Strut Compression, need help!
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 25
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From: Chicago, IL
Strut Compression, need help!
Okay, I'm in need of assistance from the guys who know best 
My father and I are trying to put my KYB struts on my car today. However, he's got hangups when it comes to the parts in the instructions where we compress the new struts; he doesn't know how to do it, and he refuses to go on until we have an answer. So he says we're going to visit a mechanic or two with the pictures we took for answers. In the event that we can't reach either, he says we're going to ask the guys at NAPA
Those guys have screwed us over more than once with misinformation... so I don't want it to come to that. So tell me guys, what's the best ways you compress the struts on your installs! With your help, maybe I can get this crap done today...here's hoping.
My father and I are trying to put my KYB struts on my car today. However, he's got hangups when it comes to the parts in the instructions where we compress the new struts; he doesn't know how to do it, and he refuses to go on until we have an answer. So he says we're going to visit a mechanic or two with the pictures we took for answers. In the event that we can't reach either, he says we're going to ask the guys at NAPA
Those guys have screwed us over more than once with misinformation... so I don't want it to come to that. So tell me guys, what's the best ways you compress the struts on your installs! With your help, maybe I can get this crap done today...here's hoping. 
Supreme Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,333
Likes: 1
From: Texas
Car: 1991 Z28 Convertible
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 with Eaton posi
Dude...you dont need them compressed to get them installed. Cut the plastic piece off to decompress them when you pull them out of the box.
After you have your car on jack stands, get the tire off, and slide your floor jack under the a-arm. This takes tension off the bolts holding the strut to the spindle and to the upper mount. By the way...even if you were able to get the strut off without a floor jack, the a-arm would slam into the concrete under your car and the spring would fly out at you. DONT let that happen.
Now...you've got your a-arm sitting on the floor jack, and the old strut out (those spindle bolts are tough to get loose at first, so use a 15/16 wrench on one side, and a 15/16 torque wrench on the other and break them loose).
The toughest part of this job is getting the holes in the strut to line up with the holes in the spindle. Takes a bit of muscles to compress the spring into its upper perch and tweak it up and down to get the holes lined up. You'll need one arm doing the work of compressing the strut and your other hand to hold the bolt and slide it through the holes as soon as soon as they line up. Do the top bolt first.
Sometimes, it takes some tweaking of the floor jack to get just the right balance of slack/tension between the spindle and strut so the bolts slide in easy.
Anyway....you don't need anythign but your arm to compress the strut. Be careful of making ANY minor adjustments in the floor jack under the a-arm with the strut detached. Just jack it up about an inch and hold it there before you remove the old strut. I
Good luck
After you have your car on jack stands, get the tire off, and slide your floor jack under the a-arm. This takes tension off the bolts holding the strut to the spindle and to the upper mount. By the way...even if you were able to get the strut off without a floor jack, the a-arm would slam into the concrete under your car and the spring would fly out at you. DONT let that happen.
Now...you've got your a-arm sitting on the floor jack, and the old strut out (those spindle bolts are tough to get loose at first, so use a 15/16 wrench on one side, and a 15/16 torque wrench on the other and break them loose).
The toughest part of this job is getting the holes in the strut to line up with the holes in the spindle. Takes a bit of muscles to compress the spring into its upper perch and tweak it up and down to get the holes lined up. You'll need one arm doing the work of compressing the strut and your other hand to hold the bolt and slide it through the holes as soon as soon as they line up. Do the top bolt first.
Sometimes, it takes some tweaking of the floor jack to get just the right balance of slack/tension between the spindle and strut so the bolts slide in easy.
Anyway....you don't need anythign but your arm to compress the strut. Be careful of making ANY minor adjustments in the floor jack under the a-arm with the strut detached. Just jack it up about an inch and hold it there before you remove the old strut. I
Good luck
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