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HELP!!!

Today I decided to install my Whiteline lowering springs on my '98 Legacy wagon with GR-2 struts. (I know it's not a first-generation Legacy but my understanding is that the front end is the same.) I've done strut and spring replacements on my Legacies about 4 or 5 times before with absolutely no problems.

The difficulty I'm having right now is the I'm not able to line up the left front strut with the knuckle to insert both bolts. I can get either one of them in but not both. I need about 3/8 inch more "give" to get it bolted back together. It seems that the joint does not pivot enough so that the knuckle does not line up with the bolt holes of the strut assembly.

The only thing that caught my attention that was unusual when I disassembled the left front suspension is that the cv joint bent excessively so that the rotor fell off. Could I have disengaged it internally somehow (if that's possible)?

Any help is much appreciated!

Well, the suspension is all back together. I called my mechanic friend and he told me on the phone what the possibilities were. Sure enough, the axle had partially come out of the transaxle housing about 1-1/2 inches.

So, I pulled the strut out, supported the rotor hub on a 2x12, straightened the half axle as much as possible, got a 2x4 in the center of the hub, and whacked it in with a hammer. Then everything fit together like butter.