front struts needwd

[citronut]

I've had a front strut "let go" and the pressure is enough to blow the strut returns apart which means that you can't get it home even with some nursing. Even refilling with 2 new litres of LHM it pissed it straight out again onto the road!

yeeh course you can, just remove the feed pipe from the top of the strut and cap it off,

i did this to the rear of a GS years ago when a rear feed pope popped, lifted the inspection cover in the boot floor, disconnected the feed pipe from the three way union and fitted a bleed nipple,
drove to my workshop on three legs,

regards malcolm

[Mothman]

Like 'Jake the Peg' then Malcolm.

Andy

[Way2go]

yeeh course you can, just remove the feed pipe from the top of the strut and cap it off

This is assuming that you have to hand hydraulic couplings that will be suitable to cap off the HP LHM.

Given that I didn't, the quicker solution was to leave it there, buy a new strut when I got home and then return to fit that by the roadside.

[benben10]

good news!
being sunny and dry here today i took the front wheel off to find what the leak is all about. (succeeded in crushing some of the subframe
at the same time )
unclipped the two hoses on back of the strut and found one to be almost split in two. I'm guessing this is a vent pipe or would have been
a bigger puddle. taped it up for now with insulating tape and a huge cable tie.
The ticking on recharge is very quiet now but the really weird thing is the ABS light goes off and stays off.

So looking at the pipe it looks easy to get off but what about the huge metal clip that holds both pipes into bottom of the strut..... and ideas how it comes off and/or goes back on?
thanks

[Tim Leech]

Excellent, nice easy fix then!

[benben10]

hope so, just ordered two new ones from AEP may as well do both sides, found a thread here about using pincers to tighten the clip back up.

Ben

[mat_fenwick]

It's a good job you didn't go on the diagnosis of the garage! It may help to grind a little notch in the centre of each jaw of the pincers to stop them slipping off the clip.

[citronut]

did you order two new clips with the leg pipes as its quite easy to damage the old ones on removal,

i always place the new pipe/block in position and run some tape around the leg and popes about halfway up, just to keep them in place whilst fitting the clip,

also to line it up correctly place the pointed bottom end of the block into the hub the strut pinch clamp gap/slot

regards malcolm

[tim]

I've done both sides of mine recently. I didn't want to muller the only pair of side cutters I have and in fact I didn't need to. If you are careful and don't lose your rag the sidecutters will do the job without grinding. But you have to get the angle right or the end 'dog' won't ride over the step. I found the trick was to focus on getting the ratchet pip on the clip to engage first; once you hear that go click, you can ease over the end locking bit with a tweak from a little screwdriver.

[Dollywobbler]

I've ended up using cable ties. With a bit of wiggling, you can still use the metal square of the original clip to make a better job of holding it in place.

[MULLEY]

I must have been lucky when a front strut gave up, i popped the strut return pipes back on, topped up the lhm & drove back home slowly along the least bumpiest route possible, they staid on

[citronut]

I've ended up using cable ties. With a bit of wiggling, you can still use the metal square of the original clip to make a better job of holding it in place.

i think that is fine as ling as you dont use just a cable tie, as this alone will squeeze the block in at the middle, and then it wont seal against the strut/leg

I didn't want to muller the only pair of side cutters

i havent modified my side cutters, and do use them sometimes, but i have altered the edges of the jaws on a pair of carpenters pincers, only by grinding the jaws so the edges are sharper, i dont find the need to cut a nick into the edges though

regards malcolm

[benben10]

Fitted new pipes today in lunch break using a mirror (so i could see it was in the right position), pincers, screwdriver and a big cable tie to hold the pipes upright until i could get the clip on. Quite a few !**!! then it was done. Drove 5 mins to MOT garage, showed him the pipe i replaced, he then checked the bounce and gave me an MOT... YAY!!
next job will be some front tyres.
Thanks again for all the advice.

[Dollywobbler]

Great stuff!

[Mothman]

Well done bud, may all your fixes be as easy.
Some good advice given too, especially 'dont always listen to the garage' as this one would probably have fleeced you.
Good luck with the motor.

Andy