rear strut replacement for novice

[vinelandidiot13]

ok im not a car person and i dont have alot of money im trying to learn how to replace the rear strut 91 ford festiva is there any good place to find an entire step by step instruction

[Cory Hanson]

Hi my rear strut were replaced today at a shop I stood & watched, fairly easy.
jack car you on sub frame not axle
remover the rear interior trim pieces to get to top nut on the strut
1- bolt holding the lower strut yo rear axle remove
if you have a impact gun for this job it good quicker
vice grip the chrome rod to stop it from turning ( in the fender area ) friend could help
remove the upper nut

you now have the strut & spring ( new one comes with a new nut & sleeve & instructions )
you dont need a coil spring tool it fit on the new one easy .
new sleeve goes on for the rubber stopper boot
install the coil spring
insert the top in the hole start the nut ( friend can help or floor jack on the lower axle & strut
now punch & hammer & lube maybe needed for the alignment hole on the new lower bolt to hold the strut to axle

note a cloth & vise grip softly hold the upper newer chrome shaft to tighten the upper nut.

replaced both struts in a hot rod shop 1 1/2 hr start to finish.

I would have done it at home if it was that easy, my escort was a huge pain to do.

[90fastiva]

^exactly. If you going to do it yourself I would recommend some WD-40 on the axle bolt. You don't want to be breaking any and have to look more before you get it back on the road. I have done this many times just take you time its not difficult at all.

[TominMO]

WD-40 isn't really a rust breaker. Better to use PB Blaster. And yeah, that bottom bolt is a PITA on many of our cars due to rust. Except for that (and hopefully you'll get lucky there), it's simple and straightforward.

If you can afford the time, let the PB soak in for a while. Try to squirt it on both sides of the bolt thread--i.e., inside the axle beam too.

[90fastiva]

Mine wont that bad. I squirt some wd-40 in and they broke loose fairly easily. Maybe your will be the same.

[drddan]

WD-40 isn't really a rust breaker. Better to use PB Blaster. And yeah, that bottom bolt is a PITA on many of our cars due to rust. Except for that (and hopefully you'll get lucky there), it's simple and straightforward.

If you can afford the time, let the PB soak in for a while. Try to squirt it on both sides of the bolt thread--i.e., inside the axle beam too.

^This!

Try to let it soak, as Tom said, and tap lightly with a hammer on bolt. May have to spray again and tap again. This sometimes helps with the PB Blaster to get into any rust in the area.
Those bottom strut bolts like to seize up and the nut inside the beam can break the weld that holds it to the beam. You DONT want that to happen!

Good luck!

[vinelandidiot13]

do i need anything for the spring

[vinelandidiot13]

ok so update i did it over weekend bot on axle wasnt rusted at all

[jaketlong11]

im probably gunna switch mine this weekend because my parts car has ones that look new and the ones that are on mine look original.

[TorqueEffect]

Mine needs rear struts BAD. These are definitely still the originals at over 312k+ miles. They don't bounce, but they don't absorb much anymore, I also think the mounts are bad if there are any, because any bump seems seems to be loud, but then again that could also be the Festy's lack of sound deadening or any kind of insulation.

Anyone got any tricks for getting a broken bolt out?

[SiliconSoul]

Right on vinelandidiot13. Did it fix your rubbing problem?

[bhazard]

Mine wont that bad. I squirt some wd-40 in and they broke loose fairly easily. Maybe your will be the same.

You're also from NC, the OP is from NJ...big difference in rust.

[90fastiva]

You're also from NC, the OP is from NJ...big difference in rust.

o I know the rust is worse up north than here. I was just saying maybe it wont be bad.

[vinelandidiot13]

it fixed most of the rubbing no longer doing it over bumps it still seems to rub a little going around turns it feels like the spring is right on it

[TominMO]

it fixed most of the rubbing no longer doing it over bumps it still seems to rub a little going around turns it feels like the spring is right on it

What is the tire size? You can probably fix the rubbing by using a 5mm spacer.