Hey ya'll - I am working on replacing my front struts and got into a pickle. I got one in just fine. On the second the hard to reach bolt in the back (top of strut) was fully stuck. I broke the tong off a wrench tugging on it. Then stripped it then cut it off. I had to cut just above the built in washer due to the tight space and I was cautious about damaging the mount.

Whats left is the build in washer and now I cant get it to budge. Possibly the top of the strut is stuck on there too. I have tried banging on that washer piece with a file to try to pop it off. I was wondering about compressing the coil and pulling the shock out and then the coil would hang free - might give me more ways to wack on it.

What would you do? Thanks!

It's a 2000 4Runner SR5

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I'd get a Dremel in there with a sanding attachment and see if you can grind it down to the point you hit the top of the coil housing.

That is not a washer. It is a flanged nut so there will still be threads in that piece left there.

I'd try getting a cold chisel under that and see if you can pop it off. Of course grinding a little lower will help too.

those rear bolts can be a pain....and you might not like my fix...
so 4runner #2 was a pos. all kinds of issues and rust. the shocks were shot. I had a set of 99 talls with shocks that only had about 30k on them ( I had gone to a 3 inch lift). Knowing that I had springs and shocks for all corners...with the fronts stilll assembled as a unit.. I went to switch it all front and back. I ran into the same problem. Knowing that this rig was gonna go down the road when I found a replacement...I took a sawzall to the inner fender so that I could come straigh down on it from within the engine compartment with a large drill bit and drill it out/off.
others I had issues with too, but only that one front side I had to play that game. I had to cut the rear shocks off too to get them out...again rust

othewise if you can get a grinder to it....even a small metal grinder on a dremel or die grinder...that might work too. I did not have those at the time and I was pissed and wanting to get it done. I was so pissed with this rig its issues and the rust it went on sale the minute I found 4runner #3 a super clean rust free highlander 3rd gen 4runner..

F-YA! The Dremel did it!!!!

I felt like a dentist in there with the drill and the mirror. Only took about 3min
of shaving it down and then the "built in washer" ring just popped off.

Thanks everyone!

Good job! Patience wins the day on this sort of thing.