i'm trying to swap my springs out here, managed to get the struts out and now i'm trying to get the watts linkage out.

with a 21mm wrench and about a 3ft breaker bar i can barely get the damn thing to move, i sprayed it with penetrating oil multiple times now.

am i going to need air tools to get this off?

 

Why do you need to get it off? Those must be some funky springs if the watts is binding the rearend enough to keep the springs from getting out.

Have you removed the swaybar? On every car I've tried to drop the rearend to do something (exhaust, etc.) the swaybar binds up before the watts, then the watts, then the forward links. If the swaybar is binding it up, you'll need to remove both sides -- just one side won't release it. It should be a 12mm, and it's a bolt so you'll need to get on both ends of it.

Air tools always work better, but you shouldn't need them. Even when stripping cars I rarely use air tools -- too easy to permafsck whatever you're working on.

HTH.

 

Yea,drop the lower shock mounts and sway bar,and you should be able to get the springs out by pushing down on the brakes with your foot.

 

oh jesus, if only i had read this a half hour earlier, i just put the struts back on so i could drive it. haha

 

spring compressor? anyone? no? ok.

 

spring compressors really arent needed for the rears. even so i plan on just using a bunch of t-bolt clamps for the front. aslong as its compressed and gets the job done it will work

 

Famous last words...

I've been too busy yet, but I planned to launch a Miata strut some time and film it. Judging by what it'll do from a bench vice I think the results would be impressive.

 

Get a small propane torch and some liquid wrench. Soak it with the LW overnight or at least a few hours. Make sure you tap it every so often as that helps the LW get into the forzen areas. Then grab your torch and just heat up the nut, try not to hit the bolt directly with the torch. Your heating the nut may expand it enough to help break the bond its acquired in the last 20 or so years. Be careful you don't melt your bushings! While its hot put a wrench on it and see if it gives.

Lather and repeat until it comes off. It will come off eventually. I think it took me about a day and half to get mine to break loose. Be patient.

Air tools make all of this easier but you still need the LW and the heat. Heat is your number one tools for loosening any frozen nut or bolt. Learn to love the torch.

 

get a spring compressor dude. My buddy Stumpy halfassed a susp. redo with a couple of clamps once.... once.

 

with no air tools or at least an electric impact those front struts are going to be hell. Even with the impact if you are not installing drop springs back in, good luck on getting them back on with no spring compressor. With no impact, that strut will just spin, and if you use vice grips you will ruin the strut (it will Leak)