how the heck do you guyts get these rear struts out? problem

[Guest ON3GO]

hey guys im trying to take off these rear struts so i can bring them in to get sectioned.. i have a apointment at 4..

anyways we need to take the rear hubs out and well from reading in the hanynes maunal it says to take the 4 bolts that connect the hub to the u-joint off.. well we got like 1 or 2 off but the others we just cant get a wrench or anything around these damn bolts.

im also doing my rear disc brakes cuz when we took of the passneger side drum brake it had a hugh crack in it and everything else was messed up.

you guys have any help for me?

thanks guys.

 

mike

[gramercyjam]

I believe you just need 2 good 14mm wrenches. I use one box and one open end. One should be long enough to get leverage. I usually jam a BIG screwdriver through the u-joint to keep it from turning if I really need to pull on it.

 

--John

[j260z]

you have to keep rotating the wheel until you can find the one spot where you can get a wrench on both ends. once you get that one you start the process over again. why are you removing the stub axles? do they have any play in them? if not i would leave them alone. they are a PITA unless you have the right tools and you will have to buy new nuts for them because you destroy the origionals getting them off. if you are doing ross's 240sx rear brake conversion you don't need to remove the axles anyway.

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Boulevard/6117/zbrakeupgrade.html

good luck

[Guest ON3GO]

im try to get the struts off, also im putting new bushings in..

is there away to take the strut off without taking the hub off? i mean it seems like the hub is connected to the u-joints by those 4 bolts..

we got every bolt off but one..

 

mike

[gramercyjam]

You aren't taking the hub out, just disconnecting the half shafts from it. You need to get that last bolt out. You need to rotate the axel until it is at a point when you can get the wrenches on the bolt and nut. If you are unable to get that last bolt out, you could try unbolting the halfshaft at the diff ...

 

--John B

[Guest ON3GO]

i cant get that one bolt out at all..

ill keep trying.

if i get this bolt out the strut should be able to take out right?

im putting the bushings and the rear disc brakes on too.

and sectioning the struts..

mike

[gramercyjam]

yes. assuming you have disconnected the brake line, emergency brake cable, pull out the lower suspension arm (transverse link) pivot bolt (which is the thing most people get stuck on) , and remove the top strut mount nuts.

 

--John B

[Guest ON3GO]

you mean theres a long screw that those two bolts hold inplace?

 

mike

[gramercyjam]

If we are talking about the long "screw" that runs from the front to the back, with a large nut on each end, that is on the very bottom of the strut, yes.

 

--John B

[Guest ON3GO]

ok should i take that out last so i can get the weight off of it? or before i take the last bolt out of the hub to u-joints? IF i can get it out...

 

 

mike

[gramercyjam]

Take it out after you get the half shaft disconnected. Put your jack under the strut before removing the nuts on the top of the strut. Lastly, take nuts off the top of the strut. Lower strut assembly to the ground on the jack as it is pretty heavy.

 

--John B

[JMortensen]

I've been able to get my 3/8 impact on the halfshaft bolts with a long extension. You just need to rotate the wheel until the U-joint moves enough to get the socket on.

 

Jon

[Guest ON3GO]

well we have been at it for awhile.. we cant budge one bolt..

i dont know what to do.. maybe a torch?

that sound good guys?

we tried everything you can think of.

 

 

mike

[gramercyjam]

I suppose. Although if it is just a propane torch you have in mind, I wouldn't think it would help much. Did you try penetrating lubricants? Tighten it first, then loosen it? Impact tools? With a good impact tool, you should be able to twist that bolt with enough force to move it or snap it off. How about drilling the head off of the bolt?

 

--John B.

[denny411]

If you are using a combination wrench,(one open and one closed end) try puting the closed end on the nut/bolt and interlocking the closed end of anothe wrench to the open end of the othe wrench. This will give you more leverage and shold help to loosen the bolt.

 

You could also try putting the other bolts back in and snugging them up. Sometimes this will help to relieve some of the pressure on the bolt you are having trouble with.

 

If all else fails,you could take a couple months off while you go to the gym to BEEF UP.

[PETEW]

Man if your getting stuck on the bolts for the halfshaft then you are in trouble when it comes to your Transverse pivot bolt. That thing is the whore of all whores. My bolt would not move for anything, luckily I had a good shop help me out. Good Luck! I have a feeling you aren't getting the struts anywhere, anytime soon.

[Guest Zed Nugent]

I used a 3/8" breaker bar and a 24" extension (harbour freight) with a 14mm short socket , you need to rotate the half shaft so the bolt is at 10:00 oclock of so then put the e brack on to stop the shaft from spinning.

worked for me. Good luck.

[Guest ON3GO]

i got the sucker off.. after 2 trips to sears and two different and more powerful impack guns it came off.. and it came off when i gave up and said "why dont i use the impact wrench... it snot as powerful but i havent tried that yet" BAM right off.

now im on the Transverse pivot bolt and im afriad to hit it.. i dont wanna mess up the threads and then some how strip it..

is there a trick to hitting it?

any idea?

 

mike

[gramercyjam]

Make sure you have the tapered bolt that comes out the bottom first. You can try to hit it by leaving the nut partly to protect the threads but it doesn't take much to mess those pins up. You are guaranteed to mess them by pounding them out if they haven't been off in recent history and lubed with anti-sieze. I would try the trick where you add washers behind the nut and tighten the nut to pull it out, or borrow or make a puller, or just order new ones overnight now.

 

--John

[johnc]

That spindle pin (transverse pin) will give you hell. Forget you're 4pm appointment today. I suggest you just take the whole thing to an automotive machine shop with a 20 ton press and have them press the spindle pins out.