Boge Struts, Bilstein Strut Inserts - Insert Nut Removal
 

All, I am about to replace my Boge strut inserts with Bilstein inserts. After checking the Bently manual, and before actually tearing into the project, Bently states "using strut nut wrench, remove strut cartridge cap." Unfortunately, there is no "strut nut wrench" shown in the manual. I've looked on our host's site,no luck, and googled, no luck.

Question(s):
- Is there such a tool?
-Can the strut cartridge be remove any other way?
-If so, how can the nut be tourqued after removal?
-What parts are recommended to be replaced during this strut insert replacement?

FYI: My local shop doesn't want to do the job because I didn't buy the struts from them.

Thanks in advance.

Big pipe wrench works for me.

Pipe wrench for me too.

Ok, but how do you determine the correct tourque when re-installing the strut cap? By feel... helluvalotta muscle?

I just put my pipe wrench setting on "damn tight" and use an impact wrench on the top nut.

ps: If you don't have an impact wrench, I hold the large washer with a pipe wrench too (protecting the washer with a shop rag if you don't want the teeth to mar it), so the insert doesn't turn when you tighten the top nut.

Beware. Installing the nut while the strut is still on the car can cause too much stress on the steering arm and/or other components. The Bilsteins should come with a new gland nut and they used to come with a cheap spanner wrench that was good enough for the job with a cheater bar. If you brace the strut against the torque, about all the muscle you have on a 18" bar will be more than enough.

Pipe wrenches are fine for removing something you are going to throw away, but the right tool for the right job is a good mantra.

All good info and advice... my Bilstein inserts, for Boge struts, didn't come with a spanner. In fact, they came pretty much bare-bones. ust like the picture on our host's site, nothing more, nothing less. Well, I'm going in. Are there any parts that should be replaced new during this operation? Perhaps those pins and nuts that hold the strut to the ball joint... etc.?

My Bilsteins didn't come with the spanner wrench either, and as I recall, I tried to get one (I "think" I even called Bilstein), but not having any luck, I just went ahead.

ps: You don't have to touch the strut/ball joint (I didn't when I just replaced the inserts), but I redid my whole suspension a short time later. If you do replace the ball joints, then the wedge pins should certainly be replaced (I replaced everything).

So, you didn't remove the strut from the ball joint during the cartridge replacement? Was it difficult removing the cartridge cap nut while the strut was still attached to the car?

Thanks for the info on the wedge pins.

Bilstein will send the tool free of charge if you call them. I talked to Wayne about why the Pelican struts did not include the free tool. He said sometimes Bilstein sends the tools in the box and sometimes they don't. A pipe wrench would probably work but why bother if they will send the tool for free. The new gland nut is nice and I would hate to mark it up with a pipe wrench.
There is no need to remove the ball joint to install the new inserts. It takes quite a bit of muscle to clear the fender without scratching the paint, but it is possible with a little care.

If you don't remove the struts, protect the bottom lip of the fender area with a few layers of masking tape or something else that is not too bulky to protect the paint. I did it that way without problems, but it was close.

I remember trying to get the tool, but with no success. I'm always careful using a pipe wrench, and didn't mar mine up. The old Boges in my case were fairly easy to compress and swing under the fender lip (I used some duct tape as York suggested, just in case) for removal. The new Bilsteins are a different matter, so I compressed/decompressed them a few times on my garage floor using my body weight and that made it much easier to compress by hand to swing them under the fender (and that's where the tape is good insurance). With everything still secure on the car, loosening nut is no problem. Hope this helps...

All, thanks a bunch for all the advice... my Bilsteins didn't come with a new nut or spanner wrench. I will try to get them from Bilstein before applying the ol' standby pipe wrench - not a concept that is new to me 8-)

IIRC - my struts where stuck pretty good on the ball joint, so I gave up trying to get them off. I wedged a 2x4 between the wheel hub and somewhere rigid on the inside of the wheel well and used big channel locks (I think). Pipe wrench may work better if they are really tight. Mine weren't bad.