Front strut install

How do you put the front shock absorber back in?

Tried putting in the new shock and spring with the hub still in place. Ofcourse that didn't work.

Then removed the hubcarrier, attached the new strut to the hubcarrier, placed this assembly in its place, inside the fender. But now the lower ball joint is too high:


What in tar-nation am I doing wrong? the top nut is tightened as much as I could.

I think maybe the top ruber mount isin't exactly in its place since it poped out when removing, but hasn't poped in yet. However, I have no mightier means to force it. Even if I jack the dangling hubcarrier, I end up jacking the whole corner of the car (damn light puma parked on a slope..)

Please help, I'm at a dead end here, spent the whole morning on one corner.

Make sure that the rod end, top, has located correctly on the top spring retainer. I have always fitted the strut to the car then man handled the hub onto the bottom of the suspension. You should be able to swivel the assembly to locate the ball joint. Its a bit difficult to give a you an easy solution in writing. Good luck anyway.

The coil spring is in place both top and bottom. It just doesn't seem right that the shock absorber is longer than the movement range of the wishbone.

okay I can jack the shock absorber up but still, no way to align to the lower ball-joint when its the spring is compressed.
I'm thinking of dropping the lower control arm. Seems the best solution at this stage. Are the bolts on the lower control arm for alignment adjustment?

Im not 100% sure what your problem is but heres a few tips

1) Open up the hole in the hub where the shock sits with a hammer and chisel
2) grease the hole and the bottom of the shock absorber
3) make sure the fin on the back of the shock absorber is lined up with the hole exactly
4) jack it up in increments and perhaps tap the hub with a mallet

There's no need to detach the hub or the bottom arm

You'll cry with laughter at how easy the second one will be :grin: :grin:

tossaxe said:

The coil spring is in place both top and bottom. It just doesn't seem right that the shock absorber is longer than the movement range of the wishbone.

Click to expand...

Its not - the wishbone will give you enough height if its held out of the way with enough force.

Alternatively you can take the hub off the wishbone, put a steering lock on towards the opposite side that you are working (rack will push the hub outwards). You will probably need to open the hub nut to allow the shaft to slide back through the spline in the hub.

Don't know what did it, was it penetrating fluid on the wishbone joints, jacking up the other side or just plain out-of-temper-violence, but the wishbone finally moved the last few centimeters and it's in :grin: One corner done
I'll try installing the other one the easy way, without removing the hub - as you advise.

Good luck with the other side. On a good day I have changed both front & rear suspension in about 3 to 4 hours but thats if I dont come across siezed bolts etc

Hi,
So my Jeep is complete :-D . Just look at the gaps in the arches, you could stuff a family of cats there :grin: :

In the end had to remove the hub on both sides to fit. Even a crow bar didn't help it, just couldn't get that last 1cm. A spring compressor might have done it, but doing like this was also quite easy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDxGBuTXMkM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Maybe you guys used lowering springs when fitting without removing the hub... Or I bent the front beams when the car fell on them few months before..

Now swerving slightly off topic, I have a question regarding the rear. Is this correct? :


Should there be a gap between the "nut cup" and the shell/body