BobB Posted June 18, 2015 Report Share Posted June 18, 2015 In you guys' experience, is it necessary to remove any more than the brake caliper and bracket, and the brake disc in order to access/remove/install the strut assembly?Thanks,BobB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STARION_NORTH Posted June 18, 2015 Report Share Posted June 18, 2015 Unbolt brake line from bracket on strut, rotor can stay on if you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr-starion Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 Remove brake line bracket, sway bar link and the 2 strut rod bolts. 3 bolts on the top mount n push her down, if you dont wanna bust your brake line by accident, remove the caliper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobB Posted June 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 That's what I suspected. Thanks, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucw458 Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 Fill the housing 2" from the top with atf after putting the insert in. That transfers heat from the insert to the outer shell. It helps make the inserts last longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metric-man Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 You're actually suppose to use gear oil (any light gear oil) not ATF because if if it leaks ATF has a lower flash point. Power steering units that use ATF have been linked to fires were hydraulic lines have leaked on to exhaust and melted down. I know you think of ATF as a gear oil and hydraulic fluid, but it is kind of caustic although not as much as break fluid but you don't want to use that either , differential oil or manual transmission oil is what is meant to be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucw458 Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 Actually ATF is better because it's lighter, easier to clean and has better thermal properties. Any oil can burn. There's no exhaust where the struts are. I personally have experience with ATF hitting my exhaust while driving and it did not start a fire. I got pulled over one nite because a cop following me on the freeway noticed every time I turned left a huge cloud poured out from under my old ford. Turns out I had play in the power steering gear box output shaft. When I turned left it would squirt ATF on the exhaust pipe. Never caught on fire just made smoke. The cop was cool about it he just wanted to make me aware of the issue. No ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 Who's exhaust is close enough to the front struts to catch fluid from one if it leaks? Every car I have seen has quite a bit of metal and space separating the exhaust and front struts. ATF is fine in this application. "Brake" fluid shouldn't be used for anything but the "brake" system. Ever. Unless it's paint stripper. BC_99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metric-man Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 I'm really sorry I know people are going to be sensitive about corrections to their information.You know the funny thing is I found this link because I've seen ATF hold a small flame on a transmission that was leaking , I've even seen household bleach maintain a flame ( it was an arc of a poorly grounded outlet and the bleach bottle was used as an drip for a floor drain in a restaurant and near a metal shelf) I've seen other posts on SQC hold a pretty good flame too.But the only thing is the article doesn't mention brake fluid.So BC you're saying you can use paint stripper as brake fluid?http://garrett-engineers.com/2005/10/what-auto-fluids-burn/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucw458 Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 I don't see anyone getting offended. Anything can burn if you get it hot enough. I found ATF works good so that's what I use. Not much of a fire danger inside a sealed housing. BC was commenting on brake fluid eating paint. Not using paint stripper as brake fluid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 So BC you're saying you can use paint stripper as brake fluid? https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+improve+your+reading+comprehension BC_99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyWadd Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) On the topic of adding fluid in the housing; It is not needed at all. The inserts that are being sold today do not use oils and rubbers that need to be cooled and they have a heat range that that the strut will never likely see. And unless you are driving 100 percent of washboard roads the shock piston does not travel up and down enough to create heat. Using oil is acceptable but needed. The most recommended oil is lightweight motor oil. One of our instructors said they used to add coolant , ATF, gear oil , motor oil etc. etc. in efforts to get the shocks to work their best. Shocks back then where all hydraulic. Now we have gas charged shocks. It was a negligible effect and you would have to do some serious taxing of the struts to actually see a high enough temp to get a gain in shock performance. Now today everyone thinks you are supposed to put oil in them. LOL. Most manufacturers say no oil. This is based on a class given at my work by a KYB representative and my college automotive master tech course. The design of the shock would heat up the shaft and transfer heat to the upper strut mount. The piston is the smaller piece of metal when compared to the tube, so it is going to heat up faster and warm the oil and the shaft if anything. Looking at our car's setup , the driving you would have to do to warm the oil up to a point of the outer strut housing being able to pull heat away from it would also heat the brake for sure and maybe the wheel bearings or lower balls joint before the shock oil got warm. Therefore adding oil would just thermally conduct brake heat to the insert. Want thermal properties? Use engine coolant and water and and water wetter in a special mix with just enough enough coolant to prevent corrosion. Edited June 20, 2015 by JohnnyWadd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metric-man Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/16541-Front-strut-cartridge-question I apologize to the OP of this thread I didn't realize anything related to changing oil in anything automotive, is cataclysmic to a thread. Around 1985.5 to 86 Mitsubishi started using gas charged strut cartridge inserts but before that time they had a number of vehicles that used hydraulic non gas charged struts. If you page through an older service manual you'll see the instructions on how to replace the oil inside them. That is where the oil used is for dampening and heat exchange.On the gas charged strut cartridge the oil is used to help prevent corrosion since the cartridge is not placed inside a vacuum and the small amount of air that is present still contains moisture the oil acts as a corrosion inhibitor from the temperature cycling of the air causing condensation inside the housing and as a noise insulator. There are plenty of people that don't even bother using oil and throw them together dry since they replace them before failure from corrosion or the vehicle changes ownership.Good luck with school and make sure to thank your teachers for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyWadd Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 http://www.w-body.co...tridge-question I apologize to the OP of this thread I didn't realize anything related to changing oil in anything automotive, is cataclysmic to a thread. Around 1985.5 to 86 Mitsubishi started using gas charged strut cartridge inserts but before that time they had a number of vehicles that used hydraulic non gas charged struts. If you page through an older service manual you'll see the instructions on how to replace the oil inside them. That is where the oil used is for dampening and heat exchange.On the gas charged strut cartridge the oil is used to help prevent corrosion since the cartridge is not placed inside a vacuum and the small amount of air that is present still contains moisture the oil acts as a corrosion inhibitor from the temperature cycling of the air causing condensation inside the housing and as a noise insulator.There are plenty of people that don't even bother using oil and throw them together dry since they replace them before failure from corrosion or the vehicle changes ownership.Good luck with school and make sure to thank your teachers for me. I think you are over engineering this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metric-man Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 That question should be directed to Mitsubishi.over engineering team.Look at the Karman Vortex generator , and what about the rear anti-skid modulator that's right out of a MHI Fuso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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