We are installing motivational coil-overs in my friends B13, and we have run into a snag. When we try to tighten down the top nut, the whole shaft of the strut spins with the nut, making it impossible to tighten down. How can we hold the shaft still without scratching the surface? I did it last year with my GC's, but I seem to have forgot. Thanks.

Vise grips, pliers.. anything that will hold the shaft in place and still allow enough room for a wrench to tighten the nut. Hold it on the threads though. If you have an impact wrench, you can just go at it.

don't just grab the strut with vise grips or any other pliers, you can scratch the surface which can lead to seal failure. The only method I've had any luck with is doing a very tight wrap on the shaft with duct tape - several layers. then use vise grips. the duct tape (ideally) will have enough grip on the shaft to allow you to tighten it. when you remove it, just clean up any tape residue with WD40 or similar. this may or may not work for you. it has for me a couple of times, but its not perfect. often you can just grab the shaft with some good sticky gloves and use an impact wrench (if available).

andris

The top of the struts don't have a place for an allen wrench( a six/eight-sided hole)?? If it does, just use an allen wrench to hold it while you tighten...

I've used vise grips on the strut shaft before, but I grabbed the shaft at the bottom of the top mount. This is not the best way to do it though. You should be able to use an offset 17mm wrend on the top nut, and just a pair of pliers, or a cresent wrench on the flat part above the threads. I haven't seen Motivational struts before, so they may not have this part. An impact gun with most definately take care of the job.

Motivational are Koni's. My koni's have a allen head on the top. Do not use visegrips unless you have no other option. Sometimes I have been abe to lightly tighten it and then once I get weight on the car I can tighten it more.

Steve

Originally posted by 98sr20de
Motivational are Koni's. My koni's have a allen head on the top. Steve

so do my moti's. makes it real easy :-)

Ric

I had the same dilemma with my Moti coilovers.

You need to get a metric offset box end wrench. That way you can hold the shaft still with an allen wrench while you tighten down the nut.

They're not the easiest tool to find, but I have seen them popping up again at Sears.

Originally posted by andris
The only method I've had any luck with is doing a very tight wrap on the shaft with duct tape - several layers. then use vise grips. the duct tape (ideally) will have enough grip on the shaft to allow you to tighten it.

I've used an old serpentine belt -- slice off a small piece and it works great with vise grips. Still have a couple pieces floating around in my toolbox. :)

To those that have suggested using an allen wrench in the top to hold onto while tightening the nut:
Lyn Labahn and I (the owner of the Moti's) thought about doing this. We didn't do it because we didn't have the proper wrench. We were hesitant to do this because it seemed to us that rotating that inner piece with an allen wrench would adjust the rebound on the shocks. Since I was under the impression that the Koni's that the coilovers were built out of were rebound adjustable, and since I didn't see any other place on the body to adjust them, I think that the place meant for the allen wrench is how you adjust them.

Am I right? Anyone with Motivational experience?

One more Q: Is there anything that you put in between the silver top hat of the coilovers and the triangular, stock upper strut mount?

Thanks,

I don't think the Motivationals are adjustable on the car. The allen head bolt is to hold the strut shaft.

You need to put the plastic bearing between the top hat and triangle top mount.

I used vice grips.:cool:

You only adjust them when turning if you press all the way down on the shaft to engage the foot valve thingy. That's why they're not adustable on the car. Don't worry, just use the allen key to tighten. If they're anything like the AGXs, a vise grip through a belt on the shaft won't even hold tight enough to put the nut on, aside from the fact that you might damage the shaft.

Josh

Originally posted by Brock Stepan
We were hesitant to do this because it seemed to us that rotating that inner piece with an allen wrench would adjust the rebound on the shocks.



You don't rotate the shaft with the allen wrench, you use the allen wrench to hold the shaft still. Don't worry though, you can rotate the shaft till the cows come home, and it won't adjust the rebound until you depress the shaft all the way down to engage the adjustment foot.

And you *can* adjust Moti's while they are on the car. Just undo the strut rod nut, depress the shaft and adjust. No need to take the strut out.

Before you get that whole thing put together you want to adjust the rebound to about 1 turn in from full soft on both the front and rear with the 300/200 springs. Don't use the timing method that motivational mentions. Sometimies there are variences in gas preasure which can throw off your adjustment, especially on used shocks (i asume yours are new). Also, I heard that Motivational was going to make a upgrade that wouldn't require so much adjustment from the start. I am assuming you have the standard kit.

You should have some instructions from Koni on how to adjust.

Steve

If you can't hold it in place by the top of the strut (wrench for stock-style struts, allen for konis), use an impact wrench. Works great, quick, and no scarred strut shaft to worry about.