HOTLNC
LOD Officer
I’m getting the wife’s 94 Conti ready for a quick trip to DC. The last front end part I’m replacing is the struts. We have about 4 years on them and the wife says they are “rattling.”
Ok, so I'm starting to replace the struts on the brick and was very surprised to find the cable going to the electronic shock actuator that sits on top of the strut was cut right at the actuator body. x( The actuator end cut is right up against the body of the part. The cut end of the cable was stuck under the actuator attachment cup, so you could not see it if even if you took the plastic cover off. Only the dealer, Goodyear and I have worked on this car and I know damn well I didn't cut it. Had I cut it I would have cut it in the center of the cable – not at the body of the actuator. I guess this explains why the wife was complaining about a rough riding brick. She said she noticed it two years ago.
One other thing I have to do is rivet down the upper strut mount plate on the passenger’s side. This plate is spot welded on. To align toe, a suspension guru must break the welds and move this plate around. You’re supposed to drill holes and rivet the plate in place to prevent it moving when you remove the strut. The only thing holding the plate in position is the force of the three upper strut bolts. I pointed this fact out to the service manager at Goodyear, but he patted me on my fuzzy little head and told me “it will be ok.” Fine. So I’ll rivet it before I remove the old strut on that side.
The cut actuator cable was on the driver’s side.
<Sigh>
Ok, so I'm starting to replace the struts on the brick and was very surprised to find the cable going to the electronic shock actuator that sits on top of the strut was cut right at the actuator body. x( The actuator end cut is right up against the body of the part. The cut end of the cable was stuck under the actuator attachment cup, so you could not see it if even if you took the plastic cover off. Only the dealer, Goodyear and I have worked on this car and I know damn well I didn't cut it. Had I cut it I would have cut it in the center of the cable – not at the body of the actuator. I guess this explains why the wife was complaining about a rough riding brick. She said she noticed it two years ago.
One other thing I have to do is rivet down the upper strut mount plate on the passenger’s side. This plate is spot welded on. To align toe, a suspension guru must break the welds and move this plate around. You’re supposed to drill holes and rivet the plate in place to prevent it moving when you remove the strut. The only thing holding the plate in position is the force of the three upper strut bolts. I pointed this fact out to the service manager at Goodyear, but he patted me on my fuzzy little head and told me “it will be ok.” Fine. So I’ll rivet it before I remove the old strut on that side.
The cut actuator cable was on the driver’s side.
<Sigh>
