Front Strut Agony

[dbgnallRWD]

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

 

[willyd520]

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.

 

[Kanoe]

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.

 

[3bears]

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..

 

[dbgnallRWD]

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!

 

[Romeo1]

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