OK so Im trying to change my struts, well the 2 strut and knuckle bolts will not come lose to save my life. I got the top one off after about 45 minutes of hammering away at it. I still have 3 more to go, I've sprayed Liquid Wrench and WD-40 dozens of times on the bottom bolt and worked on it for another 45 minutes before I had to call it a night. How in the world can I free these bolts off????? I dont want to have to pay a mechanic $$ to install my struts for me b.c of 3 stupid bolts.

 

this is where it helps to have a friend with an impact wrench/compressor. Yay for air tools.

 

Are the bolts spining and not freeing or will it not budge at all?

 

use a breaker bar or a piece of long pipe over a wrench, guarenteed they'll break loose then.

 

When I did my struts I had to cut the bolts off, they were rusted on there pretty good. Cutoff wheel and about 1/2 later they were off.

 

yeah, as a profesional mechanic i'll say that i never even bother to unbolt shocks, i simply just cut them. They're always just way to rusted on there.

The simplest way is to just torch the bottom bolts off. An air hammer, or a die grinder would be the next easiest. But if you got a hacksaw laying around you can just cut the nut off the bottom bolt.

 

Forget about wd40 and use PB Blaster.it works better than anything else..Soak em real good and let it sit for about 5 minutes then use a pipe on the end of the ratchet..

 

If you're not already, this episode should make you a "believer" in anti seize compound on chassis fasteners.

 

I'm with tekviper, load em up with pbblaster and then put a LONG pipe on the end of your wrench. They'll either come loose or snap, either way your problem is solved

 

They might be bent- ever hop a curb?

I hopped a "new" curb once; wound up bending the spindle and a few other parts. When I replaced the spindle, it was hell to get the strut-to-knuckle bolts out. When I finally did (with a big pipe as leverage), I rolled them on the ground- they hopped- they were bent.

When I mess up, I mess up big time!

 

-=hugs his AIR tools=- i'm just lucky that there are all new shocks on the car so mine are not rusted to hell.... :-D they had to cut them. so i can still take them off EZ as pie :-D

 

too true...

i simply couldn't get my 1/2" ratchet and sockets in to loosen some head bolts on the passenger side, near the a/c box.. had to use a really long pipe, and my 3/8" ratchet and sockets.

 

bolts impossible to get off

try using vasoline and ****



Seriously though... like these guys said use a breaker bar. if it doesn't come loose it'll break or strip. If she strips then break out the vasoline

I mean drill it.

 

Hodge, you're my kind of pervert, man. You beat me to the punch...

If you're still having difficulty, try heating the nut (not the bolt) before getting serious with a wrench.

 

i heat up my nut by rubbing the bag :-X

 

LOL! My girlfriend said the same thing when she saw the title out of the corner of her eye Well, just the first part. Not all that extra stuff

 

i would use the vasoline for the shocks but i used it all on my panHARD ROD last nihgt :-X