tightywhitey185 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Im redoing my entire suspension on my 74 260Z bushings and everything and im actually stumped on how to remove the cartridge from the body of the strut.Ive remove the spring and it looks like a nut keeping the cartridge in the strut but this bastard is tight!This might be dumb but is that nut a righty loosy by chance?Ive tried heating it up and using a pipe wrench on this sucker but no budge.Any help greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOMES1030 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Dont think its a right hand thread, its been a wile but if i remember mine was regular threads I have a 1972 240z. Try letting some wd-40 or what ever you have let sit overnight and keep spraying it. I think thats what i did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingnothing616 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 The strut cartridge gland nut is standard thread, and is extremely tight. If you have anyone to help you, you can get on it with a pipe wrench, and have your helper tap on the strut housing around the nut. Be careful with the torch though, don't want to get it red hot, and there is oil inside the strut = fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 PB Blaster for the win! Soak it in PB blaster and get the biggest pipe wrench you can. I had to cut the old strut as close to the nut as possible and put the whole strut assembly upside down and soak the nut/tube with cup of pb blaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Ok ill let them soak but another thing ive reasearched in the factory service manual is that these shocks are rebuldable?you add oil to the struts?Can you re oil them or slide whole new strut cartridges in that place?Basically what im asking....when i finally get that nut off Am i able to slide a brand new strut cartridge in ther?pics anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/suspension/tokicoupgrade/tokicoinstallfront.htm Get acquainted to Atlanticz.ca, especialy the tech tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Alright ive tried putting the torch on these and grabbing 2 of the biggest and baddest pipe wrenches on it after letting this soak in nut blaster all night and no budge!WTF!its starting to bend the nut holding the cartridge in.I cant be the only one who has delt with this?Would i be better off grabbin a massive torque impact for this or just keep soakin it or what?I would greatly thank you for some more insight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Keep soaking it. I soaked mine for a week before they came off. Also I bolted it up to a spare wheel and had someone stand on the wheel for more torque on the assembly. Remember to use gravity and pull/push down so you can put your full weight on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 So wait are these right or left hand thread?i dont see why they would be left hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 they are normal right hand threads. Lefty loosey/righty tighty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 Man im freakin stumped.Ive been spraying these suckers for 4 days now and i tried zapping them with a 1/2 inch impact with a 3/4 socet and rounded the damn bolt off then i tried putting the whole strut assembally on a bench vice and used a pipe chain and a 5 foot iron breaer bar.NO BUDGE!its bending the bolt holding the cartridge in.And heated it with map gas mind you.Something is up here.But i havnt even gotten to the rears.Both fronts are this way.I dont now what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at-jefft Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 try putting the whole thing upside down and putting a cup of liquid PB Blaster under the tube with the nut /tube sumberged. That helped mine quite a bit. I let it soak for a good 3-4 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I just did mine today (fronts). Used channel locks. Didn't work at first so I sprayed it with liquid wrench (the yellow can one) and let it sit for an hour while played with the sandblaster. When I tried again, same deal. Sprayed, let it sit for another half hour or so. Then i went at it again with the channel locks. I took a piece of thick pipe to used for leverage on the handle of the channel locks. Worked like a charm. Once I broke the seal came off by hand. Guess i got lucky. Still have to remove the rears and get to those. hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 This should help. Place stut horizontal. Support strut under gland nut area. Soak with brake fluid. Use a hammer and tap/wack strut housing where gland nut is threaded in. Do this all around strut, soak and repeat. You wan't to disrupt/slightly deform the threaded interface between the 2 pieces. This generaly works very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Yeah well im pretty mad.I have soaked these for a week now and tried budging them again last night.No luck.Damn.I mean these things are practically seized on there.The nuts are almost ruined.The only other thing i can think to do is drain all the fluid fron the bottom of the strut plug the hole then weld a big fat nut to the gland nut and just let an impact wrench wail away.that or by new struts.this is really frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Get an air hammer. Cut a notch in the side of the gland nut. Hook up air hose to air hammer. Apply air hammer to gland nut via notch in the loosening direction. Squeeze hammer trigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcambron Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Tity wity, these things don't HAVE to come out! I had mine attached to a 15,000 lb tractor and the other end to a telephone pole and almost pulled the pole down, the strut cartridge was still stuck! No joke. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evildky Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I had one that simply would not com out, I welded the shaft to the gland nut, then cut flat spots on the shaft and wiht the aid of a 4ft pipe and a pipe wrench I finally got it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 Ok I finally got the damn gland nut off by welding a 1 1/2 inch nut on the gland nut quenching it between tacks with water.The first time i zapped it with the impact it actually broke the welds so i re welded.Second time around was the charm.So ive been battleing these gland nuts so now i cant get the struts out of the housing like a few of you that ive read about on here.I took a 20lb slide hammer on a big chain attached to a lower tow hook on the front of my nova and these are freakin seized like a mother!I have brand new cardridges awaiting this car and i have onl gotten to this point with one strut!The next thing i can think of is to take this to my dads body shop and chaining the thing to the car-o-liner and reall wailing on this thing to get the cartidge out.Im half temted to post a thread to all new Z members that this strut issue is a nightmare.At least for me.Damn.Should i just go coil overs all around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightywhitey185 Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 Ok and if i do get the old ones out will the new ones be just as hard to get back in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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