Ok, so i watched the diy video on youtube like a million times but i have run into a problem:

My strut wont slide forward! I removed the 3 nuts at the top of the assembly in the engine bay...


Also, I removed the bolt at the end of this linkage photoed below but it wont budge either...


And ofcourse, I cant remove the last bolt for the A arm because the spring is in the way!!! Im triple-F%^^ed!!!!!


Please help!!!!! Maybe a few of you ran into this problem...

 

You might think this is ghetto, but here it goes. Use a rubber mallet! Start off by removing the end links first, then move onto the strut. If it won't budge, then try lifting the rotor up and hopefully it will move.

 

Ok, I'll take a WHACK at it! lol No pun intended...

 

Remove the nut at the end of the upper A-arm.

 

I ran in to the exact same problem ......

how I got it to work is that I had an extra jack and I put it under the end of this linkage and jacked it up to so that i was able to tap out the bolt connected to the linkage with a rubber mallet, the strut wont move until you tap that sucker out (belive me I tried) after that, with a tap to the strut, it falls down, remove A arm bolt that you couldnt before because of spring and Poof!!- B!tch Be Gone!

 

Im having a little trouble picturing where you placed your jack, Gambit. Did your jack make contact directly with the bolt or under that lower control arm?

 

Right under the lower control arm, kind fo right behind the caliper,

http://www.z1auto.com/images/new1029%20018.jpg (only pic i could find quick)


kind of right below were the strut would bolt at. I had to jack it up a little bit and then try it a little more then try it, once you find that sweet spot it will come out real easy. ( just remember to do that for the reinstall, bolts went right in )

 

Try to fit a spring compressor in there and have someone put all their weight on the hub to give you more room to remove the strut.

 

ok, thanks! gonna try it tommorow morning!!!!

 

Yeah, gotta put your hoof on the hub and push it down enough to clear the strut. It can be done. Also make sure you push the strut up, with the 3 bolts in the original holes so you get it as hight as possible.

OR you can remove nut at the upper end of the A-arm as suggested by Jairen.

 

I was worried about putting too much pressure/weight on the lower control arm so as not to damage the bushing. Did any of you have to replace your bushing due to damage?

 

I went back and looked at the pics, you gotta get that sway bar linkage out. Use another jack, as someone said, to move the lower arm up and down until there's no tension on the bolt, then it should pull or just tap out. Without that removed, you'll never get the lower arm low enough.