like the title says, i need help on figuring a way to get the nut off of the top of the strut. it wont budge loose. ive tried my 1/2 in impact and that didnt work. ive tried a long breaker bar and still nothing. all thats happening is the shaft is spinning. anyone had this happen to them? what did you do? ive tried sprying the nut with pb blaster and letting it sit for a while. still nothing. im getting very frustrated! ive spent more time trying to get this one strut taken apart than the whole spring swap should have taken me....

 

There is an allen key spot in the center of the bolt. you need to use that to stop it from spinning

 

Exactly. You need one of those rachet's with a hole in the head to put an allen key through.

 

Yup. and a service tool to do it. costs under a 100 bux....ghetto? vice grips on the strut shaft in between the top most coils of the spring so the shaft that runs in the strut seal isnt damaged by doing so, afterwards

 

Or a regular socket with a belt wrench around it, and the allen key through where you would normally put the ratchet on the socket. Dont know how well this way would work though if it is seized badly.

 

21mm spark plug socket, allen wrench(6mm?) something to hold the allen wrench and a crescent wrench for the spark plug socket..............end of story

 

its not an allen its a t50 torx

 

I use a large pair of slip joint pliers with a piece of rubber wrapped around the shaft to protect it from getting scratched. Works like a charm! I also use a Dewalt electric impact which seems to have more torque than an air impact.

 

When i TRIED to change my struts I had the same problem but it was on there so tight that it snapped the torx screw and trust me it was a heavy duty screw...still have the FE5 struts sitting in my garage cause I couldn't get it off for **** and we were messing with it for at least a hour

 

heat up the nut with a torch.

 

I used an allen wrench cause its a bit stronger than most of my cheapy torx bits, don't have the same grade of tools as you.

 

i ended up using the vice grips on the shaft inbetween the springs to keep it from spinning. then i let it sit with PB blaster on it for about an hour. it finally ended up breaking loose with the impact after trying for about 10 mins off and on. my air compressor couldnt keep up....

 

You did compress the springs before attempting to remove the top nut right? Its easier that way :P