:tup:

Took some pain medicine and working on the fronts now. Before I began today, I had to hunt down a pair of hex nuts to pair with the shock bolt; the stock nut can't be used because it's welded to the stock shock (this is true for the rears and I assume it's true for the fronts). Also bought a vice and installed that as well.

BTW here's a teaser pick of the rear.

:tup:

:tup: Ill have to remember to get nuts for my install when I get them as well. LOVE the pic, as that is what my setup will look like. Konis, slotted rotors and F14's:tup::tup::tup:

hahaha, i didnt know you had to do acrobatics to install the rear. :icon18:

i usually use my hydraulic jack under the hub carrier to raise and torque everything in place. :D

:tup: GL with the rest!

kenchan, I tried doing that but the inner most bolt of the strut kept turning as I turned the outer nut. Maybe it wasn't raised high enough by the jack? I really don't know man...please forgive my ignorance on this one.

So I removed one of the front shocks, but the nut holding the top hat on is a real PITA to remove. The spring compressors are compressed as far as they will go, but I'm having absolutely no luck getting that sunava beach removed.

I'm tempted to haul it over to a local pro to swap them out like Mike suggested. I just don't want to fork over $50. Do you guys have any ideas just short of doing that?

This is Colin (the guy in the snap on hat compressing the spring in the earlier picture)
If you are talking about the nut that holds the strut into the mount (top hat), then there are three ways to go about removing it.

1. use an impact gun. just be sure to go in short bursts to avoid spinning the seals inside the strut. I only use this method for removing the nut, not installing, to prevent damaging the new struts.

2. get a pair of vice grips and a rubber hose large enough diameter to fit aroud the shaft of the strut. cut a pice of the rubber hose off (1-2") then slit it down one end, but it around the strut shaft then clamp down on it with vice grips to hold the shaft, then use a ratchet or wrench to remove the nut.

3. use an offset whench or ratchet with a pass through (like a gearatchet) on the nut while holding the shaft with either an allen, torx, socket, or outside torx (depending on strut)
if you dont have a offset wrench or a pass through ratchet use a socket then use a pipe wrench to turn the socket, instead of a ratchet.

http://www.twinsaabs.com/9-5_repair/...t_top_bolt.jpg

http://www.scoobymods.com/mods/impre...es/topbolt.jpg

-Colin Clark, ASE Master Automobile Technician

Colin, thank you. I have an offset wrench but it's a 12-point and I think it would strip the nut (I tried it anyways and it slipped right off); I searched high and low for a 6-point offset wrench, but I couldn't find one that was sold anywhere local to me.

I don't have an impact gun, so I can't do that either.

More about my trouble with this: when I put my breaker bar on there with a 17mm deep socket, I can feel that I'm getting the leverage I need. The problem though, to be more descriptive, is the whole strut assembly begins to torque (like a twisting motion) when force is applied to the nut of the top hat. I don't have a technique for neutralizing the strut assembly while doing this; I thought a vice would do the trick but I was wrong. :)

With all of that said, it sounds like an impact gun would take care of it. The only problem with that is they're expensive. Man, I wish I lived in Cali so that I could visit your shop and knock this out of the park.

I really appreciate your ideas, though. Even if I couldn't use them per say, they illustrated the concepts to me and gave me ideas for tools to buy in the future. So not all was lost there. :)

I guess I'm going to throw in the towel for this part of the job. I'm going to take it to a pro tomorrow.

that's the nut i was talking about to crack loose while it's still on the car. :)

I just got my wife to do it... she's awesome at crack'n nuts... mine haven't been the same since we got married.

Ahhhhh :facepalm:

I guess I could pop it back in there and give it a try.

:icon18:

mr.onzedge jr (colin) - would something like this work? :)

14PCS 1/4",3/8" dr GO-THROUGH SOCKET SET | eBay

i remember just using a regular socket + channel lock + allen wrench to do my MINI long time ago. :D

:icon18: blahahahaha!!

btw, that MINI i posted is a car, not my nuts. :icon17: (just want to be clear)