Strut and Spring removal/installation

**Immeraufdemhund** · 05-29-2003, 06:25 PM

Hey ya'll:

Read the faq about how to remove my strut. One problem I'm having is the bottom bolt holding the strut to the control arm will not budge. I have heated it, cut it, banged on it and all to no avail.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can remove my bolts.

**Jims 86LXI HB** · 05-29-2003, 09:59 PM

To be honest, all the times I changed my springs and struts, all my bolts and nut came off fine. So I don't have experience on over coming a problem like yours. But I do know several members have posted some brutal horror stories. I'm running a a search right now in the suspension section right now. Here's the first thread that has something in it.

https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?...highlight=bolt

Their are post's that were done outside of wheels/tires/suspension which will really complicate the search. And searching for "bolt" brings up a awfull lot of other things.

[just found another one, pinch fork bolt, but might have usefull info, I dunno.]

https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?...highlight=bolt

**ACCORD EX** · 05-30-2003, 12:07 AM

Originally posted by Jims 86LXI HB
To be honest, all the times I changed my springs and struts, all my bolts and nut came off fine. So I don't have experience on over coming a problem like yours.

i see you change your struts a lot !

MIKE

**Immeraufdemhund** · 05-30-2003, 04:22 AM

yah ok, so now to make my life joyfull and happy I got the retarded thing off. It took a little bit of anger, (curtosy of my step dad...grr), little bit of blood, (thanx to cramped working areas), and a big crow bar! I had already cut the bolt in half, Without spring compressors i got the spring off and the strut out of the top. So i bent the hell out of the bottom of the strut and she came out of their. Now i'm looking at the metal part to the bushing which appears to be welded by rust to the stupid 17mm bolt. You guys should see the bolt i can't even get my pipe wrench on their, the head of it is just really really striped. Now for replacments... my tokico's didn't come with that. were should i look? hmm this ought to be in the suspension place.... RATS!

oh yah for the previous post of mine, that was written by my mom... hehehe.. she writes funny

**smufguy** · 05-30-2003, 06:33 AM

your mom????????????????????? dag i wish my mom could type. well anywho, junkyard is ur best frind i would say

use a half inch drive long arm ratched (its more like a breaker bar) with a short socket, not a deep socket. They would come loose no matter what. also spray a good amount of WD40 or Liquid wrench on those bolts and let them sit for like 5 mts. They will come loose. Hey if the header bolts can come loose, any bolt can come loose.

**Immeraufdemhund** · 05-30-2003, 08:51 AM

well, i prefer the beat the hell out of it method. Which i have succusfully done! now i have to wait till 2:30p for advance to send me new bushings. I would go to a junkyard but chances are the same problem, and i'm too lazy to take off another strut. I'll have to do the other side in a couple of days when i get the other one. oh wait, a couple of weeks. I forgot i'm goign to montana for a week.

yah my mom. She's like, why dont you bring that car to a friends house. So i did and i start hammering away at it and he comes out and says HEY ROBERT CHECK OUT WHAT"S IN THE GARAGE. He's a real loud guy, big burly voice. He opens up an isuzu trooper. I'm like, yah so what's so special. THen he shows me the 39 tires. i'm like there's no way that v6 will move those. He just laughes at me.. i'm like what. He's like i aint got no wimpy v6 in this mug. he then directs me to under the tire by the engine bay and i see these custom engine mounts for a chevy 350. He's crazy. He's raised that trooper 10" in the front and 8 in the back. He still has to raise the back another 5" to make it level. Crazy. It's a awesome project. I"ll have to get my digi cam over there and get some pics up. ack...ya know i'm bored now if i'm just babbling. ACK I HATE WAITING! 1.5 hours more!

**Jims 86LXI HB** · 05-30-2003, 03:05 PM

Originally posted by ACCORD EX
i see you change your struts a lot !

MIKE

Yep, first regular Bilsteins, oh boy big mistake. Then Koni's, oh what a differance. Then front revalved Bilsteins to test. Plus I removed the front springs and struts from a junk yard 3g once. Course they were all california cars with NO rust anywhere.