Trunk Trim

1773 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by multicam, Apr 2, 2011

multicam

Discussion Starter · Apr 1, 2011 (Edited)

I am having trouble getting the Front Trunk Trim out. The RIGHT SIDE TRIM and FLOOR TRIM and BATTERY TRIM and REAR LIGHT COVERS are all out.
I removed the SKI-BAG and the 4 screws on the inside edge of the SKI-BAG flange, but the FRONT remains well fastened. Are their clips or another bracket that I am missing on the LS?

The drawing on the bottom of page 66-8 shows the bracket screws to be close together , the 4 screws I removed are 5 inches apart???

Any help would be appreciated.

I wanna get the left rear strut out today. Those two long bolts were a chore.

See less See more

Save

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

Alfisto Steve

· #2 · Apr 1, 2011 (Edited)

Not sure why your are pulling front wall carpet out to remove left strut but if you remove 4 white nylon push fastners in ski boot door opening it should come out.

Never had to remove any screws on 91-93 models to remove front wall carpet.

As for long bolts holding lower end of strut to wheel axle hub they can be a real chore once corrosion sets in.

I find polishing exposed shaft of lower bolt with ribbon of plumber's emory cloth and using copious amounts of PB Blaster daily for days ahead of blessed event helps but does not quarantee success. I have had to saw off lower bolt in various pieces between strut flange and axle hub and then drill out remains once strut out.

Pneumatic rivet gun and big hammer and drift pins same size as bolt helps.

I think removing brake calilper maybe needed once bolts moves to get it out the front.

Save

multicam

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 1, 2011 (Edited)

Trunk trim

Got the FRONT TRIM piece out. Hidden are two plastic pins. The SKI-BAG door frame has to be pried out and over the pins.
See image. Nice of the manual to omit this.

As far as the lower two bolts on the strut-

Yes, the nuts are the easy part. My take on earier way to get them out is to compress the spring and jack up the hub to take the pressure off the lower strut/hub flange. All that pressure from the spring me thinks adds to the resistance.

I used an extra long wrench, [12 inches] That leverage got the lower bolt cracked and it slowly started to turn.
I've been Kroil oiling it for a week. Once the bolt was turning and the center shaft was well emeried - tapping the end of the bolt while turning it, got it into the strut hub accembly and a drift pin, made of brass pushed it out the other side.

A small jack under the strut help lower it down, no drama this time.

BUMP TOP CONE DOWN !

Hopefully the new struts go in next week.

Thanks for the help

See less See more

Save

Alfisto Steve

· #4 · Apr 1, 2011

I'm going to buy bump cone down correct way for it to go.

Save

Del

· #5 · Apr 1, 2011

Never thought about doing a strut job with the assy still on the car. The rear struts are easy to drop without doing anything special in the trunk except removing the small insulation pads over the top of the struts so that I could get to the three nuts for each strut. Left everything else in the trunk. I just removed the darn things from the car entirely, although the lower assy of the strut is busier, what with the stabilizer bar, the cross links, and the spacers.

Save

Alfisto Steve

· #6 · Apr 2, 2011

Del the problem I think on LS is taller springs and tension from sway bar that prevents easy removal of strut.

By Frank compressing spring with strut still in car he overcomes sway bar pushing rear trailing arm and axle spindle upwards while spring is pushing strut down.

I had to pry trailing arm and sway bar down even on a 164L recently to get strut and spring out.

Save

Del

· #7 · Apr 2, 2011 (Edited)

Well, I did both the 91S and 94LS and didn't notice any difference. Both were removed without issue. I seem to remember that you do have to do both rears at the same time, though, using balanced jacking so that stabilizer bar is easy to disconnect, etc.

Save

multicam

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 2, 2011

The main reason why I used the spring compressors in situ was that I could not get the lower bolt to budge. So by compressing the spring I reduced the downward force of the strut on the shank of the bolt. Hence less resitance in turning it. When the bolt were removed, the flange holes of the wheel hub and strut were still aligned. Got the idea from my Mercedes Benz buddy

The problem on the other side was that their was no gas in the shock so when the bottom bolts were removed , the sturt expanded into the wheel hub flanges and got stuck. Hence the pry bar and small jack drama.A shorter strut assembly help clear the wheel hub assembly on the other side.

No April Fools joke on doing the whole parts exchange in the car.

Save

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Trunk Trim

multicam

Attachments

Alfisto Steve

multicam

Attachments

Alfisto Steve

Del

Alfisto Steve

Del

multicam

Top Contributors this Month