Which type of front struts in 1986 4-door Corolla?

How can I tell whether the struts in a 1986 Corolla sedan are the kind that can take replacement cartridges or if they're sealed and need to be replaced in their entirety?

The factory manual shows both types for this car but doesn't give any information about distinguishing them apart, except by the nut at the top end of the shaft. Unfortunately that nut was replaced with a plain one that doesn't match either one shown in the manual.

I'd like to find out about this before I start taking the car apart. ;)

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly
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You can use the replacement cartridges in this car. The strut assy is made up of the strut itself, and an oil-filled cartridge inside the strut. The cartridge screws into the strut, so it looks like one piece; you unscrew the top, remove the oil and the innards and replace with the cartridge.

BE CAREFUL!!!! Everything is under pressure. I doubt it, but you may have a gas-filled strut in this car, and it is under a LOT of pressure! Also, you do have an adequate spring compressor, right? Not one of those cheap ass things that's going to fly off and (if you're lucky...) launch itslef out of the side wall of your garage?

Another thing: This is an '86, and it sounds like this has never been done before. On my '85 Celica, the 'cup' about 1/2 way down the strut was rusted and let go, dropping the spring onto my tire. Mot fun. You may just want to replace the entire strut assy if it looks rusted.

And, on an older car like this, I would call ahead first. The cartridges should be available almost anywhere, but if you need the strut, you may not be able to get them until Monday. Make a good job for before Thanksgiving dinner!

Good luck!

Reply to
Hachiroku

Have you found a place that sells just the inserts? I couldn't find any for my 93 Camry so went with the full struts. On th front lift up the black rubber dust boot -- if you see threads for the insert then just the insert can be replaced. Nut at top is no indication.

Reply to
Wolfgang

No rust here in the desert, but I have lots of trouble with plastic and rubber rot from heat, sunlight, and ozone. The struts seem fine but the rubber mounts that hold them to the chassis are in bad shape. The Toyota manual gives two very different torque specs for the nut at the end of the strut shaft -- 13 ft-lbs or 34 ft-lbs, but I can't tell which to use because the nut on there now is probably a replacement and doesn't resemble either of those in the diagrams (struts had been replace by someone else).

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

Damn...no rust in the desert. Must be a nice looking car...

As for your comment, you're going to have to call Toyota on this one. I'm a Gumby...I tighten it until it's tight, and then tighten some more!

Reply to
Hachiroku

I didn't see them at

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but did find them listed at
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(KYB part no. L3005-34933) although don't know if the information is right. BTW it seems that several websites use the same parts catalog that they do, including
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and it's easier to navigate than most.

According to my 1986 Corolla manual, one type of strut (probably sealed, but I'm not sure) has a nut that's flanged at the bottom while the other type has a nonflanged nut with a nylon lock nut section at the top that's meant to be tightened a lot more. When you removed the nut at the end of the shaft, did the shaft extend by itself because of the gas pressure?

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

I did both struts mounts earlier today, and one was so bad that when I jacked up the car the strut pulled away from the chassis. Funny, but yesterday it rode and tracked fine on the freeway.

I had a pair of cheapo J.C. Whitney spring compressors but bought another pair from Harbor Freight, on the assumption that four compressors would be safer than two. All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't have to use the Harbor Freight compressors alone because they make the J.C. Whitney stuff seem heavy-duty in comparison. Their "safety" hooks are only 3/16" diameter, compared to over 1/4" for Whitney (and earlier I had changed the latter for some even heavier ones). Also the double hooks on the harbor Freight don't really fit coil springs larger than about 4-4.5" in diameter.]

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

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