kyb Struts - Cant tighten the nut to the ram - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

FueledSoul · 01-17-2009, 03:42 PM

I have snapped a few sets of ratcheting hex sockets trying to get the nuts tightened to the strut between the mounting plate aka camber plates. Im not sure what the deal is other then the fact the nuts have nylon rings or coatings in them
but even so i don't think i can eve close to torque specs even if they didn't have a coating. is there some tool for this or some tecnic to getting these nuts bolted to the strut ram?

howy03 · 01-17-2009, 04:08 PM

Something sounds fishy? did you buy the struts new? was the package open? I did not have locking nuts on mine and they should go on very easy you can usually tighten with a open end wrench and a hex wrench.I forget the torque specs but they just need to be good and snug.

FueledSoul · 01-17-2009, 04:12 PM

brand new from summit racing. packages where not open...

howy03 · 01-17-2009, 06:03 PM

I have never had a hard time with a shock or strut nut when new.junk the locking nuts and buy a couple regular

FueledSoul · 01-18-2009, 03:03 AM

i tried that but the problem is that the hexed end on the ram is small and the hex sockets snap easy i cant even get one uncoated to specs with out the hex snapping.

Fyrstorm · 01-19-2009, 08:22 AM

Sure it's not inch pounds instead of ft pounds? Did that once ....

Saculia · 01-19-2009, 05:11 PM

I think that they only need to be tightened to 50ft lbs at the strut mounts. Should be very easy. Sounds like something is wrong. I didn't use KYB but my new struts did not come with locking nuts. The bolts that secure the strut to the steering knuckle are the ones that need to be tightened to 195 ft lbs.
Taking off the old ones was a different story. I had to mark the position of the strut mounts and take them out in order to remove the struts. That's how tight they were. On one of them I had to drill out the nut because the the part of the shaft that sticks out above the nut ended up braking.

FueledSoul · 01-19-2009, 07:45 PM

i think the problem lies with in the hexed design on the ram
its so small that the hex sockets end up snapping. iv never had any problems with getting other the struts bolted down to the plates with other brands but the other brands you could use a regaler socket or wrench on the ram...
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i think all contact the makers of kyb and see what they suggest...

Fyrstorm · 01-20-2009, 07:05 AM

Reading all of this is really strange, I installed the KYB's on mine and no troubles.

FueledSoul · 01-22-2009, 05:52 PM

i keep getting stupid mail returns.... i think im going to give them a call... in less someone else has some more input. if any one knows kyb is this design on all there sturts and shocks?

MaNiAk86 · 01-22-2009, 07:40 PM

my tokico's came with locking nuts and they still wern't very hard to snug down. sounds to me like maybe the nuts have the wrong thread pitch which is why they stop......???

drperformance · 01-22-2009, 09:03 PM

When I had KYB AGX struts they were a B*tch to tighten and came with nylon lock nuts. The reason I had a problem is because I hand tightened them, they would have gone straight on with an impact gun. But due to the tight nut the strut rod would spin before I would get it fully seated and tight. what I ended up doing was putting a jack under the control arm and jacking up the strut as far as it would go into the camber/caster plate expossing some thread under the nut and I very carfully put my thinest channel lock pliers on the lower threads and tightened the nut as tight as I could, bottoming out the channel locks on the plate. Then I Placed the channel locks on the top have of the threads and tightened the remaining slack. I do not recomend this, and think that I was very lucky that no threads were damaged in this process.

Since then I have replaced the struts and just went to the local hardware store and bought hardened non locking nuts that went on very easy with hand tools.

84olmpcboy · 01-24-2009, 08:58 PM

This might be dumb but maby the hex set had a flaw so thats why it broke so easy. I just put my gr-2's on today with a regular hex and an offset wrench. It took a while but I was able to get it torqued down fine. Mine also came with the nylon insert in the nut.

Abubaca · 08-15-2009, 09:27 PM

thought I'd post my experience in case someone comes across this thread while searching like I just did!!!

...anyhow, I too had trouble tightening the nut down onto the ram as well. I had about a quarter inch of the threaded part sticking up above the nut, and that was all she was gonna go. At the time, I thought all was well and started driving on it. Since then I've always had a strange popping sound on occasion, and I thought it was the ball joints. A few years or so later, while doing the LS1 brake swap (this afternoon) I see there's play in the strut. It can move up and down about an 1/8" of an inch. To make a long story short(er), there just wasn't enough of the ram threaded, so I couldn't tighten it anymore, but it still had room left!!! You couldn't feel it by hand when I installed it, because it was attached to the spindle. Anyhow, a big thick washer later, and all is well.

Oh, these were nylon lock nuts on Tokico HP Blue struts installing on stock/mood bearing plates.

radicule · 05-19-2010, 08:50 AM

There is a hex shape on top of the tube bolt. Use an allen wrench to hold the tube in place then you can tigthen the nut. Hope this helps.