For those who have installed springs on an ep I would like your help please. I had extreme difficulty romoving the strut from the tie rod . So after banging the living **** outta the bolt it didnt bugde and I even managed to damage the threads on the bottom, had to freaking hack about two thread lengths off (but thats another story). So i noticed that another ep3 owner worked with the strut still attached inside the well and used a spring compressor, but I dont have access to one at the moment so i want to know what others have done beside hitting the bolt with wood/ hammer/ whatever. I was thinking of leaving the brake set up intack, loosening the nut attached to the tie rod just a smidge and standing on the brake set up to unjar the freaking thing. Someone is going to let me use a punch on thursday so i'll try that. But if nothing works by then Im going to just have it done at a pro shop b/c without a spring compressor the tierod situation seems like more trouble than it's worth at the moment. So somebody/ anybody let me know what tricks you have done or seen to unjar the tie rod and strut please.

Thanx

David

 

1euroep- buy a tie rod separator at your local autoshop. they're only like $10 it looks like a big two prong fork. if you don't want to waste the cash some places like autozone let you rent them for free. you just need a credit card. once you have it, position it between the the bolt and the rubber boot. it's a tight fit but it works. now you have to bang the end with a hammer, and eventually it will separate from the tie rod. easy.

 

Thanx, I was unaware such a tool existed. I'm now planning on getting one tomorrow. Thanx again!

David

 

if you messed up the threads on the bolt i suggest just getting it done at the shop unless you got alot of patience. i too ended up stripping the threads on the bolt and screwing the nut back on was a bitch. i had to rethread that bolt. it took forever!! you maybe able to seperate the strut from the tie rod end with the tool, but getting that nut back on the stripped bolt is a pain in the ***.


[Modified by ep3, 5:19 PM 1/8/2003]

 

Hey ep3, where are you from in oc? What color car do you have? Just saying hi.

 

I noticed when I did mine, after banging on in several times, When I remove the strut itself from the top and botom, the tie rod came off easy.. I believe that when it is not at a certain angle, it wont come out easy.. try this, if you have 2 jacks, jack the car up then jack the suspension to compress is, then try to remove the tie rod.