on my channel locks for extra leverage on the nut. It wouldn't twist. It would not even pretend to come free. And then, snap. My punch broke.

Tonight I'm going to mount the strut back into its bracket on the car and try again with a pipe wrench I found.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 03/27/2015 at 11:34

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Celicas (71-85) and MR2s are the same. Here's some tips:

http://www.turbomr2.com/MR2/HowTo/Susp…

CalzoneGolem > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 03/27/2015 at 11:38

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What's the point of it being two piece then?

TheChafing > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 03/27/2015 at 11:56

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Dukie posted a link to a pretty good tutorial for this, but there are basically three ways to do this. I've done this on several sets of MR2 struts, which are pretty much the same.

1. Use the proper tool. You'll also need a vise for at least the front ones. You may be able to put the strut back in the vehicle to do the rears.
http://www.amazon.com/OTC-Adjustable…

2. clamp the strut body in a vise, and use a pipe wrench to bust the gland nut loose.

3. Clamp the gland nut in a vise, and jam a steel rod of some sort through the knuckle bolt holes, and use that to turn the strut body (this is the way shown in Dukie's link)

I've done numbers 2 and 3. 3 is the easiest, but you can't do it that way when you reassemble because the strut body will be full of oil.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 03/27/2015 at 11:56

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That's a great writeup! And it's pretty much the same conclusion that I came to for getting the cartridge nut free. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a vise, and the base of the strut body doesn't have the usual mounting bracket welded on. Just a little collar with a peg to keep it from rotating in the fitting on the hub. So I think if I just mount it back up to the hub, I can use that as my vise. Plus, it's been soaking up PB blaster since last night. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > CalzoneGolem 03/27/2015 at 11:58

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I don't know. It seems weird to me. Maybe they were trying to keep maintenance costs down, but it's so much more labor intensive. It was designed in the late '70s, so I'm blaming drugs.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > TheChafing 03/27/2015 at 12:02

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Unfortunately, I don't have access to a vise, and the base of the strut body doesn't have the usual mounting bracket welded on. Just a little ring with a peg to keep it from rotating in the fitting on the hub. It's not a normal knuckle fitting, but sortof a collar that just clamps around the base of the strut body. So I think if I just mount it back up to the hub, I can use that as my vise. Plus, it's been soaking up PB blaster since last night. Hopefully that will do the trick.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 03/27/2015 at 12:10

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Pretty standard Toyota fare. My A-Dub's the same way. It's not so bad.

TheChafing > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 03/27/2015 at 12:14

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That's probably your best bet.

My solution would be to go to Harbor Freight and get a vise, though. I think I paid like $50 or something for mine there, and it paid for itself almost immediately in saved frustration.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > TheChafing 03/27/2015 at 13:03

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Yeah, it's on the list of tools I want to buy when I sell this car. I'm just flat broke right now, so I have to MacGuyver by with what I have. And I'm using a friend's garage, so I don't really have a place to mount a vise.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/27/2015 at 13:04

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It's good training for when I own my own AW11. Definitely a dream car.