4th Gen Rear Strut Stuck on Mounting/Axle Post

[noahwass]

Alright fellas,

I'm nearly done putting on my new suspension (Dobinsons) kit, but the GD passenger rear strut refuses to budge off the mounting post (see image). So far, I have tried the standard pry bar, a 4-pound hammer and metal pipe placed against the bottom of the strut under the axle, and swearing.

There are about 192k on the car with very little rust and these are the factory struts. Any tips and/or advice would be appreciated.

 

[noahwass]

As you can see in the photo, the axle bolt is off and there is no gap between the strut sleeve/bushing and the axle mounting post. I've been beating on it for a while and am not getting anywhere.

Does anyone know what will happen if I cut the rubber bushing at the base of the strut? I'm not going to reuse the strut at all.

 

[tellurunner]

Try heat and if that doesnt work cut it off. Pretty common for this to happen.

 

[Roamed YT]

Cut it off. Remember that it's had weight on it and been bolted down for 192k.

Besides, do you have any sentimental or resale value attached to the old struts?

 

[JVC8790]

Cut it off. Remember that it's had weight on it and been bolted down for 192k.

Besides, do you have any sentimental or resale value attached to the old struts?

THIS ^^^

We cut off 3/4 corner of my Xreas at 158k just because it was easier and there was no re-sale value. Of course, do not cut the shaft that the shock sits on, just cut the lollipop end of the shock on both sides.

That being said, if you insist on not cutting it off, you could try a gear puller/pitman arm puller/pulley puller of some kind depending on what fits. They can be rented at most Advance/Autozones for free.

Tie Rod and Pitman Arm Puller

 

[Inv4drZm]

Try and get the axle positioned so that the shock is fully extended and no further. It sounds like yours is seized on there pretty good but I have found this helps to take off shocks that aren't corroded. Just to make sure a compressed shock isn't working against you.

 

[noahwass]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! Thanks, JVC8790 for describing exactly what to cut off. :doh:

I'll get out some cutting wheels and start into it. I don't have any sentimental value to the strut itself. I'll work towards getting the strut and the gasket around the bushing removed. Once I get there, I'll work some heat into it to see if I cant get some traction.

 

[JVC8790]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! Thanks, JVC8790 for describing exactly what to cut off. :doh:

I'll get out some cutting wheels and start into it. I don't have any sentimental value to the strut itself. I'll work towards getting the strut and the gasket around the bushing removed. Once I get there, I'll work some heat into it to see if I cant get some traction.

I was reading replies and realized that it might be unclear what the suggestion of what to cut off was. Certainly don't cut the post! I'd just cut it at 3 and 9 o'clock and then hit it with a prybar/chisel/air hammer etc.

We cut off the Xreas on mine because it simply was going to be quicker than trying to save it all, I was gonna pitch it anyways so we made quick work with a cut off wheel and continued my suspension install with minimal delay.

 

[Ed_C]

I was reading replies and realized that it might be unclear what the suggestion of what to cut off was. Certainly don't cut the post! I'd just cut it at 3 and 9 o'clock and then hit it with a prybar/chisel/air hammer etc.

I believe this is what JVC means, a few slices across the "lollipop" like so

For the top nut, hold it with a box end or vice grips and just turn the whole shock body with a pair of channel locks. You'll be there forever trying to loosen the nut with a wrench, or if you're lucky the nut will be so seized it breaks off the shaft if you do attempt wrenching it loose.

 

[JVC8790]

Nailed it, that's exactly what I was thinking, except make two cuts 180 degrees from each other so that the two pieces are kinda like cam/crank bearings and are each 180 degree sections. if you make two cuts too close to each other you might have to "pry" open the lollipop part to get it off.

Or if you're careful, just sawzall/angle grinder off the top nut and throw away that old rusty junk Xreas.

 

[Fern]

The shock is not perpendicular to the bolt, so it is binding up. Get under the vehicle and pull down on the upper portion of the shock to compress it. Before the shock extends itself back up, slide the lower part off.

 

[Ed_C]

Yup, I should've mentioned slicing at the opposite side. Forgot about the sawzall too, been there done that LOL

 

[chaz]

spray with PB blaster the nite before, at full extension it should slide off easily using a small pry bar.

 

[noahwass]

I got it off! I wanted to clarify the steps that I took so that others can hopefully find this in the future.

To be clear, I had the top nut completely removed (that was easy for me), the strut was not binding the post (I had it moved to the outside of the frame so that it wasn't hung up on anything), and I had attempted at prying the strut off the mounting post with a prybar. That strut was stuck!!

On to the cutting suggestions. Obviously, don't cut the mounting post. The problem was that there is an outer metal ring, inner gasket, and an inner metal ring on the bottom 'donut' of the strut. Cutting through the outer metal ring was not stressful. I had no concerns about hitting anything that I didn't want to cut. Once I was through that, the hard part was getting the metal/gasket disengaged. The rubber gasket felt like it was a part of the metal (pretty cool, really!). A utility knife made quick work of the gasket so that the inner metal ring was 'exposed.

At first, I started cutting on it and realized that I was eventually going to get really close to the mounting post which made me really nervous. I ended up prying the remainder of the strut off of the stuck inner metal ring (disengaging the rubber gasket from the stuck metal ring). Once I had this off, I took to grinding horizontal lines across the inner ring. I then took a torch to it, heated it up, stuck a chisel in the groove that I made and started hammering.

Eventually, it started to spin. Once it spun, I was able to grab it with some expanding pliers and just pull it off.

Phew! Thanks for the pointers, everyone.

 

[JVC8790]

I got it off! I wanted to clarify the steps that I took so that others can hopefully find this in the future.

I love a good ol' thread with closure! Too often someone starts a thread then never comes back to update how they got past an issue.

Great teamwork from T4R! hahaha jk

 

[noahwass]

JVC8790, exactly how I feel! Too many of my searches have ended in dead ends. Not on my watch!