This weekend I will attempt to change the strut cartridges, rear shocks, watts link bushings, rear control arm bushings, ball joints, 4 link bushings, etc. Anyone have any pointers on how to get that freakin' strut retaining nut off? I tried it before and it wouldn't budge. I didn't take the strut assembly off the car, but I will be this weekend since I am replacing the ball joints. I was also reading a thread which mentioned changing the watts link bushings was a pain in the ***. Anyone have a suggestion on a repair manual for the car (Chilton, Haynes, etc.)?

 

Haynes is handy to have in addition to the FSM (hard copy is nice). Ive never liked chiltons and between the FSM and Haynes, most everything is pretty covered

dunno about your problem, soak it in something maybe?

 

If the fronts are still on the car, use a nice big pipe wrench and loosen the nut. If the spindles are off, use a vise clamp and the pipe wrench and it will come off in like 3 seconds, PROMISE!

 

Careful when using a big pipe on it that you don't break anything though, thats a lot of leverage. Use of an Impact gun would be good if you have access.

 

A impact gun would be nice to use, but there are no sockets that are deep enough to reach the nut.

I made a thread about my troubles with this exact same situation. I tried loosening it up with my PURE MAN STRENGTH!! but no go. I tried it for probably a net time of 2 hours? I then gave up, I then barrowed my girlfriend's father's vise clamp (wasn't even mounted, just had it on the floor with a towel) and his pipe wrench. I had my girlfriend hold the vise down, and the nut just came off. I thought I needed to use a lot of force to get it off, kind of like an impact gun, but the job was done in seconds.