Allpar Mod Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Well, guys...I finally had some time to start replacing the rear struts on the OBW. The right one was completely bad, just how fubared I saw when I got it removed. It pretty much self destructed, but that's for another time. I haven't started on the driver side yet because of the dilemna I find myself having. The issue I have is installing the new ones. The Harbor Freight spring compressor I already had gets in the way installing the new struts. Using one doesn't work either. I tried. There's just little clearance to the sides going up to the top of the fender well. Getting the old one out was a you-know-what because I couldn't compress the spring as much as I needed to so the bottom of the strut would easily clear the suspension. It took some struggling and gratutous cursing, but it came free without damaging anything. So, I have this to look forward to on the driver side unless I get some help and a new tool. If I have to buy another compressor, so be it. Any suggestions? I need to get the OBW back on the road very much ASAP. Gas for my truck is killing me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 What year OBW? I don't recall any specific problems doing rears on 95-99 Outbacks with my cheap old strut compressors. Nothing some "finesse" couldn't overcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brysawn Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I have never had an issue with my Harbor Freight spring compressors. Isn't there a nut/tophat that goes at the top of the strut to keep the spring compressed? You compress the spring, put it on the strut, and while still compressed put the tophat/nut on (which keeps the spring compressed), and then put the strut/spring in the car. Do everything with the strut out, and will never have fitment issues with your spring compressors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpar Mod Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 It's a '99, Dave. My inexperience with struts is showing. You guys gave me some ideas on where I might be doing it a bit sideways. I'll keep you posted on progress. I should be diving back into it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I was going to get the HF spring compressors until I saw about how many people had issues with them.. So I went to auto zone and got the OEM spring compressors.. well worth the cost and extra safety over the HF compressors. I felt safe enough to hit my compressors compressed with a hammer so they would slide into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsoobdude Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 When I replaced the struts in my 98 with new 04 Forester KYBs and used springs I ended up having a shop do it as it was a big PITA to do off the car. They charged me $150 but PepBoys said they'd do it for $20 a strut but they tried to shaft me so I just picked them back up and took them to the shop. Real easy to reinstall once together through. Good luck and post pics when done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 it's really easy only took me about 10 min per strut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 As pointed out the compressor shouldn't still be on when you are reinstalling the strut/spring assy. Sometimes spinning it to get the top 3 bolts (from memory) to lign up can take a little effort. Struts/springs make me uneasy too. I actually thought about getting one of the nice wall mount units but they went for like 500 bucks at the acutions I went to last year. I'm a hobbyst not a professional. Often if during "normal business hours" I take them to a shop and pay them a few bucks to swap put the struts in the assy for me. Respect for struts is healthy - for me atleast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Why is the strut still in the car? There's no room to work there. Remove the 3 nuts from the top and it will fall out. The trick is to only compress the spring as little as is absolutely needed to remove it from the strut. Some people wail down on the things trying to compress the entire spring. The springs are not much taller un-installed than they are installed. Often hooking the compressor around the coils on either side of the center coil of the spring and pulling them an inch or so is enough to remove the spring safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 wow I must of saw that wrong.. it's way faster to take the whole strut assembly out to change the struts.. you are wasting time and effort trying to do it while mounted on the car.. It took less then 5 min to unbolt the 3 nuts and bolts (air tools) don't forgot to mark the camber!!! top bolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpar Mod Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 The strut's out. That wasn't the easiest thing to remove, though maybe it was because the casing pretty much disintegrated on top and the rod was extended a bit more than it should have been. I never saw one do that before. As far as I knew, they were the original struts from '99. No, like I said, my inexperience with them showed. I was trying to put the thing back in place with the compressors in place so I could have more room to get it in place to secure it, or at least I thought I could do that. That was my mistake. I'll assemble the strut & spring and put it in place then. Oh, for an FYI, to the comment about Pep Boys, I had stopped in one I got stuff from near my place of work to see what they'd want to install a set of rear struts. I priced them at the counter first. The total with struts, new top mount kits and God knows what else was over $900!!! Just for two rear struts and installation!! I nearly choked right there. To think that people get ripped off like that every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newsoobdude Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Oh, for an FYI, to the comment about Pep Boys, I had stopped in one I got stuff from near my place of work to see what they'd want to install a set of rear struts. I priced them at the counter first. The total with struts, new top mount kits and God knows what else was over $900!!! Just for two rear struts and installation!! I nearly choked right there. To think that people get ripped off like that every day. Yeah no kidding!!! They were going to change a guy $50 a side to replace his hood struts in labor alone!?!?!?!?! They ended up trying to charge me $150 for the strut assembly then more for "missing" parts even though all they had to do was assemble the strut yet couldn't even get the parts. Took them the weekend to tell me that, then they lost some of my parts too:banghead::banghead: Will NEVER have them touch my car nor purchase from them as they were extremely rude too. I ended up spending right around a grand to replace all 4 struts installed by me yet assembled by someone else as I've never dealt with struts before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grindolf Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Is it faster to replace thefront struts on an 86 brat with the assembly off the car? my idiot guide states that for my brat, i have to disconnect the brake line and then bleed the brakes afterwards, if i take the assemblies off the car. is there anyone out there that has replaced the struts with them on the car? that was my plan, but now i am not sure. napa sells a compressor for 40 bucks, that is what i was going to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Dont have a gen. that far back, but if it's the same as all the 5Subys I've worked on, NO. Remove the clip that holds the brake line and break the tab off to free the line from strut. Generally the new ones have the same type of hole. I just cut a slot large enough for the line to go in,but still enough to grab the clip. Zip ties work just as well. O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 yeah, for the tab that the brake line goes thru - remove the clip & just cut the outer edge of the tab on the old one so you can slide the line out - then do basically the same on the new one to slide the line in - a pair of bolt cutters does wonders i usually take a file to the cut edges so they arent sharp anymore, mount the assembly, slip the brake line back in, secure with the clip and good to go, no messing with bleeding brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I usually just take a dremel and notch out the brake support on the struts so the brake line doesn't have to be disconnected. With the NY salty winters it's far more likely to bork up the line and fitting trying to unhook it. Then I drill a small hole into the tab, and then use stainless steel safety wire to secure the brake line to the strut. I've done that numerous times and it seems to work well and still support the brake line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Now I read this thread! I just did the rears on my '99 (270k miles figured they were due!). I disconnected the brake hoses (no problems) and then found out that one bleeder screw was corroded and would not bleed (new bleeder screw) and the other side screw broke when I tried to open it (lots of PB Blaster first) and ended up buying a new caliper instead of trying to drill out the busted bleeder. Now I have new rear struts and mounts (mounts probably not needed), flushed brake fluid and car handles much better. Going to tackle front ones in a bit but will check threads first. I know that some have had issues with the ABS cable mounting bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 On one I snapped the ABS wire bolt, but it didn't really matter since I just used a new bolt on the new strut. Some new struts don't have the tab for the ABS wire mounting so people often use zip ties then. Sometimes on the front, the struts are already notched or mount differently so the brake line doesn't have to get disconnected or the mounting point notched. The rears almost always seem to need one of those two options though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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