Front strut errata

[speedy25]

What a wacky day!

You guys have been good when people ask what you need to look for or get when you do a strut job, well I GOT MORE!

Removal? Piece of cake! Uh-oh, the bearings on the tops are pretty sloppy. I guess they can wear out after 243k miles. ADvance is the easy local store so I pop online to order some. The part on their page doesnt look like what I have and I know somwtimes the images dont match the actual part. SO I go to my 2nd most trusted parts place SUmmit racing and they have a totally DIFFERENT number. Hmmmm. I put that numer in the advance search and it comes up and says it DOESNT fit my corolla. OK, off to the Monroe site and I get a THIRD number. I trust that number more than the other two. That number goes in the search and strangely enough says it fits my corolla, but it wasnt listed on the parts list. I DID make sure it said Front and not rear. Oh well. The Monroe part number WAS correct and in stock.

So now with new tops I compress the spring on the passenger side. Thats weird. There are only two coils to squeeze together. The compressors are squashed into each other but they are doing the job enough that I can remove the top without getting launched into space. I get it assembled and yank out the driver side. Uh-oh! The driver side has THREE coils to compress, like I usually encounter! OK next on the budget will be MATCHING springs. I go to install it in the car and the spindle wont go into the strut. DAMN! The driveshaft flopped around and hyperextended the inner joint! I had visions of removing the boot to get it to go back in place again. I wiggled and turned it and it went back in.

The driver side strut was almost seized and squeaked when I pushed it in. Yes, it was overdue.

So if this helps someone else to pay attention during a job it might save you a few hours.

Have fun wrenching!

-SP