MY front strut rebuild

plucky · Post by **plucky** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:17 pm

Instead of buying new struts for my MY I did the following:
Find a pair of early (pre 1983) struts that don't leak. Some slight dampness around the top is OK, as long as it's not pouring out. A good guide here is how much oil is left inside. These are the ones with a nut on the top where the rod goes into the body of the strut. Check that the bush for the rod is still OK. If you can't feel any sideways movement on full extension it should be OK. Undo the nut and carefully remove the internals. Take care to remember what came out and in what order so that you can reassemble it all again. Give all of the internal parts a good wash and remove any gunk, then dry them thorouhgly. Perform the next few steps with the strut held vertically. Insert the inner tube and half fill the strut with Auto trans fluid. Insert the piston rod and push it all the way down. Fill to about 50mm from the top with Auto trans fluid. insert the top rod guide and loosely fit the o'ring and nut. Draw the rod out to maximum stroke and tighten the top nut. Now you just have to reassemble the spring etc. and fit it to the car. I' have so far done about 30,000km on a pair I did and they are still performing like new and don't leak.

brumbyrunner · Post by **brumbyrunner** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:49 pm

Good job.
It is unfortunate that we cannot buy new seals for those rebuildable old Showa struts.
Do you think they are stiffer with ATF than say, genuine struts?

90brumby · Post by **90brumby** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:27 pm

i was gonna say it might pay to use FORK OIL from a bike shop instead of ATF but other wise sounds gr8

plucky · Post by **plucky** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:38 am

They are a bit stiffer than STD, without being too stiff for my daily driver.
In reference to using ATF: Honda actually specify ATF for motrocycle forks in many of their workshop manuals. Motorcycle forks perform the same functions as struts plus more and probably under harsher conditions. ATF has the required qualities - it is designed for hydraulics, lubrication and high temperatures in Auto transmissions. It is also considerably less expensive than fork oil & in my experience, seems to be an appropriate viscosity for the struts. On a recent outback trip, I checked my front struts and my brand new munroe rear gas shocks for heat buildup. The struts kept their cool, while at times when I stopped the munroes were too hot to touch.

brumbyrunner · Post by **brumbyrunner** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:22 am

I use ATF for all my motorbike fork and suby strut rebuilds. My local bike shop owner reccommends that it is similar to a 30W fork oil.

shuffbag · Post by **shuffbag** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:42 pm

sorry for bringing up a really old post...

im considering welding on coilover sleeves for my vortex, yes i know about the crossbreed kit. im not wanting 5 lug at this point.

now the front struts are nackered and it doesnt look like they are re-buildable (some one correct me if im wrong) so im wondering if i can get some of the old re-buildable struts from a my...

1- is there any specific modle to look for?
2- will they bolt in (clamp) to the L series hubs?

this will cost me nothing more than the cost of old struts form upullit (self serve wreckers) and will be made from old coilover parts.