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| Registered Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lyons, Colorado 
					Posts: 86
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				Getting nut off of rear shocks
			 
			I'm struggling to get the top nut off of the rear shocks on my 91 Turbo. I've tried two vice grips on the shaft and Mapp gas and I still can't get it to budge without the shaft turning in the vice grips. Should I just cut the nut off with a Dremmel? Also, my dust boots have disintegrated and Bilstein doesn't supply new ones with the shocks (WTF??). Should I just get stock replacements from Sunset or Pelican? 
				__________________ Chris Cope 91 911 Turbo Lyons, Colorado | ||
|  09-19-2007, 07:17 AM | 
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| Registered |   
			Those bolts are pretty tight. My air impact didn't even get it loose. The best thing to use is a 4 ft breaker bar on a ratchet. It doesn't take much to loosen the bolts with that setup. jt -84 targa | ||
|  09-19-2007, 07:44 AM | 
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| Registered Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lyons, Colorado 
					Posts: 86
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			Yeah, that would be great if I could find something that could keep the shaft from turning, too.  Two vice grips aren't cutting it.
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|  09-19-2007, 07:50 AM | 
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			Oops - I skipped over the first line of your post; thought we were talking about the bottom bolts.  For the top nut: I used a crescent wrench at the top of the shaft to hold it in place. The shaft should have 2 flat sides at the very top. While holding the shaft in place take an open end wrench and loosen the nut. jt | ||
|  09-19-2007, 07:58 AM | 
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| Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Lacey, WA. USA 
					Posts: 25,309
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			The shaft has a female hex socket at the top.  Drop an Allen wrench in there, and that should steady the shaft.  Those nuts should not be THAT tight. JW strongly suggested I use a ratcheting closed-end wrench for this, and he was right. 18mm? Something like that. Anyway, it's a nut that's got a collar on it, so it does not spin freely. It will need to be turned every revolution. Many revolutions. In a tight space. This is an excellent time to invest in a set of stubby ratcheting wrenches. 
				__________________ Man of Carbon Fiber (stronger than steel) Mocha 1978 911SC. "Coco" | ||
|  09-19-2007, 07:59 AM | 
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| Registered Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lyons, Colorado 
					Posts: 86
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			The front shocks have the female hex socket, not the rears. I'll try the crescent wrench trick. | ||
|  09-19-2007, 08:00 AM | 
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| Stahlwerks.com | 
			I use a $20 air powered ratchet and deep socket from Harbor Freight.  Put a little side tension on it to keep the shock shaft from spinning in the bushing.
		 
				__________________ John Helgesen Stahlwerks.com restoration and cage design "Honest men know that revenge does not taste sweet" | ||
|  09-19-2007, 08:32 AM | 
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