Turning the Struts

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Tim Leech
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Turning the Struts

Post by Tim Leech »

The front struts on the TZI are fecking awful, on slow undulating roads its fine but on pot holes they cant react quick enough and bang and crash (the spheres have done 1500 miles and were new) and groan so loud when lifting from rest its quite alarming.

Ive been told by a few people spining the struts round may improve things, is it case of jacking it up and undoing the clamp at the bottom and some bits under the bonnet. Ive lubricated them using the return pipes in a jar of LHM 3 times and sprayed plenty of lube on the exposed parts of the strut when on high but its still really bad.

I have a spare pair of used ones but the condition is unknown.

Thanks
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Vanny
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by Vanny »

Can you turn the strut body?

From memory the hole for the leakage return (what the big rubber blob goes on) can't be turned, so there is one 'side' of the strut body that must always face into the car?

I guess therefore that you have to turn the piston inside the strut, which i can only imagine means undoing that whomping great big bolt on the top while on max suspension, then let the suspension down, turn the piston bit with an allen key (possibly 8mm) back upto max pressure and do the nut back up. Potentially quite easy. But i've never done it, and an adult should be consulted before taking my word for it ;)
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Tim Leech
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by Tim Leech »

Thats what i meant Vanny cheers .
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by citronut »

Tim Leech wrote: and sprayed plenty of lube on the exposed parts of the strut when on high but its still really bad.

Thanks
with what!!!!????? hun

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Tim Leech
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by Tim Leech »

citronut wrote:
Tim Leech wrote: and sprayed plenty of lube on the exposed parts of the strut when on high but its still really bad.

Thanks
with what!!!!????? hun

regards malcolm

Dont worry its not WD40, it was white grease I get from work.
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by BX Bandit »

Two things: You sure those spheres are ok? I only ask as I mentioned it to a cit specialist I used to use 15 years ago and he said, 'don't worry, with new sphere's the noise will probably go' and it did. Depends on your source for spheres Tim but as we know there are stories of leakage etc.

2: If you were to swap the struts from one side to the other, then the lower section (attached to the hub carrier) will have to be turned through 180 deg to be mounted correctly, so you may find that helps. Not tried it myself but you never know.
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Tim Leech
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by Tim Leech »

The spheres seem fine Neil and were fitted by RXBX not long after I got the car and were new GSF ones (I checked the date), the suspension is soft but it just seems the struts "stick" when asked to deal with pot holes etc. I was hoping not to have to remove the struts but just do the job in situ.
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by BX Bandit »

It's only four nuts & one union per side Tim. If you have axle stands then it's a half hour job.
Possibly, and I'm not 100% this can be done, but if you can undo the big nut at the top, then IIRC there is a hex i.e. Allen key hold in the top of the strut. It may be possible to turn what will be the inner part of the strut using that allen hole with a big allen key.
However, you'll have to over come the friction with the sphere mount. Have in mind that there are two o-rings, which if old could break up and give you a leak.
You'll also have to release the hydraulic pressure on the regulator and probably jack the car up too.
Take advice on that method though, I've never done it and I might be spouting bolx.
Personally, I'd swap the struts and see what happens, tis an easy and quick job
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Tim Leech
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Re: Turning the Struts

Post by Tim Leech »

Ok point taken, I think if im going to swop them I would like to get the spare struts refurbed before I do.

Is theer anywhere asides pleides than can refurb struts? They have a set on the shelf but hoping I only may need one but even so they are expensive! AS WTF has now gone I will be spending a few quid on the TZI and the biggest issue is the god awful creaky front struts! :roll:
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