Coilover install Advice Needed pt. 2

[Conspiracy]

I've successfully navigated through my first problem...the infamous lower strut tower bolt in the back. Did the other side...10 mins. Did my drivers side front..no problem.

Pass side front...broke the head off the bolt that holds the strut into the fork. I now have a few ideas...go to the junkyard and try to pull a new fork and just swap them out. Or try to get teh strut out of the fork and pull the fork...drill out the bolt and have it retapped. What do you think would be the best case/fastest?

I'm now rolling D2's on 3 corners with stocks on the 4th...even with only 3 of the 4 corners done the car still handles ten thousand tiems better than I imagined it would...

[Otto]

Wow...I changed one strut from a junkyard awhile back, and I thought the bolts where pretty damn strong. And I had no problem with any bolts. They where pretty rust free, which was nice.

Personally I'd rather not deal with drilling and tapping. Done it too much at work and gone through too many drill bits and too much time. Then you gotta drill straight if you don't have a press. Just seems like more time and pain then its worth. I say grab one from a junkyard.

[Maple50175]

(offtopic) otto where you from? in ma? Pm me. Im from the lowell area.

[soon2bdropped]

are u talkin about ther bolt that goes into the control arm and into the strut fork? for the rear?

[Conspiracy]

are u talkin about ther bolt that goes into the control arm and into the strut fork? for the rear?

There isnt a strut fork (really) in the rear. The strut itself in the rear has the deal that fits around the bushing on the hub. I broke that bolt a while back tho. Im talking about in the front where the strut fits into a fork that then bolts to the hub. Its two pieces in the front because unless you take the strut out of the fork part you cant get the strut out from the car. I broke the bolt that clamps down the fork so that the strut doesnt slide out. I dont have a pic right now but picture the strut itself being a male and and fork being a female connector. The strut slides into the fork and theres a bolt that clamps down in the back to make it tight. I broke that.

*edit: I know its probably a dumb question...but what would happen if I cut into the strut? I know its under pressure but how much? Would it be a terribly bad idea? I ask because if I could cut the strut I could unbolt the fork in one piece and possibly reuse it.

[Accord13&BA4]

That bolt that had its head cut off is gonna be a pain man.

Liquid wrench, or any other solvent aint gonna cut it.

Try heating it up(if you can that is)...

or Snap-on sells this wrench where it has like spider legs that cut into the broken bolt head and it grabs it...i forget what it's called...damn...my girl is talking nonsense and i cant think straight


Good luck man...

[SteveB]

Same thing happened to me

Drilled out the bolt, and ran a new bolt and nut.

[Conspiracy]

Same thing happened to me

Drilled out the bolt, and ran a new bolt and nut.

What did you use to drill it out? Just a regular hand drill or you take it to a machine shop and have them do it?

[Conspiracy]

Problem solved. I went to the jy and picked up a new fork for the strut to go into. 8 bucks. Now I just need to either pry the old strut out and remove or cut the old fork off and replace.

[i97supratti]

Problem solved. I went to the jy and picked up a new fork for the strut to go into. 8 bucks. Now I just need to either pry the old strut out and remove or cut the old fork off and replace.

Let me see if I get this. The bolt the holds the shock to the fork is broken off? So yea a new fork would fit that, and your old shock would always be attached to that fork

[Conspiracy]

I dont care about my old strut..Plus If I really wanted to I could just use my cutter to cut thru the fork and chisel the strut out. I've got coilovers going on. Pretty pretty purple ones

I'll be sure to post up a review of them once I get all 4 in and tweaked. So far...Its far superior than I imagined.