Front strut stuck in place

[Smurray]

Installing new struts and springs in all 4 corners and the factory drivers side front strut is completely stuck. Passenger side was ok getting out, rear two struts required sawzall. Have tried PB blaster, torch and sawzall with no success.

Already pulled xreas so rolling it to a shop will be tough. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[AuSeeker]

Your image link is not working correctly, it doesn't go to your photo/s.

 

[Smurray]

Your image link is not working correctly, it doesn't go to your photo/s.

Does this work?

 

[AuSeeker]

Yes and the same photo is in your OP as well.

If you can't cut the top off with a sawzall, I'm not sure what else you can do other than try a grinder with a thin cutting disc to grind/cut it off, WEAR A FACE SHIELD in case the thin disc breaks!!

If you have a cutting torch that would do it as well..BUT you risk setting the entire vehicle on fire if you not careful and things go badly!

 

[firebirdguy]

had the same issue with one side xreas "shock" on mine. (these arent struts)

no need for a sawzall or cutting torch, the body of the shock is stuck in the hole of the shock tower... get a long beefy crow bar or pry bar & wedge it in between one of the top spring coils & the inside of that shock tower, then pry side to side & downward with as much force as you can manage to dislodge it, it should pop out. also try to hit the top of the shock & the 3 bolts with a hammer to help break it free. & make sure the lower control arm is pushed down & not touching the bottom of the shock helping to keep it in there.

if you havent, use some penetrating oil around that whole area to help & if it still doesnt come out try some heat on the outer area of the shock tower hole, not on the shock itself. i suggest a propane torch as the flame is smaller & not as hot so no risk of damaging other parts or catching the vehicle on fire!

but you shouldn't need heat, prying in the right area with the right angle & amount of force it will come out, its just light rust/corrosion holding it in there & its not seized or welded in place from the rust.

 

[Smurray]

had the same issue with one side xreas "shock" on mine. (these arent struts)

no need for a sawzall or cutting torch, the body of the shock is stuck in the hole of the shock tower... get a long beefy crow bar or pry bar & wedge it in between one of the top spring coils & the inside of that shock tower, then pry side to side & downward with as much force as you can manage to dislodge it, it should pop out. also try to hit the top of the shock & the 3 bolts with a hammer to help break it free. & make sure the lower control arm is pushed down & not touching the bottom of the shock helping to keep it in there.

if you havent, use some penetrating oil around that whole area to help & if it still doesnt come out try some heat on the outer area of the shock tower hole, not on the shock itself. i suggest a propane torch as the flame is smaller & not as hot so no risk of damaging other parts or catching the vehicle on fire!

but you shouldn't need heat, prying in the right area with the right angle & amount of force it will come out, its just light rust/corrosion holding it in there & its not seized or welded in place from the rust.

I really appreciate the detailed instructions. We did try a pry bar but maybe not the correct way. Doused it in PB last night and will head back to try again tonight. We already broke 1 mallet, frustrating as hell.

 

[81runner]

Smack that sucker with a BFH (big f##kin hammer) and wiggle it back and forth until it relents and falls out. Hardest part is getting the top hat to move. If that fails, use the no compressor method to remove the shock and spring CAREFULLY, the top hat will remain, and from there you can knock it out with said BFH, or tweak it a little with a pry bar to get the top hat to fall out. I helped a friend of mine swap out xreas last year, same thing. It did not wanna come out. That rubber likes to adhere itself to the bucket.

 

[firebirdguy]

one side of mine was just like that too when i replaced the xreas 6 months ago. the shock was stuck in the hole & wouldnt budge, a big 2 foot long crow bar popped it right out. i placed it between the top coil & the upper inner corner area of the frame pocket the shock sits in. a BFH will help break it free too but i found the pry bar is what made it actually come out.

you should be able to get it out without taking it to a shop if you are this far along.

 

[shine]

Did you remove the rear nut (of the three that hold the shock in place) from inside the engine compartment, or from the wheel well?

You can access it from the inside the engine compartment by pushing the inside sheet metal slightly. Then you might be able to get some good blows in with your BFH and a bolt or something similar that will give you access. I'm a big believer in vibrations from a hammer helping loosen things that are stuck.

Also, make sure the lower control arm is hanging down below and that the shock is not seated in the LCA. You'll have to loosen the alignment bolts to do this.

And one final thing... Make sure you thread the nuts back on to at least 2 of the three bolts on top. You don't want the shock just falling down and damaging anything nearby.

 

[eleven14]

Same Thing

I ran into the same thing on both sides when I pulled mine. Assuming you've removed all three nuts (there's one tucked on the backside), I took an old chisel and put it between the shock mount and top cap and whacked away with a mallet. Took about 3 blows and dropped free after I wrestled it for hours.

Good luck

 

[That_Titanium_4RNR]

Installing new struts and springs in all 4 corners and the factory drivers side front strut is completely stuck. Passenger side was ok getting out, rear two struts required sawzall. Have tried PB blaster, torch and sawzall with no success.

Already pulled xreas so rolling it to a shop will be tough. Does anyone have any advice?

Got to harbor freight and buy this. 12 Piece Industrial Punch and Chisel Set use some of the smaller chisels to drive it between the strut and housing. Then pry. It takes a while. Smack them hard!!

 

[jcaino]

Put the bolt back in the strut/LCA mount and pry down on that - used a 2x4 in my case. While holding pressure on it, give the top a few whacks with a BFH.

 

[Elan750]

air hammer, invest now and youl will be eternally greatful

 

[DoctorPopcorn]

Sorry to revive an older thread, but posting for the 6 hrs I spent removing both stock XREAS coilovers, hoping to help anyone in the future in the rust belt. I had already cut out my LCAs, so I didn't have them for leverage.

Driver side came out after 1.5 hrs of torching with MAP gas, then shooting PB Blaster between the rust-welded top hat and the shock tower, sucking the PB into the crevice with a lot of smoke. I then chiseled (chisels, punches, and pickle fork) and pounded everywhere I could until she finally popped.

Tried the same for the passenger... for 4 hrs. Finally, I roasted the top of the shock tower for 5-10 mins, until the bushings (which had already been on fire several times) started to catch flame without direct torch heat. Then, liberally sprayed in more PB, grabbed my 1" wood chisel (figured it was worth ruining) and chiseled moving back and forth between the top hat and the shock tower, and it finally separated. The last 2 sentences are what I would recommend just doing right away if you're having any issues.

Again, sorry for digging this back up, but I've worked on plenty of 20+ year old MN trucks, but this one really enraged me.

Still stuck after hours of torching, burning, chiseling, and beating:

Surgical equipment used (just skip straight to the wood chisel):

The demented top hat that tormented & taunted me for days:

 

[rdruss]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, I have an '03 and many projects take twice as long because of rust.

 

[MikeinNH67]

Been there but for not as long as you thankfully. A large chisel clamped into vicegrips and a BFH did the deed. The first one took me some time, I was not as gentle on the second one which was much quicker.

 

[JjBlinks123]

in the process of taking mine out now. that back bolt is right and stuck. any ideas?

 

[firebirdguy]

Hi all, I just have a quick question,

Am I able to change just the front strut or do I need the coil assembly as well . I just bought 2 new struts off rock auto they came with no spring assembly will I be able to put just the strut in or do I HAVE to have everything? Thanks for your help all

I attached a picture of what I have bought.

cant see the pic. but to answer your question, yes you need to install your spring onto the new shock if you want to reuse the springs or buy new springs. they can be installed with a spring compressor you can rent at an auto parts store or can use the in car with a jack method, should be some youtube videos on how to do that.

or the better option is to buy complete coil over shocks that already have the spring & new top hat pre installed. KYB has a very good coil over or some other brands like monroe but they are pretty soft & not as good as the KYB.

 

[4r-4ever]

me too, i've spent hours trying to separate that strut from the frame. i cleaned it all up afterwards and repainted it, this is another few hours removing the rust. but worth it i think. i think i had a ptsd after that work. Glad i found God and healed me of the disorder. God is good!

Been there but for not as long as you thankfully. A large chisel clamped into vicegrips and a BFH did the deed. The first one took me some time, I was not as gentle on the second one which was much quicker.

 

[Finest]

Just finished my suspension (170k miles), spent an hour with a BFH with no results. My retired mechanic neighbor comes over to investigate all the swearing and banging, takes one look and comes back with an air chisel. Hooked up to my compressor and got it off in 10 seconds. Passenger side went so much quicker.