So what can I do....
Bought these from a junkyard....guy said they were out of a 1st Gen (I figured they're all alike?). So I pulled one out of my car and brought it inside thinking the "sock-eye" bolt would just pull out..
FSM doesn't address this, so rather than tear the bolt up....I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this.....
If it's the wrong strut...no biggie
Pat

 

Sorry, in the picture of the two struts together, the one with the bolt still attached is from my car and the one without the bolt is from the junkyard

 

that bolt has a ball on the strut end of it. should be able to pull it off but may need some prying tho, and maybe some spray lube.

 

Thanks....
I've tried, but the metal is very soft on the bolt (I'm using a vice-grips) and I'm afraid I'm tearing it up.
I've also tried giving it a whack with a rubber mallet while it's still threaded into the car....nothing!
Any ideas if these type of bolts can be sourced?
Last resort will be to cut the socket with a hack-saw.
Any other solutions?.....
I appreciate the help
P

 

Try putting it back on the car and prying it off. It should come off...

 

!!!!!Well that didn't work!

Sgt. I tried rethreading it and trying to pry it off.....It snapped! Whatever it was that it threads into snapped off back behind the plastic trim!

 

http://intertron.com/ron/hatchstruts.html

 

Weird, all the ones I've ever had have popped out or had a little clip to remove. Perhaps I've never had an original style in the 5 cars I've stripped.

Looks like its time to take off the trim and see if you can get a pair of vice-grips on the remaining metal.

 

I cut the socket off with a hacksaw as the metal is very thick.

I purchased new 26" lift struts and I am going to cut the clevis off of the old strut and TIG weld it to the new strut and mount the wiring for the wiper motor.

Not there yet but will post pictures when done.

TonyK.

 

Careful. The struts are gas filled. Gas+Heat+Pressure Camber=Boom

 

I cut the ball socket in half, not the strut body. This allowed the ball and stud to come out nicely. Sure you can buy them from the RV suppliers as well. I went for the 60 pound struts with the ball end on the strut body. On the rod I will cut off the ball end adapter and then cut the clevis off of the old strut, then weld the clevis to the new strut rod, paint with flat black paint and the new struts will look almost orginal.

TonyK.

 

If you cut around the ball socket with a hack saw, making an X on the back side. you can get the ball out. Then it will snap on to the new strut. I have done this a few times.
Worked great for me.

 

Can anyone tell me what the "ball head" bolt threads into? That anchor point is what snapped. Now I'm guessing I'm in for some mod work. As for now it's too F'n cold to start disasebling the rear hatch trim....So I'll just have to live with this way till Spring.
Gonna unscrew the other side strut and cut the socket with a hacksaw....I hope one good strut is enough...

Thanks