Blown shock

Silly Rabbit · 08-11-2014, 07:22 PM

Not sure what I did. I put Swift springs on last weekend. I put about 300 miles on the car and today I find a puddle of fluid by the wheel. Further inspection, I find the front left strut is leaking. I must have done something when changing the spring because the car hasn't been driven hard at all. No potholes or anything unusual. Basically I've only driven it to get an alignment and then I drove it highway miles to Chicago and back for a preseason game Friday night.

Really not looking forward to dealing with the spring again, but oh well. Any chance someone has a spare driver's side strut in good shape? Yes, the car is in warranty, but I can't really blame Nissan in this case.

DEpointfive0 · 08-11-2014, 07:24 PM

Clintfocus is selling a whole set which is almost brand new.
Keep the rest as spares?

As an FYI, they don't sell front struts. Only Koni makes a replacement

kenchan · 08-11-2014, 07:25 PM

impact gun killed it?

DEpointfive0 · 08-11-2014, 07:26 PM

Stock Springs & dampers

Silly Rabbit · 08-11-2014, 08:32 PM

Is the strut from a G37 the same?

Arrvaxx · 08-11-2014, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Rabbit

Not sure what I did. I put Swift springs on last weekend. I put about 300 miles on the car and today I find a puddle of fluid by the wheel. Further inspection, I find the front left strut is leaking. I must have done something when changing the spring because the car hasn't been driven hard at all. No potholes or anything unusual. Basically I've only driven it to get an alignment and then I drove it highway miles to Chicago and back for a preseason game Friday night.

Really not looking forward to dealing with the spring again, but oh well. Any chance someone has a spare driver's side strut in good shape? Yes, the car is in warranty, but I can't really blame Nissan in this case.

Did you use a clamp on the bar?

Silly Rabbit · 08-11-2014, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arrvaxx

Did you use a clamp on the bar?

As far as tightening the top bolt, yes. I used a small vice clamp on the shaft and tighten the top nut with a ratchet.

Thinking back, I think I know what I did wrong. I didn't get the top hat aligned perfectly with the strut. So, when I went to put the bolt back in the bottom on the strut, the strut was not true. I had to force the bolt through with a rubber mallet. I guess the slight twist in the strut caused it to fail.

Any suggestions on getting the top back on in the correct position. I marked which direction was front and tried to keep it lined up based on the location of the abs clips.

Arrvaxx · 08-11-2014, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Rabbit

As far as tightening the top bolt, yes. I used a small vice clamp on the shaft and tighten the top nut with a ratchet.

Thinking back, I think I know what I did wrong. I didn't get the top hat aligned perfectly with the strut. So, when I went to put the bolt back in the bottom on the strut, the strut was not true. I had to force the bolt through with a rubber mallet. I guess the slight twist in the strut caused it to fail.

Any suggestions on getting the top back on in the correct position. I marked which direction was front and tried to keep it lined up based on the location of the abs clips.

Welcome to my $500 mistake! Someone suggested that when I was having trouble and I should have listened to the guy screaming "NOOOOOO"!

You're screwed. Be happy you have one working. Buy a new strut and ask a shop to do you a favor.

Silly Rabbit · 08-11-2014, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arrvaxx

Welcome to my $500 mistake! Someone suggested that when I was having trouble and I should have listened to the guy screaming "NOOOOOO"!

You're screwed. Be happy you have one working. Buy a new strut and ask a shop to do you a favor.

Was the mistake using a clamp or mis aligning the strut?

Arrvaxx · 08-11-2014, 09:22 PM

Clamp. Even a scratch will screw your seal. I lost both.

1slow370 · 08-14-2014, 02:23 AM

Hell an impact gun is 10000x better than a vise-grip on the shaft.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

kenchan · 08-14-2014, 09:59 AM

ouch... yah, scratch on the shaft will break the seal.

GL with your replacements.

Silly Rabbit · 08-14-2014, 10:33 AM

I have a new strut on the way. Is there a notch or flat spot on the shaft to hold it so the top nut can be tightened?
Any tips on getting the top hat aligned?

kenchan · 08-14-2014, 10:52 AM

when i do struts that have particular orientation, after removing it from the car, i take a look at the unit from the top to mark on a piece of cardboard on the floor where the braket or watever reference point is to the hat orientation. just make sure it is placed back the same way. no real science here...

mark the most front tower bolt as well before removing it from the car.

also, it always helps to crack loose the shaft nut while the strut is still on the car.

1slow370 · 08-14-2014, 11:33 AM

yeah eithe break it loose on the car if that doesn't work you may need to use either a wrench or strut socket on the top of it to hold the shaft while you break the nut loose with a wrench. something like this

you could also use an impact gun to zip the nut off the old shock

08-11-2014, 07:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
Silly Rabbit Track Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Brookston, IN Age: 54 Posts: 683 Drives: '12 PW Touring Sport Rep Power: 618	Blown shock Not sure what I did. I put Swift springs on last weekend. I put about 300 miles on the car and today I find a puddle of fluid by the wheel. Further inspection, I find the front left strut is leaking. I must have done something when changing the spring because the car hasn't been driven hard at all. No potholes or anything unusual. Basically I've only driven it to get an alignment and then I drove it highway miles to Chicago and back for a preseason game Friday night. Really not looking forward to dealing with the spring again, but oh well. Any chance someone has a spare driver's side strut in good shape? Yes, the car is in warranty, but I can't really blame Nissan in this case.

08-11-2014, 07:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
DEpointfive0 Premium Member Bitches Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,824 Drives: a lot Rep Power: 17151	Clintfocus is selling a whole set which is almost brand new. Keep the rest as spares? As an FYI, they don't sell front struts. Only Koni makes a replacement __________________ Do YOU want to know what/where I got my username from? ( Click to show/hide ) NSFW due to language:

08-11-2014, 07:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
DEpointfive0 Premium Member Bitches Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,824 Drives: a lot Rep Power: 17151	Stock Springs & dampers Silly Rabbit likes this. __________________ Do YOU want to know what/where I got my username from? ( Click to show/hide ) NSFW due to language:

08-11-2014, 09:22 PM	#10 (permalink)
Arrvaxx A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Whore Island, MN Posts: 1,243 Drives: 40th F.I. Twin Turbo Rep Power: 17	Clamp. Even a scratch will screw your seal. I lost both. __________________ 2010 370Z 40th Anniversary (#480 born 1/19/2010) Fast Intentions Twin Turbo \| Varis Arising II \| Limited Edition Recaro Sportster \| Tuned by Specialty Z \| 604hp 525 torque @14lbs boost on 100 octane

08-14-2014, 02:23 AM	#11 (permalink)
1slow370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the D Posts: 3,732 Drives: v8 74 260z ;) Rep Power: 7250	Hell an impact gun is 10000x better than a vise-grip on the shaft. Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk __________________ ANSWER PRICE LIST Answers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $0.75 Answers (requiring thought) - - - - $1.25 Answers (correct) - - - - - - - - - - $12.50

08-11-2014, 07:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141520	impact gun killed it?

08-11-2014, 08:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Silly Rabbit Track Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Brookston, IN Age: 54 Posts: 683 Drives: '12 PW Touring Sport Rep Power: 618	Is the strut from a G37 the same?

08-14-2014, 09:59 AM	#12 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141520	ouch... yah, scratch on the shaft will break the seal. GL with your replacements.

08-14-2014, 10:33 AM	#13 (permalink)
Silly Rabbit Track Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Brookston, IN Age: 54 Posts: 683 Drives: '12 PW Touring Sport Rep Power: 618	I have a new strut on the way. Is there a notch or flat spot on the shaft to hold it so the top nut can be tightened? Any tips on getting the top hat aligned?

08-14-2014, 10:52 AM	#14 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141520	when i do struts that have particular orientation, after removing it from the car, i take a look at the unit from the top to mark on a piece of cardboard on the floor where the braket or watever reference point is to the hat orientation. just make sure it is placed back the same way. no real science here... mark the most front tower bolt as well before removing it from the car. also, it always helps to crack loose the shaft nut while the strut is still on the car. MJB likes this.

08-14-2014, 11:33 AM	#15 (permalink)
1slow370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: In the D Posts: 3,732 Drives: v8 74 260z ;) Rep Power: 7250	yeah eithe break it loose on the car if that doesn't work you may need to use either a wrench or strut socket on the top of it to hold the shaft while you break the nut loose with a wrench. something like this you could also use an impact gun to zip the nut off the old shock __________________ ANSWER PRICE LIST Answers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $0.75 Answers (requiring thought) - - - - $1.25 Answers (correct) - - - - - - - - - - $12.50

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