Shock/Strut Replacement
April 2011 ROTM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 22,023
From: Tokeland, Washington
ROTM Winner's Club
technically its a coil over shock but most people call them struts. its sorta in the middle, its upper half is more like a strut and the lower half is like a shock setup.
Yeah, my bad. No strut bearings on a 4th generation. I was talking about the *mount* that goes at the top of the shock and thinking that it had a bearing in it. I guess it doesn't because the shock doesn't rotate.
I intended to replace the shocks mounts on my 94 because water collected on top of them and rusted away the shock nuts and washers. It was scary rusted, like I was holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled. With the engine overhaul costing so much, though, I took the cheap route and pulled a pair of used shocks/springs from a junkyard car. They were in really great shape compared to mine so I saved that part of front suspension work for later on.
The front suspension on a 4th generation is kind of weird since it is part old school with upper and lower control arms but part modern since it has a combination shock/coil spring -- a very beefy shock with the coil spring wrapped around it like a strut suspension car. It's also unusual in that the UCA and LCA are so far apart that a very tall spindle is needed.
Everything else I've worked on with UCA/LCA had the spring wedged between the top of the LCA and the underside of the body or a crossmember tower. The shock was mounted inboard or outboard of the spring.
I intended to replace the shocks mounts on my 94 because water collected on top of them and rusted away the shock nuts and washers. It was scary rusted, like I was holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled. With the engine overhaul costing so much, though, I took the cheap route and pulled a pair of used shocks/springs from a junkyard car. They were in really great shape compared to mine so I saved that part of front suspension work for later on.
The front suspension on a 4th generation is kind of weird since it is part old school with upper and lower control arms but part modern since it has a combination shock/coil spring -- a very beefy shock with the coil spring wrapped around it like a strut suspension car. It's also unusual in that the UCA and LCA are so far apart that a very tall spindle is needed.
Everything else I've worked on with UCA/LCA had the spring wedged between the top of the LCA and the underside of the body or a crossmember tower. The shock was mounted inboard or outboard of the spring.
1st Gear Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 214
From: Western NY
This is what mine looked like (130k miles)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jchen004/4640550799/
Obviously, I replaced both. It was easier that way.
Overdrive Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,042
From: IL
4th Gen. Stock shocks suck (earlier deCarbon, then Delphi), they should be one of the first suspension mods. I would not have bothered with any junkyard shocks/springs! 
Yeah, my bad. No strut bearings on a 4th generation. I was talking about the *mount* that goes at the top of the shock and thinking that it had a bearing in it. I guess it doesn't because the shock doesn't rotate.
I intended to replace the shocks mounts on my 94 because water collected on top of them and rusted away the shock nuts and washers. It was scary rusted, like I was holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled. With the engine overhaul costing so much, though, I took the cheap route and pulled a pair of used shocks/springs from a junkyard car. They were in really great shape compared to mine so I saved that part of front suspension work for later on.
The front suspension on a 4th generation is kind of weird since it is part old school with upper and lower control arms but part modern since it has a combination shock/coil spring -- a very beefy shock with the coil spring wrapped around it like a strut suspension car. It's also unusual in that the UCA and LCA are so far apart that a very tall spindle is needed.
Everything else I've worked on with UCA/LCA had the spring wedged between the top of the LCA and the underside of the body or a crossmember tower. The shock was mounted inboard or outboard of the spring.
I intended to replace the shocks mounts on my 94 because water collected on top of them and rusted away the shock nuts and washers. It was scary rusted, like I was holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled. With the engine overhaul costing so much, though, I took the cheap route and pulled a pair of used shocks/springs from a junkyard car. They were in really great shape compared to mine so I saved that part of front suspension work for later on.
The front suspension on a 4th generation is kind of weird since it is part old school with upper and lower control arms but part modern since it has a combination shock/coil spring -- a very beefy shock with the coil spring wrapped around it like a strut suspension car. It's also unusual in that the UCA and LCA are so far apart that a very tall spindle is needed.
Everything else I've worked on with UCA/LCA had the spring wedged between the top of the LCA and the underside of the body or a crossmember tower. The shock was mounted inboard or outboard of the spring.
Like I said, the quick engine swap to get the car running turned into a $3k engine overhaul. I had never driven a 4th gen, didn't know if the trans was good (seller said it was fine), etc. If it looked like a part could be replaced later without affecting the alignment I left it for later. A junkyard car turned out to have a very clean pair of struts for like $20 each so that was a cheap temporary fix. 1200 miles later I don't regret doing that.
The OP's original struts are *ugly* but that's western NY for ya. I'd have replaced those springs for sure. Yikes!
Here are the junkyard parts installed on my 94:
The OP's original struts are *ugly* but that's western NY for ya. I'd have replaced those springs for sure. Yikes!
Here are the junkyard parts installed on my 94:
Last edited by 1augapfel; Oct 14, 2010 at 04:23 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
