Hi all,

Just started a major task of replacing all my dampers/springs and polly bushing everything.

Done the steering rack bushes (that was a sod) and am now at the stage of trying to remove the suspension.

The problem is - (on both sides) the top pinch bolt that holds the damper to the wheel hub will not come of.
I have undone the nut so that is flush with the end of the bolt and hit it with a hammer, but to no avail.
It just wont move at all, have tried to turn the bolt but even with a large bar it's a real struggle to get it to move a fraction.

What i find odd is that both bottom bolts just popped out with a little tap!

I have done all the usual ie jacked up the wheel hub to get less pressure on the bolt - WD40'd the bolt overnight! , prayed and lost pints of blood over it :oops: oh and sworn a bit at it !

Does ne1 know of some secret to this? BTW a larger lump hammer is arriving shortly :evil:

If anyone can shed some light on this id be eternally gratefull.

Damian

I've got a 16 lb sledge hammer in the van!! :o

On my Aero one bolt was siezed on each side (top on one side and bottom on the other). I'd love to know how to free them. I took advantage of the fact that the Konis are an insert and cheated in a major fashion :oops:

I undid the brake caliper, bottom balljoint and driveshaft nut and took the whole hub off, since I wasn't replacing the original strut. Don't forget to use new driveshaft nuts or you'll be forever retightening them (I am, even after fitting new nuts). I did take the opportunity to fit new balljoints.

I tried heat and a big hammer and couldn't do it. My local dealer told me it would be a helluva job and that oxy-acetylene would be the only heat likely to be concentrated enough to work on such a large mass of metal as the hub. And even then, it might not work.

I intend to free them, though, since the top bearings I fitted were cheap cr4p and are rattling a lot so I need to remove the struts again and want to do it properly this time. I thought about getting new bolts (and nuts, what the heck?), then drilling along the length of the siezed bolts and passing a small hacksaw blade down the centre to cut a slot in them from the inside outwards.

Better ideas would be welcome.

Thanks Billj,

That's not a bad idea if i can't get them out today, ill give it a go. The only prob is that i have to have the car running for sunday morn! argh!

If my newly arrived lump hammer doesn't do it ill call on cdcarlsson's 16 lb sledge hammer :)

Ta

Damian

Update on above problem:

Have now removed 1 of the stuck bolts.

My tip to do this :)

Basically gave it a turn with a large bar and then hit it with an even larger lump hammer, repeat untill it budges or you get p****d off with the whole idea !

What I found tho, was slightly worring : the bolt was actually bent! How on earth this could happen with 2 bolts taking the weight i don't know, but their you have it.

New bolts/nuts on order, not in till monday :cry:
So my sunday trip to see the fogees is off, damn i was looking forward to a sunday roast :cry:

Right on to the next bolt.

Ta

Damian