Hey guys,

I'm trying to remove a stripped nut attached to the front left strut top hat in the engine bay, it seems to just be spinning freely on the grooves not going up and down and i don't want to ruin the threads on the top hat i wanna get it off so I can put on a strut bar. Also I tried to get under it to force it up but it was gunned down which is what i think ruined the threads. Unfortunately i don't have access to power tools right now and i was gonna go buy bolt cutters but I'm afraid I'll end up clipping the thread on the top hat and be in deeper shit than I am now.

Why is everything so difficult this should have taken 20 mins if that.

Thanks guys

 

Do you not have a torque wrench?

I would stop forcing it. Get a new bolt maybe?

 

The problem is likely that the threads on the bolt are damaged as you said. Both the bolt and nut should be replaced. One way to get the nut off is to pry up on it while turning it and hope the threads will catch enough to get it off. If it's in an accessible place a pair of vice grips might be used to pull up and turn at the same time. Another option is to split the nut with a hammer and chisel or other tools.

I just went through a similar problem with an exhaust manifold stud.

 

I think OP is describng the stud that attaches to the strut top hat,,1 of 3

the problem is that stud is turning on him, meaning the weld or however its attched to the hat has failed

No its not a regular nut and bolt setup

Have a buddy try to turn the nut as you watch from below
may be able to slip a screwdriver/pry of some type between the stud and hat from below, enough to get the nut off
Will need to reattach that stud with some epoxy-gorilla glue rocks!!
or remove strut from car,, replace the entire hat for 25$ plus spring compression at shop, or diy loaner tool
that part of the job is very dangerous!

 

Your only option is to force up on it or cut it off. Its likely that the threaded part may be stripped as well. You cant replace the bolt either as its part of the top hat for the shock. Get it off first then see what the damage is.

 

Im thinking lifting the corner of the car with the jack- may put enough load on the strut and tophat,, that removal of the nut can occur?

 

If the bolt threads are trash use a dremel and just cut off the nut. If you think the bolt is useable use the dremel and cut grooves in the nut in the same plane (parallel) as the bolt and then use a screwdriver in the grooves you created to split the nut off.

 

Thanks guys for all the input I think that just the nut itself is stripped the bolt doesn't move the nut just spins freely, I had a mishap with this same strut having the allen key part of the strut strip while I was putting on ym lowering springs so my car must really hate suspensions work but thats a good ideal 01tl4tl the jack it makes sense to me. If all else fails I'm gonna buy this http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CEUQ8wIwAA to break the nut then find a replacement one at home depot fingers crossed the thread on the bolt isn't stripped.

 

Haha unfortunately no, after the hassle with the lowering springs my friend and I were so fed up we just used the airgun in his shop and called it a day....in retrospect a stupid idea..

 

good luck finding the nut at home depot, Ive tried, you have to go to acura or a more specialty place that will carry the nuts for you.

 

Remove the other 4 nuts (NOT THE CENTER ONE) and jack the car up and allow the weight of every thing hanging see if that will apply enough downward pressure. If not have a friend use a prybar or something to push down on the control arm as you try to remove it.

 

When off just get a tap set and rethread the bolt and get a new nut in the pitch/size that you rethreaded it

 

fsttyms1 has the best advice.
what does fsttyms1 mean anyway?
fast times?

 

fast times won (license plate i used to have on the car i raced)