Need front strut insert help
 

I’m attempting to replace my front strut inserts; July 85 Carrera targa, assuming these are Boge struts, but will confirm after removal. Problem is, all articles i’ve Read say after lifting car with front wheels removed, and removal of securing nut and large washer at top, the strut can be removed from below. However, with nut and washer removed, mine won’t budge. Is there possibly some other retainer i’m missing? I’m really stuck!

not sure about boges exactly, but the billsteins have a roll pin that needs to be driven out at the bottom to release the insert so it can be pulled out the top of the strut housing.

Thanks juanbenae, but I can’t get the top of the strut to release from the upper fender mount. It’s still firmly attached to the car and i’m Trying to avoid removing the entire top mounting plate, since everything i’ve Read says it should just drop out into the wheel well below.

There’s a slot in the threaded portion of the shaft that the top nut was secured to, and the large washer with tab fit into it. Does this slot have to be turned in a particular direction to align with another tab I can’t see?

sorry I misunderstood how far along you were.

if im understanding your effort you have two options. you either have to compress the insert enough to get it pulled down to get it in the fender well and/or take the cap off the torsion bar to drop the a arm down.

put some blocks under the a arm and then try pulling the dust cover down to compress the insert to get it pulled down enough to remove. even if you get it out of the top of the tower you will likely not be able to get it out & clear of the fender well w/o removing the torsion bar cap I note above to get the a-arm to full droop. be aware at full droop you can end up having the entire thing hanging from the soft brake line which is not good.


check the tech articles on raising/lowering the front of the car to familiarize yourself with removal and reinstall of the torsion bar cap. the cap is splined and transfers the spring rate of the t-bar to the a-arm. by removing this it will allow the a-arm to rotate down and get the insert stud out from the tower and fender well.

again, im more familiar with billsteins than boges so I hope this is consistent.

if the boges have the roll pin like the billys you may be best served knocking the roll pin out while the strut is completely installed and ridged. if you disconnect everything and then try to remove the roll pin the entire system is loose and it will be harder to drive the pin out.

anyone know if boges use the same roll pin insert fastening design at the bottom of the strut the billsteins do?

The upper shaft is frozen in the upper shock mounting hole. It will not move down at all. I can’t compress it as it will not go down at all.

This is not unusual. Tap it down from the top with a hammer and punch.

I can not imagine its frozen in there.

penetrating oil, a wood block and a hammer again with the a-arm supported so just the insert is compressing and the rest of the system is not flopping around. put the nut back on the insert prior to hitting it with the hammer.


or I could be completely misleading you with billstein insight and you might be best served to see if someone with boge experience chimes in.

What will typically happen is when the suspension is fully drooped there will be an angled force on the upper mount causing it to bind. I have been successful with using a jack to raise the lower a-arm slightly. This may allow the strut's upper strut to more easily slide down through the mount. Tapping the top with a soft mallet may help as well.

Use a short pry bar from underneath. Pry upward between the dust cover top and the edge of the body. I use my angled snapon side cutters. Comes right on down. Disconnect the brake line C clip on the body tab and feed the metal line through the tab so it doesn't get damaged.

If you end up pounding on the shaft from the top - make sure at least one of the nuts is still on, better yet, use two nuts jammed together to protect the threads.
Coat the shaft/body bushing with Kroil or PB Blaster for a couple of hours (or days, depending).
Suggestion - if indeed they are Boge, loosen the insert retaining nut before you lower the assembly -- better leverage when attached.
Bill K
edit: Are you sure you have removed BOTH tabbed washers? There is a thick one and a thin locking one.
The thin one could have the tab hammered into the slot in the shock insert shaft - bend the tab out of the slot, and remove.

then again both of my cars were old, but lived their lives in California.

Sorry, been out of town, just getting back to my “problem”. Thanks for the replies. It seems the drivers side insert has seized to the metal sleeve in the rubber bushing and won’t let go. Passenger side was no problem. This one, however, has been subjected to every kind of force I can come up with and still no progress. I’ve beat on it with every toon imaginable, and am scared of a slip and damaging the fender. From what I gather, and what I found on the other side, there’s nothing I can do other than lots of penetrating oil and persuasion. I may end up having to sacrifice the rubber bushing and replace the whole mount ( camber plate)....unless someone has a better idea!

Spray some PT blaster on the shock shaft, let it sit overnight. They pry below like John said above. If no go, I’d spray again. PT blaster is a little bit smelly, might want to use a different rust penatrator/lube. If you get it out without messing with the mount, no alignment required.

Twisting it around orbital like might help loosen things. Put big washer in slot and grab with pliers to twist the shaft, rock it around. Never done this, mine came down just a couple of weeks ago.