----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----Vince; What Holger said is true. You do not need to remove the snap ring in order to install the spacers. You can also refill the strut before you put it back together. I would recommend putting new O ring's on the bottom of the piston when you have it apart. It also makes sense to clean out the cylinder at the same time.
If you have Belleville springs, you may need to do some maintenance on them. The Alon maintenance manual indicates they should be looked at every year. When you get the cylinder off the piston, carefully look at the Belleville spring stack. There should not be any loose springs or any up and down play in the stack. If there is play, you should remove the snap ring and remove the springs from the cylinder. I have found that if there is much play in the stack, the springs tend to wear and come apart in the middle of each spring. You are supposed to add spacers at the bottom of the stack in order to take out any play. You will need to use some bar clamps, or some large C clamps in order to take the stack apart. The snap ring is on the cylinder inside the bell shaped top piece. You need to compress the stack about 1/2 inch in order to make the snap ring visible through the two holes in the side of the bell shaped piece. You can easily pry the snap ring out of position using two electrician type/size screwdrivers.
Leave the snap ring in place in side the bell shaped piece. I understand that they are no longer available from Univair or Skyport. The bell shaped top piece will now come off the cylinder and you can slide all the Belleville Springs off the cylinder and take a good look at each one. If you have any damaged ones, you can replace them individually. I think each spring unit costs about $25 from Univair. You can make your own spacers to go under the stack to ensure that there is no play when the unit has been put back together.
You need to reverse the process, using the clamps to compress the unit and push the snap ring back in place. Then release the clamps and check the free play.
Good Luck.
Lynn
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