How the hell do I get this nut off!!
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
From: Mannheim, Germany
Here's your answer.
Use a dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to cut through the nut as much as you can. You'll be cutting at like a 45 degree angle and that's ok. Just cut through as much as you can without going through and f*cking up the bolt threads. Make two cuts like this 180 degrees opposite eachother on the nut to weaken it. Grab a chisel (or your least favorite large screwdriver) and wack it off. If you cut enough, it won't take much since the nut is so rusted.
This worked on both of my shocks. You'll obviously need to go to the hardware store for some new nuts. Even if you got the nuts to start coming loose, they would bind up on all of that rust and snap the bolt so you need to cut the nuts off and then clean up the bolts with a wire brush or wheel.
Use a dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to cut through the nut as much as you can. You'll be cutting at like a 45 degree angle and that's ok. Just cut through as much as you can without going through and f*cking up the bolt threads. Make two cuts like this 180 degrees opposite eachother on the nut to weaken it. Grab a chisel (or your least favorite large screwdriver) and wack it off. If you cut enough, it won't take much since the nut is so rusted.
This worked on both of my shocks. You'll obviously need to go to the hardware store for some new nuts. Even if you got the nuts to start coming loose, they would bind up on all of that rust and snap the bolt so you need to cut the nuts off and then clean up the bolts with a wire brush or wheel.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 735
Likes: 1
From: St. Louis, MO
well...if you don't have any luck, they do make a tool that will hold the shaft still
it goes over the oval shaped part of the shaft at the end, where the nut is
but so far with all my experience, the oval shaped part where the tool holds just breaks off.
good luck
it goes over the oval shaped part of the shaft at the end, where the nut is
but so far with all my experience, the oval shaped part where the tool holds just breaks off.
good luck
Well guys, thanks for all the help. I tried every suggestion posted. I took the clamps off and loaded the springs back up, I then tried an impact wrench again, no luck. I tried the box wrench with the vice grips, no dice. I soaked it, I heated it, still no luck! 
I then rented the GM suspension kit from AutoZone and broke the damn square part off, just as 1999Z28 noted. 
So I took my dremel and cut the whole damn bolt off. I bought a cheap set of shocks that should last till this summer when I can put a good set of KYB's on there The shocks I bought have a lifetime warranty, so if they go bad I'll just replace em.
NOW I've got another problem!!! I got the passenger side done and installed. When I cut the bolt off the drivers side, I can't get the strut mount to come loose!! Hell, the bolts off!! Why won't the strut mount come off!! I've got it soaking with PB Blaster overnight....maybe I can get it in the morning.
I got to say that this was WAY...WAY...worse then changing the plugs. I'd take the plugs any day over this!
Thanks again for all the help, and if I could get some ideas for this latest dilemma I'd apprectiate it.
Jason
I then rented the GM suspension kit from AutoZone and broke the damn square part off, just as 1999Z28 noted. So I took my dremel and cut the whole damn bolt off. I bought a cheap set of shocks that should last till this summer when I can put a good set of KYB's on there The shocks I bought have a lifetime warranty, so if they go bad I'll just replace em.NOW I've got another problem!!! I got the passenger side done and installed. When I cut the bolt off the drivers side, I can't get the strut mount to come loose!! Hell, the bolts off!! Why won't the strut mount come off!! I've got it soaking with PB Blaster overnight....maybe I can get it in the morning.
I got to say that this was WAY...WAY...worse then changing the plugs. I'd take the plugs any day over this!
Thanks again for all the help, and if I could get some ideas for this latest dilemma I'd apprectiate it.
Jason
When I had this problem, I bought one of those cup type wire wheels and chucked it up into a drill motor. I then shoved it down into that cavity that the nut is in. I was able to get the majority of the rust cleaned off, using brake cleaner the wire wheel.
Then I began backing the nut off using liberal amounts of WD40.
I would turn the nut about 1-2 turns and then retighten a turn, spraty with WD40.
The reason is I couldn't get all the corrosion out of the threads using the wire wheel. As the nut backed off, the threades of the nut would scrape the corrosion off and get in the threads and bind the nut onto the threads once again.
So, tighten the nut a little, reapply WD40 to not only lubricate, but to wash away the loose corrosion, and loosen another turn or 2 ... until it begins binding.
This method has yet to fail me.
Then I began backing the nut off using liberal amounts of WD40.
I would turn the nut about 1-2 turns and then retighten a turn, spraty with WD40.
The reason is I couldn't get all the corrosion out of the threads using the wire wheel. As the nut backed off, the threades of the nut would scrape the corrosion off and get in the threads and bind the nut onto the threads once again.
So, tighten the nut a little, reapply WD40 to not only lubricate, but to wash away the loose corrosion, and loosen another turn or 2 ... until it begins binding.
This method has yet to fail me.
Originally Posted by 1999Z28
if you just start uncompressing the spring...that should break it loose.
I drilled the damn thing out. Everythings back together now and it looks damn good!
Now it's time to kick back and enjoy a few brewskis! 
Thanks for all the help it was much, much appreciated!
Now it's time to kick back and enjoy a few brewskis! Thanks for all the help it was much, much appreciated!
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Originally Posted by kenkaru
Congrats! It sucks when a project starts going downhill like that. ...a bad bad feeling that sometimes makes me think, "I wish I drove a hybrid and never popped the hood."
Yeah, it seems like there is always something that goes wrong, but this time it was one thing after another!
I'm glad the whole thing is done! I got the look that I was after, so in the long run, it was all worth it. 
Originally Posted by kenkaru
Congrats! It sucks when a project starts going downhill like that. ...a bad bad feeling that sometimes makes me think, "I wish I drove a hybrid and never popped the hood."
Plus, now I have a third vehicle, so if I only feel like tightening one bolt on the car in an evening, I can do that.
Congrats on the spring swap. Sorry it went so badly for you, but at least it's done. You did put some anti-sieze on the new bolt, right?
-Mike
Originally Posted by chupr0kabra
Congrats on the spring swap. Sorry it went so badly for you, but at least it's done. You did put some anti-sieze on the new bolt, right?
-Mike
-Mike
I had the same problem. Went out and got a huge pair of plyers and had someone crank on those suckers while I tried to turn the other way but the shaft would slip through anything.
What worked for me was an impact wrench. Few tries with that and it got it off. I was so freaking happy. lol
What worked for me was an impact wrench. Few tries with that and it got it off. I was so freaking happy. lol
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta
The exact same thing happened to me when I changed out my springs and struts a few weeks ago. We ended up using a cutting wheel to cut one side of the nut off. With the spring compressed of course... The strut was toast afterward...
