Rear strut removal help

[TMetalMan]

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of switching out my rear struts, but have run into a problem. There are 2 larger bolts that hold the bottom of the strut to the knuckle, and I can't get the bottom one loosened. The top one is loosened up but there doesn't seem to be an adequate position for me to place the torque bar. This is the only thing holding me back from finishing the strut replacement.

Using a ~1.5ft. long torque bar 1/2" drive and 3/4" socket.

Thanks!

[kegunder]

You might need a little bit of a 1/2 socket extension. Either that or the car needs to be on higher jack stands.

Don't forget that you can loosen the other end, the bolt itself. Just put a 19mm (3/4) box wrench on the bolt. Penetrating fluid, a torch and impact wrench are all good ways to loosen it as well.

[TMetalMan]

Well I was already using a long 3/4" socket (which I ended up cracking...)

After seeing Adam's Drum-to-Disk tutorial I decided to pull the rear hub, which provided the necessary clearance to get to that bottom bolt. I also pulled out the speed sensor to prevent damage to it.

[FireFire]

Originally Posted by TMetalMan

Well I was already using a long 3/4" socket (which I ended up cracking...)

After seeing Adam's Drum-to-Disk tutorial I decided to pull the rear hub, which provided the necessary clearance to get to that bottom bolt. I also pulled out the speed sensor to prevent damage to it.

I just did last last week. Yes. It's very tight. I even brake my 3/8. Get PB Blaster and put it on, wait 10 mins, put PB again, wait 10 mins. Try to tight it then loss it, tight it loss it. If you can't loss it, put more PB and wait another 10 mins.

I put PB on one side when I doing things on the other side. Then it's easy to take it off. It spend me 2x10 mins to take off the first bot, but after that, just 10 mins each.

Mine is original from toyota and 330k km already, so the nuts are pretty rusty..... Good luck...

Make sure you put socket on the other side. it will turn when you loss the bot on your side...

[Stillrunning]

Originally Posted by TMetalMan

Using a ~1.5ft. long torque bar

Use a 2ft pipe extension. PB Blaster and heat.

[artbuc]

Originally Posted by FireFire

I just did last last week. Yes. It's very tight. I even brake my 3/8. Get PB Blaster and put it on, wait 10 mins, put PB again, wait 10 mins. Try to tight it then loss it, tight it loss it. If you can't loss it, put more PB and wait another 10 mins.

I put PB on one side when I doing things on the other side. Then it's easy to take it off. It spend me 2x10 mins to take off the first bot, but after that, just 10 mins each.

Mine is original from toyota and 330k km already, so the nuts are pretty rusty..... Good luck...

Make sure you put socket on the other side. it will turn when you loss the bot on your side...

330k km! Do you still have original rear wheel hubs? Mine are starting to go bad (bearings feel rough) at only 100k miles.

[itzsteven]

Try to get an electric impact gun. It will help you a lot. I used rust eater from Pepboys, and it seems to a better job than wd40

[LynchburgCSI]

Originally Posted by Stillrunning

Use a 2ft pipe extension. PB Blaster and heat.

^ x2

[FireFire]

Originally Posted by artbuc

330k km! Do you still have original rear wheel hubs? Mine are starting to go bad (bearings feel rough) at only 100k miles.

Yes. Just replace the right one. Left one still goes great.