Putting Front Strut Back On R33?

[mosquitocoils]

Hey guys, just need some quick help, I've removed my front left gas strut + spring as the strut needed replacing. I've taken my lowered spring off the old strut, put it on the new one, and now I can't get the whole thing back into the car.... the lug is just way too high up to fit the strut eyelut on to.

I've had heaps of weight on it to try and push it down, put the wheel back on and stood on it, had someone else stand on it with all their weight while I tried to get it in etc etc, and I just can't for the lift of me figure out how to slide it on.

$100 an hour for a mobile mechanic to come out is just too much...

Any tips?? Like is there something else I can undo or loosen to make it easier to push the wheel hub down?

[blind_elk]

Both front wheels off the ground?

[mosquitocoils]

Would it help if I took both front wheels off the ground?

They're not at the moment.

How would that help?

[zebra]

get a mate to push down on the hub...or if you're tricky liky me get ur foot on the hub while holding the strut

[mosquitocoils]

Thanks Andrew, I've tried that a bunch of times but it just won't push down far enough... and I have really strong legs hahaha. I even stood on it with both feet. Hmmm I have a mate coming over soon so I'll try it again with more force hahaha

[Pal]

i think i jammed my car jack up on top of the wishbone someware and jacked it down.

[blind_elk]

Would it help if I took both front wheels off the ground?

They're not at the moment.

How would that help?

The load is on the other wheel, and the sway bar is holding this side up.

Trust me, seen it before - so jack the whole front up.

[mosquitocoils]

Blind Elk, thanks very much mate I do appreciate it.

Eric, I owe you a carton! I thought about doing that before I came and posted on here, but let it go because I thought it could be really unsafe and spring out at me/damage the car in doing so. But after hearing it from someone else I thought bugger it, ended up sticking my little scissor jack in above the wishbone and the engine bay and spread it open so that the lug dropped down enough.

Just took it for a short test, feels so much better - my last strut was on it's way and would bottom out on some of the corners around here. Now it's basically perfect hahaha.

Relaxing time now

[mosquitocoils]

Here's a pic of how it was done... just for reference's sake.

[nisskid]

either leverage, or if u cant get both wheels off the ground cos ur using just one scissor jack, loosen off the sway bar link.

[nisskid]

and just for future reference, that's not a strut.

[mosquitocoils]

Shock absorber?

[nisskid]

yep, or damper, what ever you want. as a package with the springs and seats they are often called coilovers. struts are completely different to what R33's run.

[Pal]

yep, thats how i done it too. and i'll let you off for the carton