I am about to freak out on this car (ok, not really but its getting really old!). I am taking out the stock struts (and shocks in rear) and putting on some H&R race springs. The issue is this........for the life of me I can not get the strut out of the wheel bearing houseing. I am rigged up a tool that looks like the one in the Bentley book (tool 3424 spreader tool) but I cant get that damn thing to open the wheel bearing housing that is clamped around the strut. Does anyone have some tips for me on this? This is my third attempt and now my wife and neighbors think I just like taking off the tires and wrenching for the hell of it.........

 

A quarter inch ratchet extension will do the job. Once you get frustrated that you can't collapse the spring enough, just drop the control arm.

Now is the perfect time to add DEFCONs, as well.

 

That tool should do the trick, assuming you made it wide enough. I made mine out of a half inch bolt, sanded opposite sides until it just fit in the gap, and shaped the wider points with little flats so that once it was spread fully, it'd lock in place.


Here's the metalnerd version. I'll eventually make one like this when we get our machining center at work.