I bought new struts for the trunk struts but they didn't have the ball joints at the bottom. How the hell do you get the old ones off?
-
Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.
Trunk Struts: How do you remove the bottom ball joint??
- Thread starter N-Wing
- Start date
shawn110975
Suspended
there is a tool to open the cotter pin. but I never can find the tool. so what I do it get an electric sander and grind off the tip of the strut just till you reach the cotter pin, then you pry the cotter pin out and it pulls free. your grinding off enough to get to the pin that locks it in. since the old struts are prob bad anyway who cares if you grind them to shit.
I like your style... I will grind it. Didn't realize it would need some special tool.
when the ball is fitted the snap-ring pushes against a 'square edge' in the snap ring slot. when you try to pull it apart the snap ring sides up a ramp and locks it all tight! like a one way valve!
so with out tools/grinding/violence the ball won't come out!
so with out tools/grinding/violence the ball won't come out!
I will play some Black Ops prior to attacking the problem to make sure my violet side is primed...
Violent is what I meant... Auto correct...
A little late for me to tell you now but you could have had your OEM units rebuilt if they were in good physical shape.....
You just send them out as a unit and reinstall them as they came off the car. No need to worry about the mounts.
Price for the rebuild is very reasonable and they are also guaranteed.
You just send them out as a unit and reinstall them as they came off the car. No need to worry about the mounts.
Price for the rebuild is very reasonable and they are also guaranteed.
Well, not really since you still need to separate the balls studs from the strut. Now you can unbolt the ball stud and crack the OEM paint, and leave the ball stud on the strut, but I personally never do that. I grind a slot as well, get the snap ring out and replace the strut leaving the original ball, with original paint
. It takes longer, is a PITA, but well worth it IMO.
Regards,
LarryB
. It takes longer, is a PITA, but well worth it IMO.Regards,
LarryB
I was more nervous about grinding a slot than risk breaking paint.
I took the route of replacing the whole stud. It's the easy route.
I took the route of replacing the whole stud. It's the easy route.
shawn110975
Suspended
yeah but when you replace the ball with new they are black, not red,yellow, blue the originals match the car. thats what larry was sayin.
Mine was the silver color of the actual material. So I ended up painting them to match.
I also did it the easy way and just bought new ball studs. I painted them with touch-up paint before installation and they look great.
I think I am over the top in the OCD department and I want my car to be in the best shape/condition as possible but........
when I removed my struts from the car I did crack the paint on the studs but after installing them I touched them up with paint and they looked great. Maybe not 100% but easily 95%.
I guess I am not as OCD as I thought (I will not ask my wife's opinion on the subject ).
when I removed my struts from the car I did crack the paint on the studs but after installing them I touched them up with paint and they looked great. Maybe not 100% but easily 95%.
I guess I am not as OCD as I thought (I will not ask my wife's opinion on the subject ).
shawn110975
Suspended
so the verdict is in, grinding them off saves you from buying touch up paint, painting them by hand.
grind off the originals and be done.
- - - Updated - - -
mods lock thread LOL
grind off the originals and be done.
- - - Updated - - -
mods lock thread LOL
Who does this rebuilding you speak of and how much does it cost?
Frank at Strutwise, as has been described in various previous topics.
However, the cost of the rebuild, along with shipping to Canada, is almost as much as buying new ones from an Acura dealer who discounts.
I have used Frank for both hatch and trunk strut recharge. They come back better than OEM. A bit more lift than a new strut. Turnaround time is 1 week, and I couldn't be happier with the result and service from Frank at Strutwise. I just remove the ball stud from the car and ship the struts with the ball studs to Frank.
I mail the struts to keep the shipping cost to a minimum.
Last edited:
I bought new ball joints along with the struts - painted them red touch up paint, can't tell difference, took me 5 minutes to do BOTH sides.
Did '52 Buicks ever have this problem?
- - - Updated - - -
Seriously, I went through the surgical removal process...but when you're done?...what a feeling of accomplishment!!
- - - Updated - - -
Seriously, I went through the surgical removal process...but when you're done?...what a feeling of accomplishment!!
I actually don't mind the ball joints being black. Frankly I can't imagine why they painted them.
A search will reveal this method to remove the ball joint using 2 picks insteaf of grinding, etc. http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...with-New-Struts?highlight=oldmnsx+strut+trunk
When I changed mine in 2008, that worked just fine.
When I changed mine in 2008, that worked just fine.
Replacing Trunk Strut and removing bottom ball connetor from old strut
ACURA NSX TRUNK STRUT REMOVAL
PROP UP TRUNK WITH PVC PIPE.
REMOVE UPPER U-CLIP WITH SMALL FLAT TIP SCREWDRIVER WHILE GRASPING IT WITH NEEDLE NOSE PLYERS.
CAREFULLY SLIP OFF TOP OF STRUT.
UNSCREW BOTTOM BOLT HOLDING BALL AND CUP OF STRUT.
REMOVE STRUT FROM CAR (DRIVER SIDE HAS PLASTIC CABLE HOLDER. IT IS HELD ON WITH ONE LOWER AND UPPER PLASTIC CLIPS. INSERT SCREWDRIVER TO RELEASE).
IMPORTANT!!!! BALL WILL NOT COME OFF OF CUP OF STRUT DUE TO SMALL METAL CLIP AT THE TIP OF CUP. USE GRINDER TO SLOWLY GRIND OFF TIP OF CUP TO EXPOSE THE CLIP. WITH SMALL SCREWDRIVER AND WIRE CUTTERS CLIP OFF CUP AND REMOVE METAL CLIP.
REMOVE BALL FROM CUP.
LUBRICATE BALL AND UPPER STRUT CONNECTOR.
PRESS BALL INTO NEW STRUT SOCKET AND LOOSELY SCREW IN BOTTOM OF STRUT. SLIDE TOP OF STRUT ONTO PIN.
SLIDE U-CLIP INTO GROOVE ON UPPER PIN.
TIGHTEN BOTTOM BOLT.St
ACURA NSX TRUNK STRUT REMOVAL
PROP UP TRUNK WITH PVC PIPE.
REMOVE UPPER U-CLIP WITH SMALL FLAT TIP SCREWDRIVER WHILE GRASPING IT WITH NEEDLE NOSE PLYERS.
CAREFULLY SLIP OFF TOP OF STRUT.
UNSCREW BOTTOM BOLT HOLDING BALL AND CUP OF STRUT.
REMOVE STRUT FROM CAR (DRIVER SIDE HAS PLASTIC CABLE HOLDER. IT IS HELD ON WITH ONE LOWER AND UPPER PLASTIC CLIPS. INSERT SCREWDRIVER TO RELEASE).
IMPORTANT!!!! BALL WILL NOT COME OFF OF CUP OF STRUT DUE TO SMALL METAL CLIP AT THE TIP OF CUP. USE GRINDER TO SLOWLY GRIND OFF TIP OF CUP TO EXPOSE THE CLIP. WITH SMALL SCREWDRIVER AND WIRE CUTTERS CLIP OFF CUP AND REMOVE METAL CLIP.
REMOVE BALL FROM CUP.
LUBRICATE BALL AND UPPER STRUT CONNECTOR.
PRESS BALL INTO NEW STRUT SOCKET AND LOOSELY SCREW IN BOTTOM OF STRUT. SLIDE TOP OF STRUT ONTO PIN.
SLIDE U-CLIP INTO GROOVE ON UPPER PIN.
TIGHTEN BOTTOM BOLT.St
RIP Frank you are missed
Oh no! I just talked to his wife (?) last month about sending stuff in, what happened?
