GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

i got a strut bar, i went to install, but for the life of me i couldnt get the nuts off. not even 1 out of the 6??? please dont tell me i am just a wimp.

yes, i did. i was kinda afraid to have the wrench stripp the nut. this may be a dumb question, but would the way the tires are aligned have anything to do with it? do i need a torque wrench right away, or do you think i could install now and maybe get it acurate in a few days?

Just to play it safe, you could soak in some good penetrating oil (The GM stuff is one of the best) for a couple of days, and or use the ol' gas wrench (a torch) to loosen them, but they probably won't take more than maybe 50 ft-lb without breaking the studs, and since they are part of the strut top plate, that could get expensive. (Mine came off with a 10" long box end wrench!)

ok, i got them. they were on there good. i wore a glove cause my hand was hurting, lol.

so what happen anyways if they are put on to tight? or to loose?

I haven't had any trouble loosing those nut when I changed my coil spring. Even the one who can be only remove with a key. Use loose nut to help.

i don't really mess with my nuts, so i have no input on this

Torque is very important. Too tight is just as bad as too loose. Most critical fasteners on a car are designed to handle a predetermined amount of torque. If you overtighten them, the bolt is weakened and could easily snap or break. Get a torque wrench. Most major automotive parts retailers will loan them to you for a deposit.

i didnt have any problems getting them off. are u talking about front or rear.

"Lefty Loosie...Rightie Tightie" I think I remember reading they should be torqued down to only about 29ft/lbs. For that small of nut/bolt, it's fairly tight though.