Front Strut Removal (205 Rallye)

[kenp 3]

Ok... have a knocking and there is movement in the strut top so want to drop the strut out and check the top mount for knackered bearing or doughnut, however I've never taken a 205 strut off before..

 

Mr Haynes tells me that I just need to undo the pinch bolt on the hub, open it up with a wedge and "slide the strut out"...

 

I can wiggle the strut about in the hub but I can't get it to "slide" out - even tried levering the TCA down, Mk1 Escort fashion but that won't budge.

 

Car has Challenge springs and Billies on it.. what am I missing here - I'm sure I shouldn't need to disconnect the hub from the TCA (Mr Haynes certainly doesn't mention that)?

 

Help appreciated - supposed to be doing an event Saturday night

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

Leave the three nuts done up from under the bonnet. Take a large hammer, preferably a hide one if you have one, belt the top of the hub carrier downwards, this will impact it off the bottom of the strut.

[Anthony 1,002]

Assuming you're still running the standard TCA setup (as it sounds like you are) then you might find it far easier removing the hub from the TCA balljoint first of all - there's little downwards movement in the TCA and it will be hard work removing the strut from the hub when it's still attached given the amount of movement that needs (unless you clamp the strut with spring compressors)

 

It's much, much easier in my experience with the GTi wishbone setup to pop the strut out of the hub, as the wishbone will easily move downwards given that it doesn't have the ARB acting up on it.

[kenp 3]

Cheers guys - in the end I did drop the TCA out the hub (needed to lever it down with a spare door bar though), and having done that then the strut came out easily... simples

 

Pickin up a new top mount kit (SKF) from ECP tomorrow so should be all back together in time for the rally.

[krypton 0]

I've found on a lot of cars at work I can remove the whole hub an strut as quick as i can remove just the strut as some cars are a pain in the rear to get just the strut out