Hi all this is my first post so no flaming please. Does anyone know where I can find the special tool or any socket as a matter of fact that will allow me to loosen the top strut nut without the use of an impact wrench. The dilemma I'm facing is that if I try to loosen the nut the whole stem will spin along with it. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

Check for a hex key indentation in the top of the strut rod. If so, find said hexkey and insert, hold and loosen.

 

No hex key indentation on the strut rod. It looks like a regular rod but with two sides shaved off. So imagine two half circles on each end with two straight lines connecting the ends of the halves. Looks like an oval

 

can you post a pic?

 

ok, there are strut tools for the top that fit that--- or you can try a pair of pliers gripping the flat sides , not the shaft. Or check to see who in your area has bilsteins and borrow their tool. If I am not mistaken--the tool comes with the inserts.

 

You should have broke those nuts loose while the struts where still on the car.

 

hang the struts on the car thread the 3 bolts just a little and you can break the center piece loose. You HAVE to use a pretty deep socket on the middle bolt, not any special tool

 

Thanks guys the responses, I will give em a try. Here's a picture of the stem

 

normal wrench will be fine for that

 

Clean off the grease and use a deep socket with impact gun. The nut on the top of the strut should need a socket around 17mm in size.

 

You will not be able to do this without an impact wrench. I purchased a 17mm deep offset wrench to try and do this by hand. Even putting the strut in a vice and using coil compressors to take tension off the tophat didn't keep the shaft from spinning. In the end I needed to use an impact.

You can always bring them to any shop to get them to zip it off. Should only take a second and not cost anything.

Good luck!

 

doesn't a normal size 7 wrench hold that part just fine? i thought it was 7 maybe an 8

 

If the nut isn't over torqued, you can probably keep the shaft from rotating by using a wrench as stated.

 

Are they still on the car? Mine came right off without any special tool or wrench to hold the shaft. Just a 14mm socket while the car was sitting on the ground.

 

Matco 1/2" electric impact gun FTW! It will get that nut off and no air compressor needed.

Heres a vid of me messing around with it and my new bushing removal kit.