Automobilie Posted September 4, 2015 Report Posted September 4, 2015 Hi guys. I've got a 1992 Lumina 3.1l Euro body and was working on replacing the front strut cartridges. I got the tool, but when I removed the shock retainer from the tower, the threads completely stripped out on both the nut and tower. NAPA doesn't have the tower and the Strut kits I've found on google are either for the APV or just the shock. Can anyone help me find just the strut tower or strut tower kit? Quote
Nas Escobar Posted September 4, 2015 Report Posted September 4, 2015 If you're talking about the piece that holds the fluid/oil in for the factory struts, those are gonna have to come out from a donor car. Lucky for you, the 2nd generation Lumina uses the same setup as yours, so in theory, you can get the whole setup from a 2000 Lumina. Just go to a junkyard and pull the whole assembly out, its 2 bolts on the bottom and the 3 nuts that hold the cover on and it should drop out. Quote
Imp558 Posted September 4, 2015 Report Posted September 4, 2015 Assuming since you mentioned the special tool you mean the nut like thing that holds the cartridge into the tubey part of the spindle assembly? Whole new spindle assembly from a donor, while you have it off it's not a bad idea to do a hub assembly and a ball joint. the cv shaft nut should be 36mm, and the ball joint should be 18, I don't know the tie rod off the top of my head... Quote
55trucker Posted September 4, 2015 Report Posted September 4, 2015 Just go to a junkyard and pull the whole assembly out, its 2 bolts on the bottom and the 3 nuts that hold the cover on and it should drop out. Not quite that easy..... correct on the top engine bay bolts, but the bottom is a little more involved, the OP will have to disconnect the stabilizer bar from the lower control arm then disconnect the ball joint (these are inverted) to allow him to lever down the control arm to get the strut free of the chassis, then release the tie rod end, as well as pulling the axle nut. He will also have to decide if he wants another 88-95 strut or the later 96-99 strut, they are not quite the same, the later strut makes use of a larger dia brake rotor, the mounting support for the calipers are not in the same location, due to the larger dia of the rotor on the later strut the support moves the caliper outward slightly. Quote
Automobilie Posted September 5, 2015 Author Report Posted September 5, 2015 Thanks for the replies guys. Unfortunately, between health problems and being in Alaska I don't know that I'll be able to get a donor :/ I was able to get a longer nut to thread in and torque down, I'm going to have to see if it'll hold up. It shouldn't be a safety concern in case the nut does fail? Quote
55trucker Posted September 5, 2015 Report Posted September 5, 2015 If the retaining nut fails then there is nothing to hold the cartridge in place inside the strut tube and it will just flop up and down and you'll lose control on that corner. Didn't the new cartridge kits supply a replacement nut with the cartridge?.....this is usually the SOP with the new cartridges, the old nuts are discarded. Quote
Automobilie Posted September 6, 2015 Author Report Posted September 6, 2015 They did, but it ended up stripped before I realized the tower was stripped as well. We'll probably have to see about getting the nut replaced Quote
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