Classic struts.

 

a couple of ways,either use an allen key to hold the centre shaft with an o ring spanner or use a socket on the top nut and use mole grips with a cloth around the centre shaft to stop it turning

 

Got allen keys, sussed that bit. I tried mole grips on the 19mm socket but it just turned. My dropped head spanners won't fit into the recess!!!! Wrong make? Wrong tool?

 

you want to put the mole grips on the part UNDER the boot,the shiny metal rod,put a cloth over it not to damage it and use a 19mm socket on the nut

 

Good ol plain english, 'shiny metal rod'.

Cheers squire, I'll try that.

Dan.

 

Someone must know another method!!

 

As said you need a 19mm socket on the top nut and hold the shaft in some way.

the easist method (but no good now) is to loosen the top 19mm nut whilst the struts are in the car and weight of the car on them.

Simon

 

Hi

If its the rears your doing a final tighten once there back in and the car is underload. i.e before you re-fit the rear seats tighten the 19mm(wheels on the ground) again as it seemed to me you cant get them that tight whilst off the car and it will avoid the annoying knocking noise you'll discover on your first trip out

 

I thought this would be the case so refitted it. The top nut is very very tight indeed. My Swan-neck spanner doesn't fit and with a rachet you can't get to the allen key!! I found all this out at 11pm last night in a cold garage.

Even with the strut refitted the nut will not loosen. Thats why I thought there must be a subaru tool to do the job. Any more suggestions will be greatly received..

 

with the ratchet on it, is the nut rotating and turning the shaft or is it just solid?

if just solid then you need some more force.. although you might strip the thread....

Simon

 

The shaft is turning. I can't get enough pressure on to release it. Bought a new spanner that fits the recess and still can't get it to release.

 

do you want the spring or the strut?

I have had to cut the struts before to get the spring off.. if it is that seized..

tried heating it?

Simon

 

19mm socket on a decent air impact gun, job done.

 

I agree, impact gun everytime..........

 

As i have said, pair of mole grips over a cloth holding the Rod and use the socket to undo it, it isnt this hard to acquire 2 pages of posts to remove the spring from a shocker !!!!

dont be scared, the rods are pretty damn solid so the mole grips over a decent cloth will not damage it,if i can do, you can my friend !!

 

it's a nice change from the norm though

impact gun wouldn't touch the one I had which was stuck, but it was off the car at the time..
Angle grinder sorted it as I only wanted the spring

Simon

 

Sorted. Wanted the springs so did as Simon said. Both nuts seized to **** (fronts). No amount of brute force would have moved them. Luckily I had some spares to tide me over. Two Koni inserts that knock, and standard springs. The reason I wanted to dismantle them is that the KYB's were knocking too. All that work and the same problem!

Thanks for that quote. I thought we are all here to share our knowledge rather than abuse it.

 

yup,and thats what u got, about 5 times over !

 

Mr. Nice Guy.

Is it possible to cure the knocking? Tis like a loud rattle when going over small bumps.

 

Anyone?

 

Hi Mate,

Are you sure you aligned the upper spring seats correctly? (i.e. holes pointing outboard).

I had a knocking/twanging/rattling KYB front o/s that drove me nuts for 6mths. The numpty at the garage also left a spacer from the original oem strut on the KYB which messed up handling and steering response - I only discovered all of this when I finally had enough and stripped it down myself.

While I was at it, I took the opportunity to put some 'anti-slip' stuff (from halfrauds) onto the lower seat before I re-fitted the spring. Since then there's been no more noises which means I can enjoy the low-speed burble again!

Hope you sort it, whatever the cause.

 

Not sure what you mean. Holes?

 

Have you checked that you haven't got a worn drop link as these knock when they are worn.

 

there's three holes drilled/punched through the upper spring seat. according to the service manual, these are supposed to point outboard - ensuring that the seat mates correctly to the turret.

can pm you a copy of the service manual if you want?

 

Springs are correct. Drop links are newish so should be fine. Update. Probably something I've done wrong cus I can rock each front wheel vertically, enough to make the same noise, no sideways movement. I've changes the disc's at the same time.