My day with Struts

[98FBird]

Today started off well enough... cool out, slight breeze. Figured I'd finish my upgrades and install my struts. Got my shocks in on Friday with no issues. The struts can suck my big white arse. After fighting with the things to get them out, finally took off the upper control arm and found it was rusty on the underside. I wanted to smack the canuk who left the water in there or didn't seal it well. Soaked the shaft in WD-40 and let it sit for a while since obviously it wouldn't turn. Finally got the stripped out thing kinda turning and found it was also turning the shaft on the strut. I was severely bent at this point. The rust is so bad there are no threads on the shaft to get it off with anyway. I guess I'll have to take it somewhere and wither get the nut cut off or the shaft. (Neither sound nice in any case :eek: )Maybe I'll just let someone else try to get the damn upper shock maount off and install these POS's... [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

[wantmorepower]

Good luck.... seems you had the same luck as me

Try this

First if you don't know how to be gentle with a cutting torch you may risk wasting your strut mount so beware


Have your spring secured in a spring compressor

Heat the nut on the damper shaft with a torch and while its still hot go at it with a air chisle

I was able to pop that sucker right off doing it this way. When trying the chisle alone the nut would not bust free.

Then it should be a matter of smacking the damper shaft witha hammer a few times and it should slide out of the mount.

Warning.... DO NOT BEND the section of the damper shaft that sticks out from the top of the mount. If you do this you will never get it to slide out of the mount and will have to cut the shaft between the spring and may end up wasting a mount or ruining a spring in the process.

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

if you have spring compesser cut the strut out below the mount then hope it comes out of the mount one of mine did and the other didn't so i had to buy a new one

i would just buy too new mounts and get it over with

[98FBird]

thanks guys... just had to vent a little... BAD day before I had to go in for my night shift job...

[PewterBird]

I had the same problems. I came find out that there is a socket that fits on the strut shaft. That way you can put a closed end 14mm(or15) on the nut and used the special strut socket to turn the shaft.

My drivers side worked, but my passenger side was so rusted that we ended up having to cut the shaft under the upper mount and above the strut housing. After I got the mount off, thee shaft wouldnt back out of the mount. ????? We tried drilling, pounding grinding. I ended up having to get a mount rushed same day to me for a total of 85 bucks. It was a sunday night and I needed my car for work the next day.

[wantmorepower]

People who dont live in the rust belt have no idea how PITA this job can be. Good luck.

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

Originally posted by PewterBird:
I had the same problems. I came find out that there is a socket that fits on the strut shaft. That way you can put a closed end 14mm(or15) on the nut and used the special strut socket to turn the shaft.

My drivers side worked, but my passenger side was so rusted that we ended up having to cut the shaft under the upper mount and above the strut housing. After I got the mount off, thee shaft wouldnt back out of the mount. ????? We tried drilling, pounding grinding. I ended up having to get a mount rushed same day to me for a total of 85 bucks. It was a sunday night and I needed my car for work the next day.

lol exacly waht happend to me !!!

[98FBird]

rust belt... This car has always been an Arizona car... I'm in PHOENIX!!! why do I have rust??? oh well... I'll get it eventually

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

Originally posted by 98FBird:
rust belt... This car has always been an Arizona car... I'm in PHOENIX!!! why do I have rust??? oh well... I'll get it eventually

if it rains you have rust lol