Need to know some info about replacing the strut cartridge?

[ron350]

 This thread needs more pictures.

  The round business end of the 10 inch long tool is 2-1/4 inches in diameter. You can see from the picture that the factory nut is slightly wider at about 2-3/8 inches.

 So if the factory strut retainer nut can fit down the shaft (hole) so can the tool in my picture.

Edited June 27 by ron350

[55trucker]

5 hours ago, ron350 said:

.

After removing all of the upper strut mount retaining paraphernalia one makes use of that deep extension, it goes right down over the extended shock piston, at the top end is a square 1/2" drive ratchet opening, one turns the ratchet counterclockwise to undo the retaining nut below on the top end of the knuckle. I've never made use of the short extension at all seeing as it will not clear the shock piston that would be extended (assuming the shock cartridge still  has gas pressure inside). If you need to insert the spreader down the shock tower opening first to keep the shock cartridge in loose alignment so as to remove it & reinstall it. The spreader is that wide mouth gray device. The small socket adapter at the upper right is the adapter one uses to both remove & install the shock piston retaining nut, one slides the adapter down over the nut, the short arm is for a ratchet to turn the nut, the opening in the centre is for the #50 torx bit that slips into the female torx thread on the end of the piston shaft. One holds the torx bit still while one turns the ratchet, this prevents the piston from turning inside the shock housing. But note that most aftermarket shock cartridge replacements no longer use that torx thread, you may find that the new shock has an Allen head thread on the end of the shock piston. 

Edited June 27 by 55trucker

[ron350]

 This tool in my kit was useless because it was too big to fit in the hole. Maybe this tool will work on your 98?

[ron350]

  This tool acts as a handle that screws onto the threads on the end of the strut. Once installed you can move the strut around so you can center the strut in the hole. 

On my 96 the strut shaft wanted to move in the direction of the motor. I had to use pieces of wood wedged between the inner-fender and the strut spring to center the strut shaft so the removal tool would fit down the hole to the nut. Without this positioning tool i could not have changed my front struts.

The guy in that video did not have this tool.

Edited June 27 by ron350

[89-W-Body-Regal]

On 6/27/2025 at 6:15 PM, ron350 said:

  This tool acts as a handle that screws onto the threads on the end of the strut. Once installed you can move the strut around so you can center the strut in the hole. 

On my 96 the strut shaft wanted to move in the direction of the motor. I had to use pieces of wood wedged between the inner-fender and the strut spring to center the strut shaft so the removal tool would fit down the hole to the nut. Without this positioning tool i could not have changed my front struts.

The guy in that video did not have this tool.

Yes! that is the tool I was able to use as well. But I couldn't seem to fit the spanner nut down the strut tower hole because I didn't have any clearance to fit the nut socket in there.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

On 6/27/2025 at 6:12 PM, ron350 said:

 This tool in my kit was useless because it was too big to fit in the hole. Maybe this tool will work on your 98?

I have this exact tool I bought off ebay with the nuts that tighten this down. Mine didn't fit because it was too tight. But you need to move the strut a little to the sides so this can fit down the strut tower ?

[89-W-Body-Regal]

On 6/27/2025 at 5:00 PM, ron350 said:

 This thread needs more pictures.

  The round business end of the 10 inch long tool is 2-1/4 inches in diameter. You can see from the picture that the factory nut is slightly wider at about 2-3/8 inches.

 So if the factory strut retainer nut can fit down the shaft (hole) so can the tool in my picture.

Which kit was that in and is that the nut from the cartridge that long tool fits over?

[89-W-Body-Regal]

On 6/27/2025 at 11:40 AM, 89-W-Body-Regal said:

 

Which kit is this? Any brand names I can buy with everything I need? One kit i bought was kent moore that was originally used by GM Dealers when these cars were new. The tool service kit was missing tools so I had to buy some tools extra that weren't in the kit. When I didn't have luck removing the strut cartridges I sent it back.

[ron350]

  The strut kit i have says OEM # 27034. This is the same kit that Autozone used to rent.
 I see ebay has the same kit listed as T&E Tools AT185.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

4 hours ago, ron350 said:

  The strut kit i have says OEM # 27034. This is the same kit that Autozone used to rent.
 I see ebay has the same kit listed as T&E Tools AT185.

It would be cheaper I think just to get the tools I need. I don’t really need the Torx socket or that other socket it goes with it because I can remove the nut with an impact and I have that long strut spreader cylinder tool.

Edited July 2 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[89-W-Body-Regal]

4 hours ago, ron350 said:

  The strut kit i have says OEM # 27034. This is the same kit that Autozone used to rent.
 I see ebay has the same kit listed as T&E Tools AT185.

So seeing the photos you posted that’s all I need those tools? I wouldn’t need the whole kit.

Edited July 2 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[ron350]

 Then you are looking for an OTC 7568A kit.

   Where are you going to find just the tool you need?

[55trucker]

The #50 torx tip is  needed to stop  the piston shaft from  rotating in the shock housing while undoing &  tightening up the the retaining nut.

As I stated earlier some aftermarket shocks no  longer make use of a torx design for the socket interface at the top end of the piston shaft.

Spinning the piston shaft with an impact gun is not desirable. Doing so with the outgoing shock is alright but no so with the new shock.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

6 hours ago, 55trucker said:

The #50 torx tip is  needed to stop  the piston shaft from  rotating in the shock housing while undoing &  tightening up the the retaining nut.

As I stated earlier some aftermarket shocks no  longer make use of a torx design for the socket interface at the top end of the piston shaft.

Spinning the piston shaft with an impact gun is not desirable. Doing so with the outgoing shock is alright but no so with the new shock.

I will remember not to use the impact on the new ones and use the socket. I will have to torque to specs anyhow the nut on top. I try to use the Torx and socket on the old struts but it was so dirty I wouldn’t come loose and stripped the thread. So I used an impact to remove the nut.

Edited July 3 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[89-W-Body-Regal]

Ok so I wanted to let everyone know in here I had no luck still replacing the front strut cartridges with the tool kit I got off eBay to replace these strut cartridges. My friend came over to help me work on my Regal to replace the strut cartridges. We found out the strut cartridges have been played around with the first time they were replaced before. Someone who worked on it years ago tried cutting the top strut tower because we found small cut marks along where the studs are for the strut tower mount. We also found out they replaced the top mount with an aftermarket mount. So that’s why the strut tower will not fit the spanner nut extension down into the tower to loosen the cartridge nut. We have to remove the whole strut and compress it to remove the cartridge. What a pain in the ass.

Edited yesterday at 04:18 AM by 89-W-Body-Regal

[White93z34]

be careful with the springs. they are huge and under more tension then i've seen on most others. Nearly killed myself when one went orbital on me.

That said if you're going that far its perhaps worth your while to get some 96' knuckles so you can run the larger rotor

[89-W-Body-Regal]

9 hours ago, White93z34 said:

be careful with the springs. they are huge and under more tension then i've seen on most others. Nearly killed myself when one went orbital on me.

That said if you're going that far its perhaps worth your while to get some 96' knuckles so you can run the larger rotor

I am going to have a friend help me out. If his compressor don’t work on the wall mount because of that bracket being made like that I will have to rent one. I am just hoping it doesn’t require a special tool to compress these springs. 

Edited 5 hours ago by 89-W-Body-Regal

[89-W-Body-Regal]

9 hours ago, White93z34 said:

be careful with the springs. they are huge and under more tension then i've seen on most others. Nearly killed myself when one went orbital on me.

That said if you're going that far its perhaps worth your while to get some 96' knuckles so you can run the larger rotor

What mount from the factory was on these cars differently then the aftermarket mount mine has that restricts the clearance from getting the spanner bar down into the tower to remove the cartridge spanner nut?

[89-W-Body-Regal]

if I was to find this oem mount and replace the aftermarket mount so I can use the tool next time can I swap the top strut mount out? Here is the diagram of the front suspension for the regal.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

Found another video. My strut tower looks nothing like this down the hole. Look at all the clearance he has for the tool. Now I know my top mount was replaced because the cartridge on my strut mount gets stuck under the mount if you use the strut rod to compress it down into the tower.

Is it possible someone who worked on my 89 regal the first time removed the whole strut and replaced the top mount? I cannot find any aftermarket mount for my Buick anywhere online for these struts. It all says to replace the cartridge with that tool kit.
 

Is it possible to replace the top mount back with oem from the factory if I can find the mount?

 

Edited 4 hours ago by 89-W-Body-Regal

[55trucker]

Take a photo of what you have, generally the aftermarket upper mounts are all near as close to the original design.

You mentioned that the holes in the strut tower have been maligned?

any portable spring compressor will be a manual item, the safe method is to take the struts to a shop & let them do the replacement on a pneumatic spring compressor that has a cage to protect the techie from danger.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

36 minutes ago, 55trucker said:

Take a photo of what you have, generally the aftermarket upper mounts are all near as close to the original design.

You mentioned that the holes in the strut tower have been maligned?

any portable spring compressor will be a manual item, the safe method is to take the struts to a shop & let them do the replacement on a pneumatic spring compressor that has a cage to protect the techie from danger.

But I can replace the mount if I wanted to with the oem correct? My mount is different trust me. The strut shaft got jammed in the tower and got stuck under the mount. I had trouble so I had to pry it back to the top so the insulator could go back on. Where the oem ones you could use the tool designed by gm so you would not have to remove the strut.

If the tool fits with the oem mounts in these videos you just saw I rather get that mount. 
 

I will send a photo of mine and compare it with the one in the video.

Edited 3 hours ago by 89-W-Body-Regal

[55trucker]

Don't know what was installed.....

but the upper mount should look like this..........it's a common item

 

[89-W-Body-Regal]

55 minutes ago, 55trucker said:

Don't know what was installed.....

but the upper mount should look like this..........it's a common item

 

That’s the insulator. I’m talking about the retainer mount for the top of the strut that has studs in it. Sorry if it wasn’t clear enough. I apologize for that.

Edited 1 hour ago by 89-W-Body-Regal

[55trucker]

ok......what you're referring to is the upper spring seat,

 

curious, when you say that your upper spring seat is totally different from what's supposed to be there does it look anything like this?