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Hello Erik, My dad & I needed to work on the driver side suspension of his 1999 Volvo S80 turbo… Using the spring compressor was a very tight process, so we used the floor jack to slowly lower the strut. Problem is there is not enough room inside the wheel well; It has a box-like area to insert the strut back up in place.
Now we are attempting to reinstall the new strut, but again using the spring compressor is not possible because the two long threaded rods bump into the body of the car!! What can we do? Is there another way? Help!
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Hey.. it looks as though you left the strut mount in the car?! You will need to take that off the car and compress the coil on the strut then bolt on the mount then install as an assembly. From what it looks like: your trying to compress the coil while reinstalling in the car with out taking the mount off. Seems tricky and dangerous to me.
Eric did a video on this:
Strut videoPretty much the same procedure for any car. Hope this helps
The strut and spring will come out as an assembly.
once out.Then the spring compressor is used.
this video can be used as a guide.B)This morning we’ll be back at it again…
thanks for your responses, We’ll make sure the mount goes on the spring coil…Our current problem remains,though,: once the spring compressor tool is compressed, the tools’ threaded bolts stick out (flare out) & prevents us from fitting the whole strut unit into that small box-like area, because the 2 threaded rod bolts bump into the body.
I’ll try to snap a pic of what I mean.
thanksAll you have to do is remove the strut mount ( three bolts under hood) then compress coil, place compressed coil over the strut then place on top of that the strut mount. Tighten the center nut on to the strut mount fastening it to the strut, then you can slowly release the compressors. The coil will butt up to the strut and top mount piece hence no need to use compressor anywhere near the car. Now you have a strut assembly. take the whole unit over to the car and install it first by getting the top up in place and hand tighten the three small nuts to hold it in place.. rest is straight forward. You shouldn’t be compressing the coil and trying to get it up in the “small box-like area” just watch erics video that college man posted . he takes the whole assembly out of the car and to the bench where he dissembles it and reassembles it then takes strut back to car to install. Not once is the compressors used ‘on the car’
yes, that makes sense…. we were thinking the nut screwed in center & holds it from the top (inside the engine bay)… Noob error. We’ll double check it & follow the video instructions.
Thanks!I would recommend getting a repair manual. Not trying to be a jerk but, if you had the manual you would have known how to do this job correctly. The way you guys performed this job was VERY dangerous and could have resulted in injury or death.
Glad you got it sorted out and weren’t hurt. Those springs can be very dangerous. In the future you might consider using replacement struts that have the springs already installed OR perhaps take it somewhere that will do the spring compression for you. Thanks for keeping us up to date and for using the ETCG forum.
Yeah, that was a long day & when it was time to re-install, we were mentally exhausted & challenged… The next day, he says he could’ve kicked himself for not thinking correctly & missing an important step…
oh well, hindsight is always 20-20, lolBut Thanks to you for the site & for the users here to lend a hand (so to speak)
:cheer:
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