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2011-2014 Mustangs
Driveline/Suspension
Issues disconnecting strut top
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<blockquote data-quote="Electrokid" data-source="post: 16235710" data-attributes="member: 131295"><p>Good news! Got it all installed.</p><p></p><p>Contacted Bilstein yesterday to get some more information. The following information is also for anyone in the future who encounters the same problem I did.</p><p></p><p>1. The strut tops originally did not separate from the spring because the threads from the shaft were clinging to the strut top. A tip for keeping your strut hats in tact and not having your bearings fall out is to have it standing vertically while using an impact gun to tighten the spring compressors. Don't have it horizontal like I did in the bench vice. The shaking of using the spring compressors rattled the top apart.</p><p></p><p>2. The factory strut nut is 21mm. Need a deep socket on an impact to get it loose while holding the strut top from spinning.</p><p></p><p>3. The Bilstein strut nut is 22mm and the hex is a 7mm. Had to go buy those specific tools yesterday. If you are also buying those tools, buy them in a size that matches your torque wrench. I bought them accidentally in 3/8, but my torque wrench is 1/2 so I had to go buy more.</p><p></p><p>4. Bilstein says for the 2012 Mustang GT, the strut nut at the top is to be tightened to 50-55ft lbs. When asked whether the hex bolt is supposed to come through the nut or to sit flush, they confirmed that it does indeed need to pass through about an inch past the nut.</p><p></p><p>5. This is where things got really tricky and I needed a 3-person team to solve it. To tighten the nut, I first had someone use a rubber strap to hold the shaft of the strut from spinning while I tightened the 7mm hex. Once that was as tight as I could go by hand, I had one more person grab the torque wrench with the 22mm deep socket and tighten the nut even more while I held the strut hat from spinning, and another person held the strut piston with the rubber strap to keep that from spinning.</p><p>That got it ALMOST to 55ft lbs. From there I installed it back into the vehicle and once it was mounted, I was able to finish it off with the torque wrench. Having it connected to the vehicle kept it from spinning anymore.</p><p></p><p>Learned lots while installing this. German engineering is nice, but man can it be frustrating.</p><p></p><p>Thanks for the ideas and suggestions from everyone who commented. Hopefully what I've learned will help someone else down the line.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Electrokid, post: 16235710, member: 131295"] Good news! Got it all installed. Contacted Bilstein yesterday to get some more information. The following information is also for anyone in the future who encounters the same problem I did. 1. The strut tops originally did not separate from the spring because the threads from the shaft were clinging to the strut top. A tip for keeping your strut hats in tact and not having your bearings fall out is to have it standing vertically while using an impact gun to tighten the spring compressors. Don't have it horizontal like I did in the bench vice. The shaking of using the spring compressors rattled the top apart. 2. The factory strut nut is 21mm. Need a deep socket on an impact to get it loose while holding the strut top from spinning. 3. The Bilstein strut nut is 22mm and the hex is a 7mm. Had to go buy those specific tools yesterday. If you are also buying those tools, buy them in a size that matches your torque wrench. I bought them accidentally in 3/8, but my torque wrench is 1/2 so I had to go buy more. 4. Bilstein says for the 2012 Mustang GT, the strut nut at the top is to be tightened to 50-55ft lbs. When asked whether the hex bolt is supposed to come through the nut or to sit flush, they confirmed that it does indeed need to pass through about an inch past the nut. 5. This is where things got really tricky and I needed a 3-person team to solve it. To tighten the nut, I first had someone use a rubber strap to hold the shaft of the strut from spinning while I tightened the 7mm hex. Once that was as tight as I could go by hand, I had one more person grab the torque wrench with the 22mm deep socket and tighten the nut even more while I held the strut hat from spinning, and another person held the strut piston with the rubber strap to keep that from spinning. That got it ALMOST to 55ft lbs. From there I installed it back into the vehicle and once it was mounted, I was able to finish it off with the torque wrench. Having it connected to the vehicle kept it from spinning anymore. Learned lots while installing this. German engineering is nice, but man can it be frustrating. Thanks for the ideas and suggestions from everyone who commented. Hopefully what I've learned will help someone else down the line. [/QUOTE]
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