ok i got my new rear shocks and lowering springs on but i cant get the bottom bolt off my strut that connects it to the brakes......any suggestions?????? i cant seem to get the right size socket or wrench in there. anyone know the exact sizes?
please help my car is apart in the garage and i have to go to work at 4pm!!!!!!

 

The bolt size is 24mm on the strut-to-spindle bolts.
Turn the steering wheel to full-lock to maximize access space.
Use a 12" crescent wrench on the nut side. Use a socket with a breaker bar on the bolt side.
Spray some PB blaster on the bolts 30 minutes prior to trying to dissassemble.
Supporting the brake hub with a jackstand will help you to wiggle the bolts loose after the nuts are removed.

Any other tips just ask.

 

I used a three foot pole and bounced on it to break the bolts loose, have fun with those.

It also might be easier to swap the stock springs back in the rear and do the fronts when you have more time if you can't get the bolts loose.

GOOD LUCK!
-Jesse

 

thanks guys that should help a little bit. im gonna go give it another shot and see what happens.......ill keep you updated!

 

You might also try using a stubby wrench on the rotor side. It kind of locks into place when you turn the other side with a ratchet.

 

ok guys i got the bottom strut bolt off but now i got 50000000 more problems.....i cant get the strut off the upper strut mount, it just keeps spinning, also i cant get my springs out in front!!!!!! any help?

 

You have to keep it still with the other hand. One hand turns the nut and the other holds onto the strut. It is best to have a friend or family member around when working on car. Expecially when it is up on jacks.

 

this is when its great to have a impact gun.

for the price of having someone else do it, i can buy another impact gun..... (already have the compressor )

 

yea it still spins (the metal rod on the strut) so i tried to hold it still by holding the top part of the rod but it just stripped and now nothing can hold it. man those things are rusted on! any suggestions on how else to stop it from spinning?

 

I thought the top of the strut has a hex for an allen wrench right in the center of the shaft to hold it still while removing/tightening the nut.

I fully agree with the idea of having someone around when working on a car.
I had my hood up and was jacking the front of the car up in my garage. I was leaning on the car with my my pinkie and ring finger hanging over the fender. All the sudden, WHAM! down comes the hood, latching fully, smushing my pinkie and ring finger in between the hood and fender. I couldn't reach in to release the hood and was trapped for a while- until I kicked a screwdriver off a bench to use for prying the hood up a bit to get my fingers out. Good thing I didn't have the car running.

S-D

 

2..


one way is to use a impact.. athought at this point, thats probly not a option...

you can try using a pipe wrench to hold it still.... the harder it trys to turn, the more the wrench will grip it...

 

Ouch.... now I'm going to be paranoid about reaching under the hood for anything.

So what made the hood close, did you ever find out or did you just push the car off a mountain after that?

 

Worse comes to worse... here's all the hard ways I can think of:

Use white-out to draw around the upper strut mount where it bolts to the strut tower. That's so you can put it back in the same place. Remove the three nuts that keep the strut mount on. Pull the whole strut assembly up and out of the engine bay. Have your buddy give you a lift to the local garage, throw the guy $20, and ask him to power that sucker off. Oh, remember when you put the strut mount back on, to put it back in the same spot when you took it off, and run to get an alignment.

Or, try finding a large enough nut splitter, or get out the hacksaw and a new (or sharp) cold chisel and hammer. Break that upper strut nut into little pieces (wear safety glasses).

If the center stud is completely stripped, you could also use a metal file to file the center stud into a shape that you can use an open-ended wrench on, or another socket.

You could try hacksawing the center stud off flush with the top of the nut, and then drilling out the center stud.

 

thanks everuyone....tom ive tried it all and the nut will not come off!!!!!! now the nut and strut stem have moldded together to form one piece from all the beating and bashing ive done to it. i think ill get a cutting torch and just now try to cut it in half hopeful;ly it will work. man what i wouldnt give to have two brand new strut mounts in my garage now w/out paying almost $200!!!!! until tomorrow....