Rotary Dawg

Ok, I've tried every bloody way to get the top nut off my rear struts, but I just couldn't get that damn thing off.

So my question is, can I just saw the strut (not the tube but the silver thing) and take off the seat and springs (compressed, of course)? I know I won't be able to get the top stopper off, but it's a 20 buck piece from the dealer so it's all right.

Can I do it? Or is it very dangerous to do so? I don't need the old shocks...

HAILERS

First, have you tried to loosen the nut with the strut in the car, with full weight on the wheels????? If that does not work, and you have a spring compressor, with the spring compressed, take a perhaps 3/16 drill bit and drill b/t the nut and the strut rod in three or four places and get a hammer and chisel and the nut can be broken off. In other words destrouy the nut. The strut rod is pretty hard stuff and will be very hard to saw through. The nut can be done in ten to fifteen minutes with a drill motor. Been there, done that. Actually the strut on the car with the full weight on the wheels will give you the ability to loosen the nut *don't remove *. Nuts can be had at Pepboys for little or nothing.

DC350

Have you tried soaking it with Fluid Film? it pentrates rust...loosens stuff, you can see it work. Anyways, get a big *** breaker bar..if you can fit it in there, try to heat the nut up with a torch, and then bust it open with a breaker bar when it's hot, heat it up and cool it quickly. Or! use an impact gun heat the nut and turn it while heating it...thats what we had to do to a friends car...and it still doesn't work!

Rotary Dawg

Yeah tried everything...visegrip, breaker bar, liquid wrench. Haven't tried the impact gun yet, but I seriously think it's kinda unsafe to use an impact gun...

Anyways I think I am going to Homedepot tonight and get some drill bits to destroy the bolt. Wish me good luck guys.

Wankel7

Why is using an impact gun unsafe? I had to use one for my front struts top nut. Just don't unsrew that thing all the way. It is what holds that potential energy in that spring. That energy is just waiting to get you if you undo that nut all the way.

James

RX7 RAGE

iTrader: (22)

Well did you ship my key rotarydawg???

Rotary Dawg

Yes I shipped it already.

Rotary Dawg

Mission accomplished. Bolt has been destroyed. HAHAHAHAHA!

Kahren

iTrader: (13)

ok u may call this unsfae bu ti have done this a dozen of times, not because i dont care if i kill myself but if u do it right its plenty safe. take an impact wrench, slide the socket on, lay the strut with spring on the ground, step firmly with your foot on the part closest to the nut (top part of the spring that goes in the strot tower on the car) and unbolt the nut, make sure there is nothing on teh other side of the spring strut as the strut will shoot about about 5-10 feet. BAM u are done only takes 1 min to do with all the setup for teh impact wrench

Mark S

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, but you still have to compress the spring to get it back on, right?

And that techniqe is more dangerous with some cars.... :-)

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

If it's not coming off, you don't have a big enough breaker bar. There is nothing I can't loosen with my 6 foot breaker bar....INCLUDING that damn flywheel nut.

Rotary Dawg

Oh no, it's not the leverage problem. The problem was that the strut shaft TURNS WITH the bolt when I attempt to unscrew it. So there! DESTRUCTION~~~

HAILERS

Next time, if you don't have a impact gun, loosen the nuts prior to removing the strut from the car.

rotorhead1

i had the same prob with the struts in the car. impact hammer/wrench/air gun depending on the region you are from did the trick.

peace