Wagz Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 I've finally gotten around to pulling the entire suspension off of my 240 and have started tearing-down the struts. I've re-read the posts about plenty of penetrating oil(soaked repeatedly with WD-40 over 24 hours) and use of a torch to help persuade those pesky gland nuts loose... and the ^#@$! things will not budge! I've only got one pipe wrench and have been clamping the tubes in a vise (hoping not to damage them not too severly) and wrenching on them. All to no avail. Tomorrow I'm gonna purchase a second pipe wrence and get them working in opposing directions like johnc or scca suggested. Keeping my fingers crossed. Any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QWKDTSN Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Clamp the gland nut in a vise... then I think there is a way you can use a crowbar for leverage to spin the strut... i remember that being the way we did it when I took it apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted July 1, 2002 Author Share Posted July 1, 2002 Good idea. I can think of a couple of different ways to get some good leverage on the strut tube like that. Just gotta be careful not to damage the spindle surface... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 i tried to take mine off with a pipe wrench and damn near tossed them out my garage in frustration. THEN! i took them to minieke...where for 5$ a peice...i got to watch one of there guys try and try to get them off they did get them off in about thirtie minutes...using two of thier biggest guys. all in all im very glad i did...when i got them home i cleaned all the threds with a wires brush and then thourghly soaked them in anti-seize...cause i know im gonna have to do it again some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Baldwin Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Here's what I did for one of my front struts (removed from car): 4' steel pipe on the stub axle channel-locks on the gland nut 2' steel pipe on channel lock handle 5' steel rod inserted in 2' steel pipe Then I put my foot on the pipe on the stub axle, and with my body fully stretched out pulled on the ~6' compound extension on the channel locks. Musta looked pretty hilarious, but it worked! On about the 4th try. Not the best method, thougt I'd include it for yuks. Oh yeah, on the car gland nuts have been known to back off on their own, no effort at all required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Man, I'm glad my came off ok when I did the fronts, mine WOULD have ended up getting thrown out of the garage into the street or further depending on how long I'd been work on it. I had enough trouble getting the tie rod separated ,doesn't sound like a issue, but a pickle fork wasn't doing it and a puller type didn't want to work because the head of the tie rod was smaller than the american ones the tool was designed for. I think I invented some new cuss words that day... Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted July 1, 2002 Author Share Posted July 1, 2002 These days I have to keep my garage door closed while I work on my car for liability reasons I have been known to throw things out the door when seriously frustrated. Several years ago I got pissed off while working underneath my wife's car and tossed a ratchet out from under the car, down the driveway and accross the sidewalk, narrowly missing the ankles of a neighbor out for a walk. Fortunately, I missed her and she had a sense of humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Even heating the nuts RED HOT is not working? That's the only way I got mine off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted July 1, 2002 Author Share Posted July 1, 2002 Ouch!!! ...and the smell of burning flesh fills the garage. Seriously, I didn't heat them up that much. They smoked but weren't turning red. I'll try that if one of these other methods don't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 If all fails with the torch and as a last resort, you can weld a long piece of steel to the Gland nut for a secure leverage..I never had to go this far since the torch usually does it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modern Motorsports Ltd Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Wagz: Tomorrow I'm gonna purchase a second pipe wrence and get them working in opposing directions Yes, get the 2nd pipe wrench and then you can just lay the strut on the ground and hook up the pipe wrenches so one is flat on the ground cradling the strut tube as close as you can grab it to the gland nut (no point twisting your strut tube). Place the 2nd pipe wrench on the gland nut and have the handle 8-12" above the ground and the other pipe wrench handle and you can brace one foot on the strut tube and the 2nd on the raised pipe wrench so you're pushing the upper handle down towards the lower pipe wrench. If need be you can do your volleball jump training or practise your shumka training The dual pipe wrench has always worked for me. Clean the threads as best you can after and use loctite on reassembly as I've had a couple very highly torqued gland nuts come loose after time which is VERY annoying.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted July 2, 2002 Author Share Posted July 2, 2002 I didn't have time to get by Home Depot tonight and pick up a second pipe wrench, but I did find a 3ft. length of square, mild steel tubing hiding in the shop. It fit nicely over the handle of my wrench. So, I clamped the housings in my vise,heated those suckers up really good and was able to coax them loose with more leverage. Why couldn't I find that tubing yesterday?! I'm waiting for the strut pin removal tool I odered from Dan Batha and I'll get the rear struts taken down. I should be ready to section them this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 2, 2002 Share Posted July 2, 2002 I donno, sounds damn painful to me and not sure how it'd help.... Sorry couldn't resist... Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 2, 2002 Share Posted July 2, 2002 Ahhh, leverage, is such a wonderful invention.. Cool deal, suspension works sucks so much, nothing usually ever just comes loose. Those highway guys need to do a better job of keeping the road clean, it really screws up our cars... Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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