Rear strut assembly removal -- stuck lower mount?

[storunner13]

I'm working on replacing the rear struts on my '03 5 speed. However, I'm stuck trying to remove the lower strut mount from the threaded post. The rubber gasket seems stuck? I've tried prying it off, but it doesn't want to move more than a few mm before settling back to its original position.

What am I missing?

[jolt]

The lower bushing is rusted/frozen to the mounting stud. If the bushing has a steel liner in it, it will rust to the stud. If the bushing is all rubber it can fuse to the stud over time. Either way, you need to break it loose. After you removed the nut and washer that holds the lower shock to the stud, you may need to keep working it and applying penetrating oil to the stud and bushing till it comes loose. Sometimes it can get so bad that you need to take a die grinder with a cut off wheel and split the bushing in two to get it off the stud - that is the worst case that it can get.

Check here for more info to make sure you have things supported and you are taking it apart in the right order:

http://madstyle1972.com/Repair/27/200qnl01/w040001.pdf

[storunner13]

Thanks for the repair instructions. I had it supported on one side, I'll move the support to the center of the rear axle beam.

Lets hope penetrating oil is my problem, and not a fused or rusted bushing. I'll get after it again today.

The right hand lower bolt is stuck too, so if penetrating oil can't get that off, I'll be out of luck again. With only jack stands it's hard to get more than 12" of leverage on the bolt.

[jolt]

You do not want shear force to break a rusted nut or bolt loose. That is how you twist bolts off. Vibration is what gets threads broken loose along with penetrating oil (to lube and flush out rust particles). That is why an impact gun works, it is the vibrations from the impact that break the nut or bolt loose.

When working with stuff like this, I like to use a zip gun (air impact hammer) with a chisel bit to split the nut and open it up. Something you can try is placing a heavy solid piece of steel on one side of the nut and striking the other side of the nut with a hammer. The steel acts as a dolly against the flat side of the nut while the hammer hits the other flat side of the nut. This force and vibration cause the nut center hole to go oblong, breaking the rust inside free and allowing the penetrating oil to get into the threads. This same thing works great on frozen pipe threads too...if you do any plumbing.

Brute force twist off frozen bolts, and sometimes it is faster to twist them off then save them, but if you need to save the parts... then vibration is your friend. You can even use the zip gun with a punch bit on the side of the nut flats or the head of a bolt to vibrate it so it comes free.

[storunner13]

Well, I ended up having to take it to a shop. With 160k miles on the original struts, the struts had essentially fused to the post. Apparently it took the mechanic 10 minutes with an air hammer to break it free.

I'm glad I didn't spend any more time than I did trying to get it off myself.

[boomermsu]

I had this same problem when I did all my suspension at 230,000 miles.

Nut came off no problem but the bushing/sleeve was fused to the mounting stud.

I cut the strut off from the rubber bushing and then had to burn/heat the bushing and sleeve until it broke free from the mounting stud.

Passenger side didn't have this problem. Only the drivers rear.

Heavy/Long prr bar didn't work, impact hammer/chissel didn't work, days of penetrating oil didn't work.

End of the day heat was the only answer.