I tried locking the strut mount in place but the strut just keeps spinning when i try, what do I do? Im replacing the strut so im not too worried about damaging it...

Pipe Wrench, slip it between the coils

I tried using a vice grip is a pipe wrench better?

You mean the center shaft of the strut is spinning right?
Some struts have a hex or hole on the top so you can hold the strut shaft and turn the nut with a wrench.

would a stock 88 strut have that?

are you replace? cut nut with dremel or saw. nut is not harden but it is nutlock.

are you reuse? tip of strut is where you grasp it. 0 or hex shape. What 0 or hex depend who make it.

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[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 07-19-2009).]

i didnt even see the hex at the end, it was right in front of me the whole time. I used a socket wrench and tried to use vice grips to turn the nut but it only started stripping the hex. Im just going to take it to the mechanic tomorrow to have him cut it off

I didn't find it too hard to take apart with a wrench on the nut and a socket on the hex end of the strut. Then again, I had the spring compressed, so that took quite a bit of pressure off the nut.

You did use a spring compressor didn't you? The spring is still compressed ~1.5 inches with the strut fully extended, so will come apart rather violently when the nut is removed, could cause quite an injury having bits flying around after releasing ~150 lbs of spring pressure.

Cheers

yea I have it compressed, It just doesnt seem to working out for me I guess. Im taking it to get cut off tomorrow so its not a big deal... Thanks everyone for the help

This is so easy your going to flip. take a piece of innertube and vice grips, lock as tight as you can. Impact off, might take a few times but that is all it takes most of the time.

Impact wrench will get it off in about 1 second. No need to hold anything.

When I tried to replace my coils I couldnt get the nut off either.But I did notice that he used an electric impact gun and an 18 to 20 inch channel lock (adjustible pliers) and he still had some difficulty getting it off.I had him swap in a new struts.I then installed them my self.

I did it by using a vise
it held the littl flat pot on the shaft just fine
and it left just enough room to get a wrench in there

and - yes - be sure to have the spring compressed

Matco 850 ft/lb 1/2" impact gun.
Never really had an issue :P

Thats so funny use a spring compressor i find them more dangerous.
I HAVE DONE SIX OF THEM. just put the car on jack stands, not on the
suspension but on the body of the car. then put a floor jack under the strut
jack up just enough to take the pressure off. then loosen the nut and remove it.
lower the jack slowly and by the time the pressure is off the spring.. it wont
go anywhere the threds will still be in the top mount. then just pull it out.
easy cheessy. to install reverse the proceedure.

We've replaced struts where the nut was so frozen that only a pipe wrench holding the strut rod and an impact gun would remove the nut. The last one that I completed was on a 240K Fiero and you can only imagine how much fun removing bolts on that car was.

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there is alittle seen tool called a nut cracker. works gread for things like this. it is a round hole with a hardened chisel point on a threaded shaft, you turn it in and it splits the nut. with proper use, you won;t damage the threads.

quote Originally posted by tjm4fun: there is alittle seen tool called a nut cracker. works gread for things like this. it is a round hole with a hardened chisel point on a threaded shaft, you turn it in and it splits the nut. with proper use, you won;t damage the threads.

wont work in this case
the nut is slightly recessed, and its hard enough to get a wrench solidly on it.
but, yes - a actual chisel & hammer, or a dremel will do the same thing

there is also a socket, which fits that little nipple on top of the strut, to hold it still
but - bench vise has been my fav way