*/&% strut nut

C

charliesx

Low Mileage
OK, before i get radical on this thing i decided to give you guys a chuckel and ask. is there a cool easy way to remove the strut nut? The shaft is turning and there is not enough of the flat surfaces (threded end of shaft) sticking out of the top of the nut to get ahold of. Or do I have to bugger the shaft up with vice grips?
I know there a better way! :dead:
Charlie
 
Impact gun

Prior to installing Plaia Pivots I just rattled mine off with an impact gun under full spring pressure. They are not all that compressed. If I remember, I did leave the strut loose so when it popped the strut would move rather than hammer back toward the impact (on the shop floor, foot on upper part of spring).

Not wanting to chase parts of the Plaia Pivots around, the last time I loosened them under spring pressure with a ratchet, then applied the spring compressor for the final few turns of the nut.
 
use the vice grips...

soak the nut with some PB blaster, get some thick leather to put in the jaws of the vice grips, and clamp it up high where it won't ever have to seal (just in case). Use an air gun. I use an old belt in the jaws, never had a scratch.
 
more to follow

Ok, sounds like the hot setup is to hold tight and hit it with the impact. Thanks and I'll let you know how it went. :grin:
charlie
 
Don't grab the shaft...

it is "keyed" with flat spots where it goes into the upper mount assembly, so grab the bottom metal plate (strut centering cone) of that with channel locks or vise grips and hit the nut with the impact..
 
all better now

got the nuts off and the springs changed, just like I knew what I was doing. The key seems to be use the impact. silly me I was trying to brake it loose with a wrench. about the flat spots, the don't stand up well to the pressure, but the protected vice grips worked like a dream. got the springs changed out including clean up in about an 1&1/2 hrs. geezs its nice having you guys.:worship:
 
My turn soon. No impact gun here. Can you crack loose this nut while everything is still together and on the car, making it a bit easier after removal?
 
It can be done on the car

jvandyke said:
My turn soon. No impact gun here. Can you crack loose this nut while everything is still together and on the car, making it a bit easier after removal?
Click to expand...

But remember that spring pressure is still on it. Easier to remove as a unit, get the spring compressors on it, then take it apart.

As for not having an impact gun, now might be the time to get one. If that's not going to happen, then here's what you do.

The inverted cone that sits under the nut is "keyed" to those flats on the top of the shaft. So you can either get a wrench on the flats (kind of difficult), or you can just stop the cone from turning and that will stop the shaft from turning. If you look at the "open" end of the cone, you will see that there are a couple slots in the top of it, spaced 180 degrees. You can get the 19mm socket and breaker bar on the top nut, then jam something (flat bladed screwdriver, prybar, flat piece of metal, etc) thru one of the slots and brace it against the outside of the socket. You can't go across both of them because the socket is in the way, unless you bend up a piece of metal to detour around the socket. This is certainly an option.

Plenty of PB blaster for several days beforehand will help greatly also.

Pete
 
I'll watch for the cheap electric impact to buy. It'd be worth it.
I'm going to borrow one (an electric) for this job. I was going to tear into it tonight but cooler heads prevailed and I think I'll just soak the bits with PB blaster again and wait until I can snag the gun. I've been running on crappy struts for months, a couple more days won't kill me......I hope.

Oh, as for leaving 'em on the car to crack the nut loose, I was thinking the springs and car weight would help hold the strut shaft but that doesn't really make any sense now that I stop to think about it.
Thanks
 
As long as we are talking struts and HF ;)

I highly recommend this spring compressor from HF

http://www.harborfreight.com/single-action-strut-spring-compressor-43753.html

Not too pricey and works great compared to the typical two piece compressor tools. This tool is a one piece scissor type contraption with one central screw that compresses the spring. No more trying to keep the two separate screws in sync.
springtool1.jpg

springtool2.jpg
 
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