bronxbomerss2

ok guys im installing my new shock, struts, and lowering springs this weekend, so ive decided to get a head start, i have my front struts and springs out, the new springs come today and i already have the struts and shocks, my question is how to i get the top bolt off of the strut? i need the tower bracket to go onto my new struts and this darn bolt wont budge, i know i have to keep it from turning so i saw a write up on another forum and tried it but he used a vice grip and a 21mm wrench, i tried it and not help at all, im not sure how to get this darn thing off, would it just make more sense to take it to a shop and have them just get off? any ideas? thanks guys!

2000BlkGtConvgobucks

Your going to need an impact of some sort, i wouldn't even bother with the screwdriver or vice grip method. Either find a friend who has tools or rent one. Even a battery powered one will probably do the job. I bought my first compressor (20 pound) and impact tool set for cheap, around $300 for everything at lowes. If your serious about doing your own work it will be the best investment that you will ever make. You can take it to a shop to loosen it, but your also gonna need the impact to put it back on. Good luck

Blk003GT

i use and electric impact from harbor freight (30$) it does everything. seriously its amazing. all i did for the front struts was clamp vice grips around the strut(the shiny chrome part that goes into the cylinder) and then impact the top nut off. it doesnt chew up the strut at all. thats your best bet imo. has always worked for me

Repzard

Not to hijack thread.

But I seen those electric impact guns at HF, They work good for real ?
I was thinking about grabbing one myself .Are they pretty powerful?
Beats getting out the air impact for some jobs so that why im asking.

Thanks BLK003GT



Repzard

Endrance

i used one (from harbor freight) for the exact same thing OP is needing it for (and you will need one OP) and it worked like a freaking dream definately worth the money because it come in very handy for anything you're doing on your car.

BraMas

I agree your best bet is an Impact. But if you do not want go and buy one you can put the vice gripe on the shaft of the strut to keep it from spinning. Put it on in the wheel well. I say do it this way only because you are replacing your struts and you so not care if you ruin the shaft. If you where reusing the struts do not clamp Vice grips on the shaft

hpwrestler220

I was just about to bring that up about the clamp on the shaft of the strut...

Maybe do it on the upper most part of the shaft if anything -- i dont think the strut will compress THAT much... Usually they stop on the bump stops at a certain point.

Derf00

Impact gun. The nut is knurled (for locking purposes) so they don't budge very easily under constant pressure like turning with a socket wrech.

WIth an impact gun you'll have it give the nut a couple of 2-second hits and it should just pop right off. If you just hold the trigger, it may work cause the gun does all the work, or it may just spin the shaft.

WannaBeGearHead

For the front struts nuts I just use a crescent wrench for the nut and I put a flat head screw driver in the top of the strut so it doesn't spin. Easy and doesn't require an impact if you don't have one.

Blk003GT

^^ ya that nut is on there a little tighter than i can hold the screw driver... impact and vice grips did this on my bilstiens 3 times not so much as a mark on the strut but whatevr