having a problem with removing rear struts

[Terriyaki]

I have a camry 99 with rear drum brakes, no abs, and I'm doing a spring install. The problem is getting to the freaken springs. Well my friend and I decided to do the rear first because it's more of a pain (which it is).

I'm not sure what the bolt is called but it's behind the brake drum. it's 3/4" size, and there's 2. I got off the top using a hollow rod on my wrench and got that one loose, but the second which is lower and i cant fit the hollow rod on cause of the space.

Any ideas? I was thinking of taking off the rear drum, but sounds like a pain. Another idea is to see if at home depo they will bend a hollow rod for me. And yes i have tried to use my own weak strenght to get off them suckers, but no luck.

My friend said that the bolt shouldn't be this hard to get off, but the car is like 6 years old heh. My last option is to go to a shop, which i have no idea how much it'll cost, but sound hefty.

Need help guys!!!

[Axel Kain]

tighten the one thats loose up a bit, and try again, got a breaker bar? use it!!! ive done my fronts, and can relate. my solution...1/2" drive breaker bar + good old brass hammer!

[c@mry]

I used a breaker bar, but can u get an extension for ur socket so u can pass the drum? Can you try from underneath? WD-40? Just some thoughts.

Good luck. I had a harder time getting my strut mounts loose.

[Axel Kain]

actually, use lube, or PB blaster!!!!! < great stuff, pb, most solvants should help, oohh...get a 3" 1/2" drive extension.

[Terriyaki]

nope dont have a breaker bar, but if i did the space wouldnt be big enough. Trying from under the car wouldnt work either, the wrench hits the inner wall. Another friend said to try pv buster or something for rust, and i think imma go to home depo and get a hollow rod bent, if it's not too much. I need something like an 'L' shape. I'm thinking a hollow rod bent like this:


i pull, push or step on heh / /
/ /
________ _/ /
| _________/
| |
| | <-- goes over my wrench


i wonder if it'll work...

[Axel Kain]

prolly will work...yah your friend said PB Blaster, get it at a parts store probably.

[Cyorke]

may sound stupid but make sure you are tryin to loosen the nut and not the bolt. the nut will almost always be easier to loowen than the bolt will be.

[CrashRider]

I just did my struts a few days ago, and I know exactly what you mean. I used a breaker bar with a slight extension, and I had no problems. I did use a rust eater of some kind before I even tried, that will help a lot.

Those are torqued on there at something like 188 ft/lbs so it will be a pain to get them off. Good luck!

[RedPhoenix]

okay. dont laugh... i had a hard time too the firs ttime.

i had an extension and the head of the socket sitting on a jack. and i had to stand on it for it to break off (im 220lbs...) and i had to jump a little. very shitty...

[CrashRider]

i didn't laugh, that's just messed up. I remember my dad telling me he had to jack up the end of a breaker bar to get the wheel hub nut thingy off his old Datsun Pinto whatever it was... I DID think that was funny at the time.

[Terriyaki]

cool thanks for the advice guys, last night i went to another friend and he had a breaker bar, an extension, and used a jack to step on to get it off. So yea, we did the rear last night, has a nice drop of like 2 fingers, but i have all the crap in my trunk, so i could be wrong. It also has a clunking noise when i turn, any ideas? I think it's the upper strut bolts, think they need to be tighter.

[Eye8Pussies]

^ quite possible- and you wouldn't really know until you got it installed unless you had an impact gun to use

but then again, if you did, you wouldn't have had all this trouble with that one bolt

[Terriyaki]

ha very true...I got a new problem now... my f-ing spline key broke @_@ so now i need to get a new one. anyways once i get it and work on the front again, I will try to take pictures.