Installing Front struts

[Hash_ra23]

Hey all...

I'm having troubles reinstalling my front struts into my ra23 celica. Is there a technique to this? as i can only get two of the studs to line up at once. I know there is a set way to line up the studs where the one on the angle is on the inside...but still i can't get it in

[PULSE]

Not sure exactly whats happening for you but my method for getting them into my TA22, was to get a car jack, sit the bottom of the strut on it, jack it up enough so that i could line up the two holes closest to the guard, then roll the jack towards the car as close to the lower control arm as possible, and jack it up more if need be to line up the last bolt, then finger tighten the nuts on. Then use some kind of a metal pole to lever the LCA down and allow the bottom of the strut to hover over it, then slowly easy the LCA back up until it meets, finger tighten those bolts, then drop the jack down out of there and finish up with everything else.

[japlish]

sit the strut on the steering arm first, stick a bar between the swaybar and chassis rail and push down with your foot then there should be enough room to swing the top end in...........get the idea

[IN 05 NT]

bolt the 3 strut top nuts in 1st, loosely,

then play around with getting the steering arm in place and alligned,

(that way you dont have to balance the strut...as its damn heavy!)

[Snyper]

agree with INO5NT, same way I've always done it.

[Hash_ra23]

thanks guys, but still having problems!!

I took the strut top off and just tried bolting that up...but failed that too


I remember the other side i had the same problem, but i somehow got it in by jiggling it around. This was a few months ago tho.

[SillyCarS]

is something bent, it looks fucked

i have never found it this hard, i did it the same way as innocent and snyper

another way is to pull the guard off and do up the nuts on the lca and then just shove it in under the tower

[allencr]

I remember the other side i had the same problem, but i somehow got it in by jiggling it around. This was a few months ago tho.

Left & right, maybe an 'L' or 'R' stamped into it?

[Snich]

are the hat bolts evenly spaced, or do they have one off set, maybe to help with position of strut. (for wheel align.specs)
maybe try turning the hat, and try the other bolts in different holes.

[jonnyincognito]

I just did this two weeks ago and had more problem getting the strut up into position then I did getting the studs into the holes. What I did was get one stud in, thread the nut down a few threads. This took all the weight off. Then I just reached under, grabbed the strut and tilted it into place. Threaded on the other two nuts to get it locked in place. Used a ratchet to get it tight. I thought the studs were spaced equally apart and were all paralellel to each other? You don't have a bent stud do you? Is it a strut from a different vehicle?

If you have a stud that's on an angle like you stated, try to put a nut on that one first. Leave the other two out of their holes. Once that stud has a nut on it, try to position the other two at the same time. That's basically the same thing I did, but I didn't notice any angled studs!

Joshua

[Hash_ra23]

i'll take some pics for you guys soon...it is an ra23 strut top, with an xt130 strut. but thats not an issue since i can't bolt up the strut top by itself

[Grega]

did you mark one of the studs and the hole it was in before you removed it?
it appears that your strut plate/camber top/strut bearing/whatever you want to call it might have a bent stud
does the same issue occur on both sides when you try to install?
have u tried rotating the strut top/plate studs around to the different holes (if you didn't mark them)

[Hash_ra23]

heres a pic of my strut top. THe stud on the left is the inner stud:



the stud itself doesnt appear to bent? just the whole top?

[RA35GT]

dood...they are meant to be flat...as per pic (of a new genuine one)



Rudi

[Grega]

thats bent buddy boy, big time.
either off to wreckers for you or, i'd hate to think how much a new one is.