gtolady

Hi Folks, Ok I read the stickies and used the search and I did find one other guy with the same problem but I think I'm gonna need some more input.

Here's the problem - I can't get the top strut mounting nut off. Well, I did get the passenger side off but only after nine hours and a lot (LOT) of cussing, a new dremel tool and a bunch of hammer and chisel action. Utterly ridiculous.

I saw pictures that showed struts with hex head shafts and that would probably have made things easier but the struts on my car don't have those. It's just a threaded shaft that's flat on two sides - a 10 mm wrench fits on it. So the first thing that happens when I attempted to remove it was I could see that I was going to break my wrench or strip the top of the shaft. So I sprayed it with liberal amounts of the appropriate break free stuff and went away for a while.

Came back later - same thing. So I asked someone else, he suggested a pipe wrench and use the car itself to hold it which sounded great but instead of just rounding off the shaft it started to chew the metal up into shavings and still couldn't get the nut to turn - not one iota.

So now I'm driving around with one new strut and one old one. Any suggestions? Please...?

Btw... Should be noted my 87 firebird is now a 1989 Firebird Formula with the TBI 305.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Are you replacing the strut mount as well? If the strut is junk, can't you just cut the shaft in two?

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Cutting the shaft wont work. Its flat on top to seat against the bottom of the mount. You wont be able to pull it up through.

OP- have you tried a good,strong impact wrench? Ive found that will take a lot of really stuck nuts off. If you dont have access to one, i would suggest grinding flat spots on opposite sides of the shiny shaft and trying the pipe wrench idea again. A 2-3 foot section of pipe on your ratchet or breaker bar will help too.

khulsebus

iTrader: (2)

You should be able to use an open end wrench on the top of the strut, and a wrench on the nut. If it strips, file new flats. You may want to consider changing out the strut mounts while you are at it.

gtolady

Nah, I'm in California - no rust - my strut mounts are good. That's part of the reason it took so long to cut the one off, I couldn't get to the nut with anything bigger than a dremel cut off disk with out cutting into the mount as well.

Impact wrench? No I don't have one but it looks like I may be getting one now. And I would have tried the pipe wrench thing along with grinding new flat sides but there really isn't much of the strut shaft sticking out above the nut so I'm only gonna have a few shots at this before it's back to the dremel tool. And I'd really REALLY rather not do that again.

Any idea why in the H - E - Double hockey sticks this darn thing is So difficult to get off? The book says it's supposed to be torqued at 48 ft/lbs. Not like the strut to steering knuckle bolts which are supposed to be torqued to 205. On those bolts I used a hammer and a breaker bar - no surprise there - but had them off in a few minutes.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

When I suggested grinding flats in the rod, I meant right above the strut body, in the wheel well. Then you put the pipe wrench in them and rest the handle against the frame rail or wheel well.

gtolady

oh... Well that does make a difference. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

And thank you to everyone else who answered also. Much appreciated.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Yes. That's why I asked if he was replacing the mount as well. If so, just throw it away with the cut off shaft still bolted in it. But, in this case, he is not replacing the mount. So cutting it off is not an option.

mmadden55

Nutcracker available at autoparts store.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I use a impact but worse case, a cutoff wheel on the nut strait down through the threads.

Make sure you cover any nice paint and windows in the way of the sparks.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I missed where you said "if the strut is junk". Sorry

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Since the nut is partially recessed in the top of the strut mount, I don't think a nutcracker will work. That was my first thought as well though.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Was a beech getting mine off too. I had to put a pipe wrench on the shaft above the strut body with a cheater bar on it and sit on the bar to get it to grip because of the slick surface. Never thought of cutting flats in the shaft, good idea.

naf

iTrader: (7)

Pull the strut and strut mount assembly out as a unit and place the strut rod in a bench vise

gtolady

Thanks again 92RS_Ttop. Grinding flats and using the pipe wrench inside the wheel well did work - once I'd ground the shaft enough for the pipe wrench to grab. And once the pipe wrench actually held the shaft from turning the nut came off so easily I didn't quite believe it.
I did have to cut off the plastic dust cover to get to the shaft but since I couldn't put the other one back on with the new strut it didn't really matter.