Have you guys ever had problems with the Nut that holds the rear strut (either side) cartridge in the strut assembly? Well I had this problem last night, I would move the nut around with my fingers!! I knew something was wrong, because it had been rattling for a few days. So now I need a new strut assembly. Does anyone know if 86's and 87's have the same rear strut set up? Thanks.

-Carson

**also I put the broken stuff back on my car (because it is the only car I have to drive right now, and I cannot get the strut cartridge nut tight (the one that is actually on the top of the strut)....I am guessing this is because I cannot secure the the strut properly due to the broken nut ^^^, any input?

 

Are you talking about that rather large gland pack? I haven't had a problem with it coming loose....however when I first put the assembly together with the 2nd gen parts, and KYB, the nut didn't sit flush....there was no way to get it down all the way. Either way sounds possibly you may of stripped that nut. Which in that case you would need to replace the strut housing. And 85-88 are all the same.

Now if it was the nut at the top in the strut mount that was loose/stripped.....you'd probably have to replace the cartridge.

S

 

The threads on the housing are the ones that are bad. I know what I need to do to fix it, its just becoming a pain, because now I have put my car back together broken (because I need to drive it), and it is rattling like heck. I am hoping the guy that is parting out close to me has it and its in good shape. I have found one at a semi-local junkyard and they want $40 for it, but that is the pulled price.

 

Well I worked on this lastnight and I am still having the rattle from a loose strut cartridge. I got the strut assembly off of an 86 SE, but I had to reuse the cartridge nut off of my 87 strut assembly, because the one from the 86 would not thread after I put my KYB strut in....bottom line is I think that is the problem because the cartridge nuts are different on those two models. The 86 has a longer more beviled nut than the 87. I dont know what gives becuase the struts are suposed to be the same for those years yet I could not get the cartridge nut to work from the 86. I am really sick of dealing with this to not even have fixed the problem....I think I am just going to take it to a shope and hope they can make something out of it. Also othe than the cartridge nut being different on the two years there was also one other major difference....the roter size. The 86's roter was at least an inch if not two inches smaller in diameter than the 87's so I had to do a roter swap in the rear so the caliper would actually be sitting more than half on the roter. Also if anyone is planing on working on the rear suspension I would recomend the following tools: (air compressor and air tools if you have them).. 17mm socket, 19mm socket, 22mm socket, 14mm socket, channal locks, long and short extensions of for the socket wrenches, strut spring compressor (if you have stock suspension). Well, I'm gonna call a shop, I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
-Carson

 

Man....I keep hearing more and more little oddities it's crazy!

S

 

You're not lying. I have gotten screwed the past few times I thought that 86 parts would match right up to an 87...I am going to start only getting stuff off of 87 junk cars. So far I have found out that: the fenders are different, the corner lights are different, the headlights are different, the rear roters are different, the strut cartridge nuts are different, the exhausts are different (before 87 had pre cat section, but 87 did not)....and the list keeps growing.