Strut rod replacement - How do you remove the shock mounts?
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Team Owner
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From: Lakeland, FL
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St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Strut rod replacement - How do you remove the shock mounts?
I need to replace my strut rods on my yellow car and I just can't manage to get the shock mount out of the trailing arms... Is there a trick to get it out? How hard can you hit it with a sledge hammer without damaging anything?
Race Director
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From: Forked River NJ
This is always a problem. A big hammer is needed and maybe some heat. They tend to rust together. I destroyed mine getting them out the first time so I replaced them with new ones. When going back together I used a lot of Anti seize. I have had them out a few times since with no problem.
Team Owner
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From: Smile, it's just the internet.
Take the shock off.
thread the castle nut on backwards, so the flat side is flush with the end of the threaded mount.
Pound mercilessly with engineer hammer or big ball-peen hammer. Don't use plastic or rubber. You need the shock of steel against steel.
thread the castle nut on backwards, so the flat side is flush with the end of the threaded mount.
Pound mercilessly with engineer hammer or big ball-peen hammer. Don't use plastic or rubber. You need the shock of steel against steel.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
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From: North NJ
Probably out of the question but its much easier if you can take the TA off and put it in a vise. This prevents you from bending/damaging the spindal where the shock mount L bracket mounts too.
You're going to damage this L bracket so buy new ones, not very expensive. Get new, not referb.
It took 2 hours of pounding with a very large massonery hammer and a torche to get mine off...and that was only the passenger side.
Good luck, hope you have patience and a 30 pack of beer.
I bought stock in AntiSeeze before I started my resto.
Hofpully it'll balance out my expenses/profit.
Good luck
-B
You're going to damage this L bracket so buy new ones, not very expensive. Get new, not referb.
It took 2 hours of pounding with a very large massonery hammer and a torche to get mine off...and that was only the passenger side.
Good luck, hope you have patience and a 30 pack of beer.
I bought stock in AntiSeeze before I started my resto.
Hofpully it'll balance out my expenses/profit.
Good luck
-B
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
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From: Dayton, Ohio
You can break the ear off the bearing housing and thats not cheap.I usually sacrifice the strut rod.Inside the strut is that metal sleeve and it is usually rusted to the shock mount.I cut the strut rod with a die grinder and go inside and remove rubber and seperate that sleeve at the groove and gently drive the shock mount out with a thread protector in place.No big hammer here!Sugical procedure !!!
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Thread Starter
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From: Lakeland, FL
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St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
I don't need the old strut rods (I have new adjustable ones to replace the old ones) but I don't have any equipment to cut the strut rod... The equipment will be probably more expensive than the labor that Van Steel will charge me...
Originally Posted by dwncchs
You can break the ear off the bearing housing and thats not cheap.I usually sacrifice the strut rod.Inside the strut is that metal sleeve and it is usually rusted to the shock mount.I cut the strut rod with a die grinder and go inside and remove rubber and seperate that sleeve at the groove and gently drive the shock mount out with a thread protector in place.No big hammer here!Sugical procedure !!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
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From: New Cumberland PA
I took the nut from the mount to a hardware store and purchased a short bolt. I then threaded the nut half on the mount and threaded the bolt into the remainder of the nut until the bolt was firmly bottomed out on the mount. This will reduce the chance of damaging the threads. My one side came loose with a couple of hits with a 4lb hammer. The other side was tougher. Took a about 5 minutes to get it to break loose. These northern cars like mine have a tendancy for items to get a little rust on them.
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From: Dayton, Ohio
Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
I don't need the old strut rods (I have new adjustable ones to replace the old ones) but I don't have any equipment to cut the strut rod... The equipment will be probably more expensive than the labor that Van Steel will charge me...
Last edited by ...Roger...; Jun 2, 2006 at 01:04 PM.
Team Owner
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From: Smile, it's just the internet.
Originally Posted by dwncchs
I broke an ear that way to but that will be there problem.
When I had my alignment done at an old shop known for their Vette work, they told me up front that if they had any trouble with the rear, it was my problem. They break it, I buy it, so to speak.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Fairview Heights Illinois, near Saint Louis MO, STL C3 Shark
Sawzall
I had to cut both of mine out with a sawzall. Since I was replacing bent strut rods I first cut the O at the shock end of the strut rod into a C shape to lift it off of the shock mount (using dremel). Then sawzall on inner sides of the "ears" of the bearing support. Used a puller to push the remaining pieces out.
Race Director
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From: Dayton, Ohio
Originally Posted by CGGorman
I seriously doubt it works like that. They work on enough old Vettes to know what they getting into before they get started. I'm betting you have to sign a contract indicating that they are not responsible for stuff like that.
When I had my alignment done at an old shop known for their Vette work, they told me up front that if they had any trouble with the rear, it was my problem. They break it, I buy it, so to speak.
When I had my alignment done at an old shop known for their Vette work, they told me up front that if they had any trouble with the rear, it was my problem. They break it, I buy it, so to speak.
Le Mans Master
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From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
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From: Lakeland, FL
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St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Originally Posted by captainmorgan
I used a pickle fork against the shaft that the shock mounts to and used a hammer and hit the end of the pickle fork. Mine came right out.
Team Owner
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
great idea.. Gotta try that.. Now the question is where I can get such fork?