Just like it says. Anybody got any tips to loosening those bolts on the top of the strut? I'm having trouble, I suck.

Use a 1/2in drive rachet and a real long extension(s), so your on the outside of the fender. This way you can get good leverage on the bolts and you dont bust your knuckles in the fender well. Penetrating oil helps also.

Thanks

what he said is the way to go. a few slaps with a hammer on the head of the bolt may help as well. but liquid wrench or PB Blaster is the way to go for sure.

Air Tools

Soak with rust penetrant twice (or thrice or more) a day for a couple of days. Get up behind the fender well and soak the bolts from the rear. It'll be much easier then with a breaker bar or air tools. If it still won't go, soak it some more. Last choice get some heat on the bolts if all the above doesn't work. Patience is the key; if you break a bolt off, you're really in a world of hurt.

I just did this, and experienced great difficulty in getting the bolts off. I was afraid I would shear them so I was very careful about the whole process. Here is what I did:

 

1) spray liberally with PB Blaster each 17mm bolt in the upper shock mounting bracket

 

2) use a 1/2 drive extension (about 10" at a minimum), and a breaker bar to turn the bolt. If you have difficulty getting the nut to turn initially you can strike the breaker bar with a ball-peen hammer very lightly, more like a tap. This will break free any corrosion that has built up on the bolt inside the threads. I have also been told that you can heat the bolts with a torch for a minute or two, and then apply a cold water-soaked rag to the bolt head to rapidly cool it off. This has the effect of expanding (heat), and contracting (cold) the bolt inside the threads thus breaking it loose.

 

3) after you break the nut loose spray more PB Blaster on it, and let soak for a few minutes

 

4) if you encounter resistance after breaking the bolt free, and turning it a bit, spray more PB blaster on the bolt, and ratchet the bolt all the way back into the bracket. Then ratchet it back out to the point where you were stuck. Repeat this process until you don't experience a lot of resistance. Be patient. The temptation to remove the bolt at this point will be very great because of your success at breaking it free from the mount initially, but if you proceed too quickly here you will shear the bolt.

 

Remember the greatest tools to help you in this process are patience and PB Blaster.

 

Good luck.

 

./steve

Thanks for all the info guys.

Air tools are out of the question for this situation.

I also can't really let them soak for too long as I'm driving back up to Washington again to the parts car and I have to get the parts today. I will try PB blaster and a breaker bar and hope for the best....

Thanks for all the info guys.

Air tools are out of the question for this situation.

I also can't really let them soak for too long as I'm driving back up to Washington again to the parts car and I have to get the parts today. I will try PB blaster and a breaker bar and hope for the best....

 

You might also use a liberal amount of anti-seiz compound on all the threads during reassembly, in case they need service again in the future.

Mike