Need help changing out front shocks!
 

Yesterday, I attempted to change out the front shocks on my '86 euro carrera cab. I took off the nut on the top of the shock, under the hood. I was able to compress the shock and pull it down from below (under the wheel well), but there was not NEARLY enough angle possible in the rest of the suspension to lean the whole strut assembly out from under the wheel well. I disconnected the brake line from the clip and also the brake wear sensor, so this is not what is limiting the movement.

So, the problem is, without the whole assembly clearing the wheel well, there is no way to pull the cartridge out of the strut assembly.

I only jacked up the one side of the car, so I am wondering if the sway bar is limiting the movement of the suspension because the suspension on other side of the car is compressed. In Wayne's 101 Project's book, it looks like the strut assembly should clear the fender well no problem.

Ideas??

Thanks,

Dean

yeah mine seemed the same - 86 coupe

i disconnected one front to check condition and couldn't get it out from under the fender.

richard:D

It looks like the sway bar is preventing the suspension from dropping far enough. Looks like you'll have to disconnect it. Since I'm an early guy I haven't done this yet, but I don't think this is the fun part of the job. Maybe this is a good time to take a SawZall to it and replace it with a proper thru-the-body type sway bar with more convenient, adjustable and disconnectable drop links.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

there's plenty of room to angle it out if you jack up both sides at once. it is the swaybar. just be careful not to damage the paint on the fender lip. a large pair of channel-locks and some grunting gets the capnut loose.

Thanks for the info, guys!! I thought I was going to have to disassemble the ball joint on the end of the tie rods or something like that...

I'll give it a shot next weekend.

Dean