First off this is a fairly complex task with the added hazard of having to remove the coil spring which is under a fair amount of tension so care should be taken.....
Tools needed
2 jacks (ideally if not some blocks of wood will do in place of one jack)
Axle stand and wheel chocks
Small 3 leg puller
Release oil
Grease
Socket set (18mm 17mm 16mm and 6mm hex alan socket)
18mm deep recess Ring spanner
Pozi 2 screw driver
flat screwdriver
hammer/ mallet
Decent spring compressors
set of spanners
Side cutters
Breaker bar/s
a selection of spanners (a 17mm is going to be needed for the drop links) a 10mm to suit the safety clamps on my compressors
So park the car in a safe place on level firm solid ground set the handbrake set the car in gear at some point before jacking loosen wheel nuts on the wheel your working on and open the bonnet.....
first job is to remove the wiper arms...
unpick the plastic nut covers with the flat screw driver
undo the 13mm nut
now a dirty windscreen is handy note where the wipers sit on the screen
fit puller and wind both arms off with the puller taking Great care not to hit the windscreen on the bottom edge or apply any pressure to it...
Now remove the 3 screws that hold the scuttle panel down followed by the rubber seal
and remove the plastic scuttle trim taking note how it sits with the little bits of trim at each bottom corner of the windscreen ...
now you can get at the turret nut soak it well in release oil and leave to soak for a bit......
now take a 18mm ring spanner and a 6mm alan socket and wrench and loosen the nut off but do not remove completely just yet...
(If your having trouble removing it or you round the 6mm hex off the only option is going to be an air impact wrench to remove/ loosen which is what i did in the end as they were very tight)
Now chock the wheels and safely jack the car up and remove the wheel fully and axle stand the car.....
now remove the wheel......
as soon as your in spray the 1x top drop link bolt with penitrating oil along with the 2 hub to strut bolts and clean them up with a wire brush and soak again...
whilst that does its job remove the cables from the strut clips ABS sensor (and pad wear indicator on the LHS wheel)
next remove the brake hose carefully having removed the metal clip ((which will probably snap)) i refitted mine and retained it in place with a cable tie which is what the fiat dealer did to mine when they did the other side under warranty
now remove the top drop link nut using a 17mm open ended spanner and a 16mm socket and pull clear to one side...
now loosen the 18 mm nuts off the 2 hub/strut bolts and remove the nuts..
Tap with a hammer to begin to remove them...
at this point chock up the wish bone so it can't drop and pull the drive shaft out i used another jack but you can use a pile of bricks or wood....
now fully remove the 2 hub/ strut bolts...
at this point the strut should be swinging free in the arch a spare pair of hands can come in handy now to fully remove the top nut and guide the strut out of the arch taking care not to snag it on any cables or hit the body work
and your just about half way there now for a hazardous bit
before going any further read the instructions that came with your spring compressors keep any helpers at a safe distance and TAKE YOUR TIME its imperative that you compress the spring evenly and slowly be gentle and personally i would not use the cheaper spring compressors i have seen some been used where the threaded shaft have been bending badly were they to fail they could cause serious injury and possibly death should the spring suffer a sudden release of tension or the compressor fails.. If your not happy take your strut to a garage and smile sweetly and offer beer tokens for the next bit as most will have a hydraulic strut press which is much safer and faster than compressors
if not continue by fitting all three compressors evenly to the spring ensuring the safety retainers are tightened
that they are equally spaced
and are far enough apart to compress the spring
before tightening look how the spring sits in the cup at its stop
slowly tighten them a bit at a time until the spring feels loose between its bottom seat on the cup and the bearing on top
then remove the top nut the same as you removed the other using the ring spanner and 6mm alan key
now remove the bearing assembly taking great care not to roughly handle or drop the compressed spring
this is the bit you have been trying to get at
At this point you can drop a new upper bearing assembly on and put it all back together
Or if you have noticed it starting to stick early there is a chance it is salvageable as long as the balls are not rusty and the race is in good condition you can take it apart and clean and re grease it just take care not to loose the ball bearings out of the race
first remove the top rubber
then split the race with a screw driver slowly working round it (do this over a tub as if all the grease has gone the balls will fall out and roll under any thing heavy and unmoveable in the garage
pull the metal bearing race open and degrease and clean the bearing area and the balls themselves
next use grease to stick the balls back in the carrier and put more over the top then reassemble
next refit the bearing onto the spring ensuring the spring sits over it and check the spring is seated in the stop at the bottom and replace top nut
release the spring compressors evenly and slowly then remove them checking the spring is sat right in the strut against the bottom strut
then put back in arch and through the hole in the turret top
and refit nut loosely to hold it in place
next refit bolts using the torque settings in this guide:
https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto-guides/182134-how-replace-stock-springs-front-back.html
then refit the cables hoses and wheel and road test as per the above guide
hope this helps
Tools needed
2 jacks (ideally if not some blocks of wood will do in place of one jack)
Axle stand and wheel chocks
Small 3 leg puller
Release oil
Grease
Socket set (18mm 17mm 16mm and 6mm hex alan socket)
18mm deep recess Ring spanner
Pozi 2 screw driver
flat screwdriver
hammer/ mallet
Decent spring compressors
set of spanners
Side cutters
Breaker bar/s
a selection of spanners (a 17mm is going to be needed for the drop links) a 10mm to suit the safety clamps on my compressors
So park the car in a safe place on level firm solid ground set the handbrake set the car in gear at some point before jacking loosen wheel nuts on the wheel your working on and open the bonnet.....
first job is to remove the wiper arms...
unpick the plastic nut covers with the flat screw driver
undo the 13mm nut
now a dirty windscreen is handy note where the wipers sit on the screen
fit puller and wind both arms off with the puller taking Great care not to hit the windscreen on the bottom edge or apply any pressure to it...
Now remove the 3 screws that hold the scuttle panel down followed by the rubber seal
and remove the plastic scuttle trim taking note how it sits with the little bits of trim at each bottom corner of the windscreen ...
now you can get at the turret nut soak it well in release oil and leave to soak for a bit......
now take a 18mm ring spanner and a 6mm alan socket and wrench and loosen the nut off but do not remove completely just yet...
(If your having trouble removing it or you round the 6mm hex off the only option is going to be an air impact wrench to remove/ loosen which is what i did in the end as they were very tight)
Now chock the wheels and safely jack the car up and remove the wheel fully and axle stand the car.....
now remove the wheel......
as soon as your in spray the 1x top drop link bolt with penitrating oil along with the 2 hub to strut bolts and clean them up with a wire brush and soak again...
whilst that does its job remove the cables from the strut clips ABS sensor (and pad wear indicator on the LHS wheel)
next remove the brake hose carefully having removed the metal clip ((which will probably snap)) i refitted mine and retained it in place with a cable tie which is what the fiat dealer did to mine when they did the other side under warranty
now remove the top drop link nut using a 17mm open ended spanner and a 16mm socket and pull clear to one side...
now loosen the 18 mm nuts off the 2 hub/strut bolts and remove the nuts..
Tap with a hammer to begin to remove them...
at this point chock up the wish bone so it can't drop and pull the drive shaft out i used another jack but you can use a pile of bricks or wood....
now fully remove the 2 hub/ strut bolts...
at this point the strut should be swinging free in the arch a spare pair of hands can come in handy now to fully remove the top nut and guide the strut out of the arch taking care not to snag it on any cables or hit the body work
and your just about half way there now for a hazardous bit
before going any further read the instructions that came with your spring compressors keep any helpers at a safe distance and TAKE YOUR TIME its imperative that you compress the spring evenly and slowly be gentle and personally i would not use the cheaper spring compressors i have seen some been used where the threaded shaft have been bending badly were they to fail they could cause serious injury and possibly death should the spring suffer a sudden release of tension or the compressor fails.. If your not happy take your strut to a garage and smile sweetly and offer beer tokens for the next bit as most will have a hydraulic strut press which is much safer and faster than compressors
if not continue by fitting all three compressors evenly to the spring ensuring the safety retainers are tightened
that they are equally spaced
and are far enough apart to compress the spring
before tightening look how the spring sits in the cup at its stop
slowly tighten them a bit at a time until the spring feels loose between its bottom seat on the cup and the bearing on top
then remove the top nut the same as you removed the other using the ring spanner and 6mm alan key
now remove the bearing assembly taking great care not to roughly handle or drop the compressed spring
this is the bit you have been trying to get at
At this point you can drop a new upper bearing assembly on and put it all back together
Or if you have noticed it starting to stick early there is a chance it is salvageable as long as the balls are not rusty and the race is in good condition you can take it apart and clean and re grease it just take care not to loose the ball bearings out of the race
first remove the top rubber
then split the race with a screw driver slowly working round it (do this over a tub as if all the grease has gone the balls will fall out and roll under any thing heavy and unmoveable in the garage
pull the metal bearing race open and degrease and clean the bearing area and the balls themselves
next use grease to stick the balls back in the carrier and put more over the top then reassemble
next refit the bearing onto the spring ensuring the spring sits over it and check the spring is seated in the stop at the bottom and replace top nut
release the spring compressors evenly and slowly then remove them checking the spring is sat right in the strut against the bottom strut
then put back in arch and through the hole in the turret top
and refit nut loosely to hold it in place
next refit bolts using the torque settings in this guide:
https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto-guides/182134-how-replace-stock-springs-front-back.html
then refit the cables hoses and wheel and road test as per the above guide
hope this helps
