Ok guys I am new here, I usually dont do my own work on my cars but decided after much research and a few youtube videos I would try to replace my right hand front struts. I ordered the strut assemble so that I could make it as easy as possible. Well this is why my headache began, my car is from up North (" MA and MD") so after years of snow and salt you know it wasnt easy to get those bolts off but I finally got them off after borrowing an air tool.

The main reason I went for the strut assembly was because everyone when the put it back into the car lined up just fine. Of course mine doesnt. I finally got the top part in but the buttom part that is attached to the stearing column is about an inch off. I thought I didnt have to compress the springs to make this thing work this is the reason I bought these things. Well I went out and rented the compression stuff but doesnt seem to do anything. Please help me, I have already promised myself I WOULD NEVER do any work on my car EVER AGAIN. But I need to get this done. Any ideas?

 

put the whole front in the air, rather than just the side you are working on..

 

... use jack stands and push down on the hub.. it should go in

 

Ok let me understand this. Because I have that side jacked up in threw off the entire thing? So if I take the entire front of the car off the floor it should line up ?

 

the wheels are connected. take the weight off the wheels. let them hang freely, ..
if the car is leaning on one wheel its pushing it up.. making it harder for you.

 

i wouldnt have told you do to that if i wasnt so sure you only had one side in the air. im psychic

 

lol, you guys rock. I will do that tommorow.

 

... im the same person... hah good luck

 

Your fighting the sway bar, that's what's pulling your control arm up and not allowing it to line up correctly. How in the world did you get the old unit out like that? You must have had to yank on it pretty hard.

 

he turned green...

 

I always use a second jack on the CA so I can get everything in position without a lot of fighting

 

oh my...

 

njmaxseltd is right, sway bar is fighting you and I'm pretty sure the control arms are too.

Do what everyone told you and put both front tires in the air, and if you can't pull the thing down yourself get a buddy have him pull down on the knuckle while you place the new strut

deep breaths, ohhhsaaabaa and all that BS, it'll be ok

 

You guys are awesome. It actually came off rather easily, it was just trying to put in the other part. That went in smoothly once I got both tires off the floor THANK YOU.

Since I know what the problem was I decided to tackle the left hand side. The bolts are hard as hell. I sprayed something on it that parts place told me would do a great job and even with air tools those things are not moving. Any advice on that, you guys helped out tremendously on my other problem.

 

where's djfrestyl when you need him??? he'd set you straight.

 

oye- use a breaker bar for the stuck bolts. an impact wont help.

 

Use a good 6 point socket so you don't strip it, breaker bar, pipe on the breaker bar if needed. Heat from a propane torch sometimes helps too, but be careful and get your parent's permission (jk)

(impact gun only helps if you have something like my nitrocat 1200k... tis a beast)

 

the air tool is only as strong as the compressor powering it. you need good psi to take advantage of a strong gun

 

True. I've got no problems there, but the OP might.

wimpy gun/compressor < breaker bar and pipe

 

LOL, no problems here. Borrowed a breaker bar from a neighbor and those bolts came right off. Once again you guys have saved this newbie a couple hundred bucks. Ok how difficult is it to change spark plugs in this car, If its fairly straight forward I may try that as well this car has not had a tune up in years.

 

Easy as long as you can reach the back of the engine, remove coil packs and then plugs. I'm sure the fsm has torque specs for them

 

i mean, you dont REALLY need to torque down the plugs. just tighten them down. theyll be fine. you just need a long extension and the right socket.

 

dont over tighten the coil packs either, just snug em