Did I break my strut?
 

I compressed the OEM spring and tried to unscrew the tophat nut. The rod the nut is attached to now moves and the nut won't unscrew. >.<

Try to loosen the nut under pressure first.

If it won't break loose? An impact gun air or cordless maybe needed

Once the nuts loose compress the spring

Typically, you have to hold the inner rod from turning while loosening the nut. You may have to loosen the nut while the spring is under tension.

F$%^$%^g suburb shops.I know which two to never go to. Neither would air gun them off for me.

I took the spring compressors off and no go. The rod still spins and I can't get a vice on the end -and- a wrench on the nut. Fabulous...coil overs anyone?

Pull the dust boot down and grab the rod inside the spring with the vice grips. That should work.

DUDE! Rep now and all the beer and women you want if you're ever in Minnesota!

lol you're welcome!

Wahoo! Done! Well...with one front. Now for the other!

Get an offset wrench to hold the rod and then the socket for the top nut

Same issue as you, I went with an impact gun though.

If you do this you might as well throw the strut away!!

DO NOT DO THIS! Would you throw vise grips down into your cylinder and expect the piston rings to not leak because you scared the cylinder walls??

EVERY!! Strut has an allen head or 6 point nut or something on top to hold the shaft in place. Then a special socket needs lowered down over the main nut and break it lose. Ours happens to have two flat spots on each side where a 10mm wrench can go to hold the shaft.

Again if you spin the shaft to much, use vise grips etc on that rod you pretty much destroyed it because the seals will now leak.

And they're right to! Spinning the shaft without holding it still will destroy the seals. They're right not to impact them.

Maybe we should edit the DIY stuff. Everything I read said use an air gun to get them off.

Ok mr. know it all, whatever you say. Not like I haven't been a car mechanic all my life or anything

I just held the shaft with a crescent wrench and backed the nut off with another. No problemo.