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Rear strut mounts.


ron350
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Can you replace the rear strut mount and boot without removing the strut.

The closed cell foam bumper that connects the boot (bellow) to the strut mount has rotted and come loose.

I did this 15 years ago but now I cant remember anything.

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It can be done........

the nut in the trunk at the top of the piston is a locknut, depending on the manufacturer the end of the stud can be either a small hex head or a female allen head. One usually uses an impact gun to spin off the locknut to bypass holding the piston stationary, but that means removing the entire assembly. I've not personally tried but you might be able to get clearance if you disconnect the trailing arm, just loosen off the lateral arm bolts, disconnect the upper support & lower the complete knuckle assembly down to get the top end to clear the quarter panel and swing it out. The pivot point for the knuckle lateral arms is above the spring so as you pull out at the top the bottom is forced inward.

Of course this is all depending on the struts still being in usable condition, you'll find that out when you disconnect the top and test to see if the gas charge is still there.

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55trucker thanks for your help.

 

After reading your post I looked at the strut and mount again i ordered new struts. I don’t want to have to take the factory struts out and not have new struts on handto put in.

 

I am looking at Gabrial mounts 143067 that have the factory style boot and don’t think there is enough room without removing strut. I don’t know anything about the Gabrial mounts except the boot looks like factory boots.

s-l1600ABCD.JPG

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Nothing wrong with that item, many many years ago Gabriel was an OEM suppler.

Consider picking up one of these.......

https://bestgadget.store/product/adjustable-camber-gauge-for-tools-home-improvement/

and take a reading of the before you disassemble angle & the after you install adjustment to save you a trip to an alignment shop.

 

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  • 2 months later...

About to do this same project myself.  I got the Gabriel 143062 and it looks nothing like the original, and what's there now is so far gone I can't even tell how it used to fit together.  No instructions in the box, and the FSM says nothing about this.  Does anyone have any pictures of how theirs is installed?

20201219_083539.jpg

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Thanks Ron - looking at it, the end where the bumper goes is a perfect fit for the top of the strut so that they seal together, but then the bumper isn't quite right at the other end.  I cleaned out all the old foam, but I can't fit the small end into the mount without damaging it. 

Edited by crazyd
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Crazyd ignore what I had posted above I had things all wrong and backwards.

I can now remember sitting at the kitchen table and stuffing those bumpers into the strut mount using a wooden spoon.  LOL I messed up the wooden spoon and had to replaced it with a high temp plastic spoon.

The opening in the strut mount that the bumper goes in is about 1-1/2 inches across so it is a tight fit.

I now remember removing the struts and the strut mounts just to replace those bumpers and boots.

 

 

142131__ra_p.jpg

Edited by ron350
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Yeah, after doing this I can say for sure it's not practical or efficient to do it without completely removing the strut from the car.   I couldn't stuff the foam into the mount without damaging it, but it looks like I didn't have to when I set it up backwards.  The bellows snaps perfectly over the lip of the strut body, and snugs up the bumper nicely.

  

20201219_125611.jpg

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