1MAX2NV

iTrader: (5)

When I turn it, the strut shaft just turns with it. Actually the stillen camber plate's monoball turns with it too.

[Edited by 1MAX2NV on 02-21-2001 at 07:06 PM]

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

You mean the one big nut on the shock piston? I usually used a air wrench. But they are supposed to have a slot on top so you can secure it w/ a screwdriver while tightening it w/a open end wrench. If not available I just waited until the struts were installed on the car. I'm usually able to loosen/tighten this nut at this point.

1MAX2NV

iTrader: (5)

They say to "Grasp the piston rod without damaging the exterior surface of the rod and tighten the piston rod lock nut". WTF, my hand can barely fit in between coils. I can't possibility hold on to it while I torque the nut to 53 ft lbs. Oh man...what a piece of junk. I'm just going to use bunch of cloths and use a vise grip to hold the piston rod.

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! do NOT do that...you will gurantee scratch the piston. either cruise down to your local grease monkey to use the impact wrench (gotta love air tools) and have them tighten it. DO NOT PUT VISE GRIPS ON THE PISTON! no matter how much crap you put on it to cover it you won't be able to clamp it down w/o scratching and hold 53ftlb. you can do what jeff said and go from the top or find someone w/ a impact wrench and gun it in from the top.

1MAX2NV

iTrader: (5)

I still don't see how an impact wrench will help. The piston rod will just turn with the nut.

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

well think of it this way...the sheer torque and the impact of the impact wrench will spin faster than the piston can turn. when you turn with your hand you're putting torque but at a slow rate so the piston can turn with your hand turning. when the impact wrench hits it it will turn very fast off the start w/ a lot of torque that it will spin faster than the piston strut can turn so it will tighten the bolt..it'll still spin a little (depending on the resistance) but the impact wrench goes faster.

plrod Black 95 SE

The impact will work but you won't torque it properly this way. This bolt which is mounted above the strut isolator should not be fully torqued until the strut assembly is on the car and the car is in "unladden position", this means both wheels on the ground with the weight of the car off the wheels. The strut shaft is kept from rotating by the flat spot on the shaft and strut isolator. This is the way it works on my 95 and should be the same on other 4th gens; don't know about other gens.

I actually stripped the bolt a bit while trying to adjust / diagnose a rubber on rubber noise that I had which was the result of the wrong isolator. SE uses a different one and KYB only has one type. When I re-installed the correct ones recently, the flat spot was gone on my left strut isolator so I used an impact.

Do not, under any circumstances put any type of tool on the strut shaft. Even the smallest imperfection can cause the strut to depresurize and render it useless.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

Yeah. Tony, don't use anything on the piston shaft. Even a small scratch might damage the seals and cause a leak.