Struts off! What else should I be doing???

[holtjv]

This was a big project for me--removing the struts so that the bushings could be replaced.

Thanks to the community for helping..now it's a matter of re-assembly and throttling the "while you're there's".

Speaking of which, I'll have a week or so to do some other stuff while the struts are being worked on. So far, I have the following replacement parts:

1. ball joints
2. all washers, bolts, nuts (effin castellated nut) pins, O ring on the spindle, etc. involved
3. bearings
4. ss brakelines
5. some hard brake line bits (guess why)
6. tie-rod ends (ttr)

Think that's it. Anything else obvious I'm missing that I should work on while I have it all taken apart? Talent, desire to drive it, and $ are a consideration at this point.

Thanks..Jack

[flatsixjunky]

That is pretty much my next project, thanks for posting it. This is a great opportunity to rebuild your brakes calipers. Rebuild kits are not expensive.

Porsche 911 & Carrera Brake Hydraulics - Page 4

Keep the pics coming, and good luck.

-O-

[holtjv]

Ah, O,

I replaced the calipers a few months back--the original pots were incredibly pitted. Of course, I should have bought oem but cheesed out.

Great advice, should have added.

[rusnak]

You might as well pull out the torsion bars and check for wear on the top side. If they are rubbing, then you might want to replace the rubber bushings w Elephant Racing rubber bushings. Your steering and suspension will be way more precise.

Steve Weiner recommends putting oil in the strut before replacing the cartridge in order to assist heat transfer. Those shocks can get really hot from friction. At minimum, clean the struts and put some really good grease on the strut bushings. Maybe replace them.

I wonder why you didn't send the entire strut in to be rebuilt, since you have the cartridges rebuilt? The shock cartridges can be replaced as new units.

[holtjv]

Originally Posted by rusnak

You might as well pull out the torsion bars and check for wear on the top side. If they are rubbing, then you might want to replace the rubber bushings w Elephant Racing rubber bushings. Your steering and suspension will be way more precise.

Steve Weiner recommends putting oil in the strut before replacing the cartridge in order to assist heat transfer. Those shocks can get really hot from friction. At minimum, clean the struts and put some really good grease on the strut bushings. Maybe replace them.

I wonder why you didn't send the entire strut in to be rebuilt, since you have the cartridges rebuilt? The shock cartridges can be replaced as new units.

The entire struts are going--to have the bushings replaced. The picture is pre-send. I haven't read about the oil in the strut, so thanks for that. I'll also investigate the torsion bar situation. A little hesitant to get into it, I'll admit.

[RWebb]

not hard to do

also: repl. rubber brake hoses & clean up the wheel well - check undercoating, fix/add wax if you're into the cosmetics

[cgarr]

The strut inserts are in good shape, Whats being replaced is the bushings in the strut its self, the top bushing usually goes bad first and you start to get play between the insert and strut. The inside is then lubed with grease.

[joe payne]

Front lip spoiler if you have a tail.

[rusnak]

Sorry, I must have missed the point that the strut bushings were going to be replaced.

I thought about making an eccentric disc tool to push the bushings out of the strut, but it would be probably better to just send them in.

Regarding the torsion bars, it's easy to take them out. If you don't want to remove the sway bar, then you can tap them forward and take them out that way. The front of the a-arm is a pressed on cap that will pop out if you hammer the t-bars forward. Or you can remove the sway bar and pull them out backwards. I would definitely at least check them to make sure the paint is not worn off.

[mcaterino]

Could someone enlighten me as to what the 'strut bushing' is? I'm restoring a 1970, my first serious Porsche project, and am unfamiliar with anything inside the strut needing professional replacement. At first I thought maybe it was a 1970 vs. 1979 difference, but the 79-83 PET doesn't show anything as a strut bushing either.

I'd like to know if there's something important I've overlooked in preparing for my suspension rebuild.

Thanks,
Mike Caterino

[rusnak]

Holt,

it just occured to me that when you install the TTRs, you're going to have to remove the skid plate, and you might as well remove the a-arms as well. You need room to get the boots on over the steering rack, so you might have to remove the aluminum cross member as well. So, you need to take the torsion bars out anyway.

Mc,
Cgarr is correct. This applies to Bilstein struts. The cartridge is pretty much bolted in with the top nut, and the strut rides up and down on the cartridge body. Inside the lower (green) strut body, there are a couple of metal bushings that glide over the cartridge. As the shock body moves up relative to the car, the piston is pushed up as well inside the cartridge body via a rod that is held in with the rollpin at the bottom of the strut body. Replacement of the top bushings should be done if you can detect radial play between the strut and the shock cartridge.

[mcaterino]

Got it. I see the difference in the thinner inserts for Bilstein struts. Being a Boge-man I hadn't looked at these. Thanks.

Mike

[holtjv]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Holt,

it just occured to me that when you install the TTRs, you're going to have to remove the skid plate, and you might as well remove the a-arms as well. You need room to get the boots on over the steering rack, so you might have to remove the aluminum cross member as well. So, you need to take the torsion bars out anyway.

rus, I just have the ends to replace as the boots were shot on the drivers side. This surprised me as the ttrs were put in just 2 years ago. Maybe it was the play in the strut insert which caused it? Dunno and honestly don't remember just how bad it was before I pickled the strut arm off of it. I've been pb blasting the ends for a couple days and hoping that they're not too hard to get off.

if I get all my other stuff done I'll open it all up.

thanks

[holtjv]

I realize I didn't mention that I'm sending them to Craig (cgarr) to rebuild, as a reference from jamie novak, a neighbor (both in austin and pelican).

[rusnak]

Holt,

Help me understand. You said that the boots were replaced previously? Now the TTR ends are bad? Is the rubber seal on the ends compromised?

If you want, I can mail you my tie rod removal tool with a pic on how to use it. Just mail it back when you're done.

[holtjv]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Holt,

Help me understand. You said that the boots were replaced previously? Now the TTR ends are bad? Is the rubber seal on the ends compromised?

If you want, I can mail you my tie rod removal tool with a pic on how to use it. Just mail it back when you're done.

The boots on the tie rod ends are bad. And since I had already ordered the replacements, I didn't worry about messing them (the rest of the way) up when I separated the strut from them.

So as long as I can easily unscrew the ends from the rods, I'm totally golden.

Thanks for the good follow up and offer...Jack

[newuser11]

Thanks for the timely post as I am also "there" installing Boge inserts - see my post from yesterday and HarryD's response on other "things to do". Yeah, once you are seeing that stuff after 15 years of inattention (neglect?) you just want to replace all of it and get it all nice and shiny, heh?

I would like to refinish the wheel wells as the undercoating is flaking away in huge sheets. I am wondering the best way to do it. Should I use an "undercoating" of some sort and then spray it over?

BTW - Love the PB blaster and the hammer - seemingly 2 of the key tools..?

[holtjv]

Question regarding unscrewing the tie rod ends from the rod: which way do I turn the locking nut? I read a post which stated to the left but that doesn't seem right looking at the threads. If it matters, this is the passenger side.

Oh and it's TIGHT. Even bought a torch.

Thanks in advance...J

[jpnovak]

Jack, They are standard RH thread. Same on right or left of the car.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by holtjv

This was a big project for me--removing the struts so that the bushings could be replaced.

Thanks to the community for helping..now it's a matter of re-assembly and throttling the "while you're there's".

Speaking of which, I'll have a week or so to do some other stuff while the struts are being worked on. So far, I have the following replacement parts:

1. ball joints
2. all washers, bolts, nuts (effin castellated nut) pins, O ring on the spindle, etc. involved
3. bearings
4. ss brakelines
5. some hard brake line bits (guess why)
6. tie-rod ends (ttr)

Think that's it. Anything else obvious I'm missing that I should work on while I have it all taken apart? Talent, desire to drive it, and $ are a consideration at this point.

I would definitely change the control arm bushings and the roll bar bushings. The parts cost less than $250 and the job isn't that hard once you've gotten this far into it.