Just in case you're dreading the thought of replacing the struts on your 88, fear no more. It's not too bad. But impact tools and a lift will make your life really easy here.

You'll of course need to remove the louvers.





Then I like to loosen a few nuts while the car is on the ground. Consider it "prep work".



Loosen the three 12mm nuts that hold the strut assembly to the engine bay. Leave them barely hanging with a few threads. Do the same with the nut on the strut shaft. My old one was a 13/16 but the new one was a 7/8. If you don't have an impact gun hold the top of the shaft with a wrench or socket while you turn the nut with a wrench.

I ordered the entire kit from The Fiero Store.
http://www.secureleadercom.com/fsstore/defau lt.asp?searchBit=1&searchType=n&searchString=57617&howSearch=AND&searchfield=inetsdesc


You can save yourself some time by assembling everything ahead of time. The Fiero Store provides excellent instructions with the kit. The dust boot retaining ring snaps into a groove in the bump stop. Then the rings fits into a groove in the top of the dust boot. Slide everything over the strut and secure the bottom of the dust boot over the strut body with the supplied zip tie. The rest will have to be assembled with parts that are reused from your original struts.

At this point, the car can still be driven to wherever you need to work on it. (NOT TO YOUR FRIEND'S HOUSE! - LOOSE NUTS) Once there you can remove the three 12mm nuts from the top of the strut assembly along with the top plates that hold the louver support brackets. Get the back wheels in the air. Use jackstands or a lift if possible. You wil notice that the struts have already dropped from thier pockets. Remove the wheels. Remove the two 15/16 bolts that hold the strut to the hub assembly and the sway bar mounting brackets.



My car had poly bushings that wouldn't allow the hub to lean out far enough to remove the strut assembly. Once I detached the trailing arm from the hub it moved far enough to pull out the strut assembly. You might not have to do this with rubber bushings. It was a pain to get them lined back up for reassembly so only take them off if you have to.



***Tip*** You might want to do one side at a time so that you have a sample of how they go back together.

Now it's time to take apart your old strut assembly. There isn't very much tension on the stock springs but it's still a good idea to tie a rope or nylon strap tightly around the spring so it doesn't send parts flying when you remove the nut from the top of the strut. You could always sit on top while removing the nut but that always makes me nervous.

The Fiero Store kit has new spring pads. The lower pad is installed onto the spring. The top pad is installed into the top plate. Reassemble the new struts using all components that were not replaced with new ones (springs bumper plate, top plate and the washer under the nut for the top of the strut shaft). I was able to put it together, push down on the top of the assembly and get the new nut onto the strut shaft without the use of a spring compressor.



***Tip*** The top plate has to be lined up correctly for the three studs to protrude from the holes in the strut pockets in the engine bay.



There is a alignment tab/hump on the top plate that is supposed to be positioned 180 degrees from the strut's mounting ears. If it isn't lined up this way you won't be able to spin the top plate once you get the assembly in the car due to the tension from the coil spring once the top nut is attached. It has to be perfect or you'll have a battle on your hands getting the studs to go through their holes.

The rest is just reassembly in the revers order of removal. The sway bar brackets are kinda hard to get lined back up. But if you loosen the nut on the endlinks you'll get enough play to be able to move them around. Be sure to torque those big 15/16 bolts down to 160 ft pounds. When lowering the car back down onto the struts go slow. You should be able to hit one stud first. Drop it just enough that the first stud pops into the hole. Then come down a hair more and get the others lined up too. A screw driver or pry bar works great to line everything up from the top. Once all three studs are through get the 12mm nuts on there.

Be sure to get an alignment. Enjoy your fresh suspension!

Chuck


***Edit*** BTW it took me two hours from the time the wheels left the ground until they came back down doing all the work by myself. Expect a little more if you don't have air tools.

[This message has been edited by 2002z28ssconv (edited 09-16-2006).]

That's a great write-up you typed there...I suppose many members will take this info as a reference if they intend to do it them selves.

I have done it once on my 86 GT, but for those 88 owners, they've got an "inside" look on what has to be done.

Great job !!

Thanks,

------------------
fierogt28

86' Fiero GT

Excellent write up ---Thanks for taking the time.....a plus + for you....

quote Originally posted by 2002z28ssconv: Remove the two 15/16 bolts that hold the strut to the hub assembly and the sway bar mounting brackets.

Those of us in the Rust Belt will find those bolts are nearly impossible to get out (and aren't they 24mm and not 15/16?). Typically they need to be tapped out with a hammer, but due to limited room I've always found it necessary to remove the strut from the car with the knuckle still attached, and use a sledge hammer to beat the bolts out while the whole assembly is lying there on the driveway. Be careful not to damage the knuckle! Also, new bolts (and nuts) are available to replace the old ones.

quote Originally posted by 2002z28ssconv: Now it's time to take apart your old strut assembly. There isn't very much tension on the stock springs but it's still a good idea to tie a rope or nylon strap tightly around the spring so it doesn't send parts flying when you remove the nut from the top of the strut. You could always sit on top while removing the nut but that always makes me nervous.

Just buy or rent the spring compressor tool.

quote Originally posted by 2002z28ssconv: When lowering the car back down onto the struts go slow. You should be able to hit one stud first. Drop it just enough that the first stud pops into the hole. Then come down a hair more and get the others lined up too. A screw driver or pry bar works great to line everything up from the top. Once all three studs are through get the 12mm nuts on there.

I find it easier to hold the strut up into the tower, slip the 3 studs through the holes, and get the nuts onto them from above. Then, wiggle the knuckle into the strut, slide the bolts through them, add the swaybar brackets, and put the nuts on them.

Lowering the car down onto the 3 mounting-plate studs seems a little like trying to hit a bullseye.

BTW are those KYB's? How do you like them? I used the Monroe struts and they seem OK but still keep wondering if I should have used the KYBs.

Yes they're KYB GR2's. I've used them on my autocross Fiero and I like them. There might be better ones out there but not for that price.

I really don't think it's necessary to pay for a spring compressor when you can push the top plate down far enough to take the nut off (and put it back on) by hand.

Hitting the bullseye is really pretty easy. I found it difficult to reach around the quarter panel and put on the nuts while holding up the assembly. And I always found the top bolt of the strut to knuckle joint to be a tight fit needing a lot of wiggling to get it in. Doing the three on top first fill limit the amount of movement you will be allowed for the other two. Plus if you've ever dropped your cradle, or even if you ever plan to, this method will save you tons of time. You don't have to disassemble the suspension.

quote Originally posted by css9450: I find it easier to hold the strut up into the tower, slip the 3 studs through the holes, and get the nuts onto them from above. Then, wiggle the knuckle into the strut, slide the bolts through them, add the swaybar brackets, and put the nuts on them.

I did it this way too. My Indy is a Florida car and it must have lived on the beach because it's one of the rustiest cars I've seen...but a breaker bar was able to get the strut to knuckle bolts easily.

Good write up except you should NEVER loosen up the center nut on the struts until a coil spring compressor has been used to take the tention off of the spring. It could come off and the tention of the spring will destroy anything in its path

quote Originally posted by 88FieroForm: Good write up except you should NEVER loosen up the center nut on the struts until a coil spring compressor has been used to take the tention off of the spring. It could come off and the tention of the spring will destroy anything in its path

Which happens to be quite fun when you have an impact wrench, you can shoot the old strut like 30 feet across the pavement.

Good wrightup! A+++.

quote Originally posted by 88FieroForm: Good write up except you should NEVER loosen up the center nut on the struts until a coil spring compressor has been used to take the tention off of the spring. It could come off and the tention of the spring will destroy anything in its path

I agree... normally. But with coilovers, lowering springs and cut coils you can take ALL of the tension off the spring before the nut is removed. But here's why I'm saying it's not necessary here. If I can loosen the nut until it's almost off and then I can push down on the top plate, compress the factory spring, remove the nut by hand and release the spring tension by hand... a compressor is not needed. There are times when you need one and times when you don't. In my case I didn't. So be sure to use one if your springs are too tight.

Thanks to everyone for suggesting alternate methods and such. It's good for people to know that there are more than one way to do things.