Help! How do I get the front upper strunt mount nuts loose???

[adamnitti]

(I'm talking about the nut at the top of the strut underneath the hood...) I bent back the lock washer, but when I try to loosen, the bolt just turns with the nut, along with the upper strut casing in the wheelwell. How do I get this off?

[Craig Stevens]

Originally posted by adamnitti
(I'm talking about the nut at the top of the strut underneath the hood...) I bent back the lock washer, but when I try to loosen, the bolt just turns with the nut, along with the upper strut casing in the wheelwell. How do I get this off?

Adam,I believe that a large washer should be under the nut & the small washer that bends around the nut. The shaft that the nut is connected to should have a groove on one side. The large washer has a tip that fits into the shaft groove. Protect your fender & hood with tape or something soft & try gripping the large washer with channel locks. That should keep the shaft from turning. Good luck, Craig

[autobonrun]

If available, you should use a spanner wrench to hold the large washer underneath the nut. As Craig mentioned, this washer keeps the shaft from turning when it is held in place. The spanner is a C-shaped wrench with a tooth on the end that fits into one of the indentions on the washer. On one of my nuts it took an impact wrench to remove. The combination of impact wrench and spanner took about 3 seconds to remove the nut. Just make sure you have a good grip on the washer. I bought the wrench at a specialty tool shop for about $42; probably will only use one in my lifetime but who knows. To save some money, you can try channel locks but the Spanner wrench works for certain. Not sure what you bent back, as I did not have to bend anything back to remove my shock. The washer just slides down into the groove on the shock's shaft.

If I remember correctly, the top bolt should be tightened to about 54 ft-lbs of torque and the bolt should only be used once. Double check my torque setting to make sure I'm correct.

[cary]

The key on the big washer has broken off. BTDT.

Impact Wrench or channel locks on the strut shaft.

Good Luck

[adamnitti]

thanks, everyone. i got it with the channel locks. it wasn't torqued on there quite as much as i expected. of course, that success was followed by me discovering that i don't quite have all the parts i need for this strut swap... sigh... darn these weekend parts dept. hours.