Front Struts
 

I'm planning on changing the strut cartridges on my 87 5000S soon. Somone told me you can change the cartridge without taking the whole assembly apart? Is this possible? Any info would be great.
Thanks

Yes you can...
 

I did it several times (two different cars). If you take the rubber part out of the center of the upper strut mount (strut nut in the center, then the 3 other nuts, mark the location before removing them, they are an adjustment), then you can slide a plumbers wrench (looks like a piece of pipe stamped into a hex, I got it in the plumbing department at the hardware store, I forget the size) down the strut shaft to remove the nut in the top of the tower. I took the wheel off, put the jack under the hub to keep the spring compressed (do that first, just forgot it til now) then stuck a cressent wrench in though the spring to turn the plumbers wrench. Once you have the nut off you can just pull the cartridge out though the top. Assembly is just the reverse. Took me less than .5 hour a side, the hardest part is just finding the plumbers wrench so you can get that inside out nut off the top of the tower. Keep in mind some cartridges come with adapters, just follow the instructions that come with the new ones. Good luck with it, it is not hard.

Re: Yes you can...
 

I believe Snap On carries the socket/wrench. I ordered one, but got the one for the 4000 so I didn't have a chance to try it. Bentley covers it completely and refers to a special tool. Bentley doesn't show a picture of the socket, but I get the impression is is more or less like an o2 sensor socket.

The O^2 sensor is a socket with a notch...
 

this looks more like a socket turned inside out (hex on the outside). Not sure what the special tool costs, but I paid about $5 for the plumbers socket.

Yep, it's real nice when you have the special tools...
 

I have both, and it takes about 10 minutes to slide the old cartridge out. New one goes back in in about 10 minutes, then spend 10 more minutes drinkning a cold beer. Yeah, 30 min. per side is about right.

Mine were so dead that if you pulled one up to full extension, if you let go it would collapse completely into itself.

Use a pencil to trace around the black plate to get it sort of back in alignment, but plan on taking it for an alignment afterward.

-Steve Jensen

Re: Yes you can...
 

The "Plumbers wrench" is also called a shower valve wrench. They come in a set often mounted on a wire bail looking like wind chimes.