well i’m outside right now disassembling my struts upfront…
so right now i’ve disconnected the lower bolt that holds the strut to the (lower?) control arms, and i’m disconnecting the brake line assemblies, and next i’m going to take the nuts off the strut towers.
i don’t know if i’ll be able to get the strut out having only disconnected the one bolt, but anyway, anyone, please help me with this
i did a search, and checked teg tips, and nothing
thanks
well i’ve gotten the strut off, and easily i might add…
but my question is this, i’m using the teg tips method with the towel of decompressing the springs. so… right now i’m loosening the nut, but i don’t seem to be making any progress, as if the bolt is stripped. is this common (for the nut to take awhile, that is). i’d be really appreciative of any help, thanks
You need an allen wrench to hold the center of the piston while you turn the 14mm nut. I haven’t read the method in the Teg Tips but I hope you know what you’re doing releasing that nut without some sort of spring clamp to hold the spring from shooting off.
just use the blanket and ground method to catch the assembly as it shoots off
i’m using the blanket ground method…
so i should grab onto the piston of the strut, and then just take the nut off? the nut is really tight on there, this is common, right?
and will i HURT MYSELF? because i’d really like to avoid that, thanks for the help
argh… well i’ve given up today and have since put the strut back on my car, i plan on doing them tomorrow…
anyhow, i had put a vise grip on the piston to prevent it from moving, but when i begin to loosen the nut it doesn’t loosen. the screw that pertrudes from the nut turns with the nut, is this a problem?
i’m getting really frustrated with these struts, and i just want to put my springs on!
thanks
are you talking about the nut that is on top of the strut assembly? try an open wrench and a socket with an allen wrech extention. The allen wrench will hold the strut shaft while you can turn the nut with the wrench. Vice grips will damage the shaft and may void warrantys. I would be very, very careful when the nut is almost off you can hurt yourself easily. You may want to check if a local auto parts store rents or loans spring compressors.
The other option that I would do is take off the strut assemblies and take them to a mechanic and have the use an air wrench to blast it off. Takes two sec… thats what I did, but I also had shorter springs already. Hope that helps.
oooh yeah maybe some liquid wrench too…
are you talking about the nut that is on top of the strut assembly? try an open wrench and a socket with an allen wrech extention. The allen wrench will hold the strut shaft while you can turn the nut with the wrench.
alright, that sounds good. so how would you recommend that i take off the nut when it’s about to come off? my friend was supposed to help me, but i couldn’t get in touch with him. i’m gonna try to have him help me tomorrow…
thanks though
Not sure… It isn’t really clear in the teg tips section…
I don’t really remember how much room there is in between the stock spring coils but… I was thinking instead of using the towel around the whole assembly try winding the towel up (sorta like making a whip) and loop it through the coils and out, so the towel is around a few of the coils. Then take something to secure the ends of the towel. Mabye try two towels, one on each side and have someone stand on each end. Then when the nut comes off the top perch should come off. Then you should be able to release the spring.
This of course is just a thought, I have never tried this. Don’t try it if you think the towel is not strong enough. Maybe someone else has a better idea? or check into a spring compressor? Hope this helps, good luck!!
Ok, to remove the springs, have someone place their foot on the spring, and insert the allen wrench into the shaft. Then with the allen wrench touching the ground, begin to spin the 14mm nut … as soon as it is fairly loose, remove the allen key and the 14mm nut will spin off on without the key… when you get near the end of the nut, place some tires/cardboard boxes at either end of the strut assembly … sometime the strut actually springs out too.
It won’t fire too hard (fronts fire harder than the rears) … just be ready for a pop, and have someone with their foot on the spring.
Remember to cut your bumpstops so that you retain 2/3 if you are lowering more than 2".
please invest 12$ in a haynes manual and/or download/buy the helmes. not only does it instruct you but the pictures are very helpful and will be very handy in the future as well
please invest 12$ in a haynes manual and/or download/buy the helmes. not only does it instruct you but the pictures are very helpful and will be very handy in the future as well
i own the helms, and when i look at the helms it sometimes isn’t really that much help. i disassembled the strut with no instructions whatsoever, just looked at what needed to be done.
but i was wondering how to remove the springs from the struts with no spring compressor, so i don’t know why you say this? i realize the manual is very useful, and i’m glad i have it, but it doesn’t relate to my question
if you have access to any air tools such as an impact gun it will work great, place bottom of the strut up against a wall and put one foot on it at the end closest to the wall hold the impact in your hand loosely and it will unloosen the nut right off even if it is rusted it wont be a problem, when the spring pops the impact will fall out of your hand and the spring will go all of 5 feet and the strut will not even move, i did this to all 4 corners on my car and had no problems.
good luck
ryan
5 feet… that seems like a lot, lol
i’m trying to convince my friend (who has an impact wrench) to let me use his ****. he keeps telling me that you need a spring compressor. are tegs one of the few cars that don’t require spring compressors, and is this why he’s making such a big fuss about this?
i have complete confidence that i can do this without a compressor from what you guys have told me…
hopefully i’ll be able to get the springs on tomorrow, my friend who has done springs is going to help me, thanks for all the help
i wouldn’t take it off without a spring compressor personally. I like my eyes and fingers and well anything that can be hurt when it goes flying. I would take it apart and go to a local mechanic or even to a local suspension shop and see if they will just unbolt and mount the springs for you. then you take them and put it on the car. I’m sure it wouldn’t cost much… maybe $50.00 to $75.00 if not less. or you could rent a spring compressor for maybe the same price.
just how i would do it.
It’s not a huge deal for our Tegs … the springs are not compressed as tightly as you might imagine … they do not even shoot far … I had a cardboard box a foot in front of my strut assembly, and the nut BOUNCED before it got to the box … 
The front strut assembly you need something at both ends, because the strut tends to slip out one end while the nut pops off the other.
I would not even see they ‘fire’ or ‘shoot’ off … it’s a a very manageable pop …
I have done this for 3 Tegs, (all 90-91s) and no problems.
there is another way, with the strut still in the car with the wheels on the floor, just loosen the nut holding the strut in, then jack the car and as you raise the car it will allow the spring to expand and allow you to remove the spring without it shooting across the floor and hurting yourself.
USE A GOOD SPRING COMPRESSOR!!! One of my professors was using some homemade spring compressor which was pretty strong as it had worked before but he was pulling the spring of the front of his caviler and "boing "the compressor breaks and imbeds half of it about an inch and a half into the side of his house. A compressed spring CAN KILL YOU! There is plenty of energy in that spring to launch pieces, break bone and just generally make life bad. Spring compressors are pretty cheap and you can probably borrow one from pep boys or ask around and someone you know might have one.
The towel trick sounds ok but I wouldn’t do it. I like my life too much and I don’t like hospitals at all. I mean your spending the money to make your car better do you want a spring to bounce off the ground and put a nice dent in your car.
Integra springs (at least G2s) are not wound very tight … now it’s different for other vehicles, but for the Teg, it’s become a style (Ghettoooooo I do believe we call it), to remove them without compressors. The only thing to watch out for are the fronts, the strut COULD (if there was nothing to stop it like a tire, etc) chip a rim or bruise a foot ;).
I mean, if an empty cardboard box can stop the nut or strut … of course if you are unsure, leave it to someone who knows how. Safety first, no argument there.
yeah, the horror stories are …HORRIBLE
but, as long as i’m not taking the springs apart 
my friend can deal with that, nah, im jk, but he’s done this before, and i trust him to protect himself
so hopefulyl i will be able to get these off safely and finally have my car DROPPED!