HELP! Stubborn strut housing

[eighteight325is]

Well I started my suspension upgrade yesterday (Bilsteins, H&R Sports, strut mounts/bearings, control arms, offset CAB's and tie-rod ends) and I've hit a bit of a snag.

After removing the front springs from the perches I am unable to get the threaded collar that locks the gas cartridges inside the housings to come off. I broke my pin spanner on the first attempt and have tried big plumbers channel locks with no success.

Does anyone have any ideas? One thought I had was sliding a large castle nut over the piston and welding it in place on the collar, compressing the piston and putting a big wheel bearing socket on it and hitting it with the impact gun. However, I'm sort of nervous to weld or use a torch around this thing. Do you think the gas would be inert or is there potential for one of these things to explode?

Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks.
lm

[Brew]

Pipe wrench.

[Van Westervelt]

put it into a (mounted) vice and use a large pipe wrench (aka plumbers wrench, aka monkey wrench) :) or get a cheater bar. Mine sucked too. I let it sit for a day then gave her a try again, and viola!

[erik325i]

Pipe wrench.

[eighteight325is]

Ok, thanks for your replies. I've been soaking the threads in penetrating oil and will go back out and try giving them some plumbers toolbox lovin'.

Anyone have any thoughts on use of the old "blue wrench" on them if the pipe wrench won't budge them? I don't want to blow myself up :)

Hey E30 Groupie, funny you threw in that comment about a "mounted" bench vise. I had to laugh as I just moved, haven't built a work bench in the garage and my vise is lying on the floor. Dammit :)

[trashcop 80s 80s]

I angled in an air hammer in one of the holes and hit it a couple of times.

[Dave]

Soak the bitch in PB Blaster then use a pipe Wrench.

[NC325iC]

i had to take one of mine to merchants cause i couldnt get it and i was using a friends garage and his dad was gettin mad

[erik325i]

Ok, thanks for your replies. I've been soaking the threads in penetrating oil and will go back out and try giving them some plumbers toolbox lovin'.

Anyone have any thoughts on use of the old "blue wrench" on them if the pipe wrench won't budge them? I don't want to blow myself up :)

Hey E30 Groupie, funny you threw in that comment about a "mounted" bench vise. I had to laugh as I just moved, haven't built a work bench in the garage and my vise is lying on the floor. Dammit :)

If you are having such a hard time removing the collar, you should mount the strut back into your car, and then use a pipe wrench on it.

Every time I replace struts, I try to loosen that collar before I remove the strut housing from the car.

-Erik

[fretburnr]

i used a hardened flat drift and a hammer; keep that drift up against one of the corners and whack it loose.

[eighteight325is]

One down

Hey thanks again for all the replies and advice. I think next time I will try loosening before removing the strut assembly.

I spent what time I had yesterday with one of the struts. I mounted my vice and stacked up some boards under the strut so I could really push down with the pipe wrench. All I managed to do was fold over the edge of the lock ring and mangle it to hell. It didn't even budge. I think these must have been the originals from 1988 :)

So I took my last stand and drilled the end of the strut releasing the gas and draining the oil bath. I cut the ring nearly flush with the top of the strut assembly, removed the shock innards and went to town with a drift, a couple of small metal chisels and dremel with a carbide wheel. I was able to quarter the ring by scoring four diagonal cuts making sure not to go all the way through the ring. With enough persuassion from the drift, chisel and hammer the ring broke free and what remained of the strut cartridge came out leaving the strut assembly and threads basically unscathed.

I don't recommend this sort of surgery if you can help it. Still have one to do. I borrowed a bigger pipe wrench from my father in-law so here's hoping I can twist that one off.

Thanks again for all of your advice.
lance.

[eighteight325is]

Two Down

Borrowed an enormous pipe wrench. For a brief second I had my entire weight (198 pounds) suspended in the air off the handle, but the strut finally gave it up and twisted off.

Onto the next challenge...

[FredK]

Bumping this up for my solution.

I had a 2 foot pipe wrench and the strut mounted in a vise, and it didn't do jack. I used PB Blaster, pipe wrench, propane torch, pipe wrench, chisel, pipe wrench, in that order.

I then just cut the collar off 1mm above the strut housing using a reciprocating saw, heated the strut housing, and hit the threaded portion with a little chisel. Came out like butter, and only took around two minutes of cutting, and 10 seconds of chiseling. That was the second strut housing. The first one took a lot longer. You know how that goes.

[matt]

I weld a piece of square steel to them then clamp them in a vice and turn the nuts.

[xLibelle]

i too, had trouble.
so i did it the easy way and took them to the dealer. usually free of charge.
they have a special spanner socket that mounts on an impact wrench.

if you find it doesnt come off by putting it in a vice and applying everything you can put into it, quit and take it to a shop PERIOD.

to tighten back down, put in vice, and only liberal amount of force. it doesnt need to be extreme-tight, its not going to loosen easily.