I bought the Progress RSB last week and have been waiting for a nice day out to install it. Yesterday was the day. I put the car on ramps and was all set to do the swap until I hit a snag. I was trying to remove the passenger side end link nut which was a PITA to even get loose as I had to use my foot just to loosen it but I was able to loosen it and was working the nut down the stud when just before I got to the end of the stud I could not loosen it any further. I tried using a crap load of WD-40 and all of my might but to no avail. But now I cant even tighten the damn nut back to at least have the stock RSB in place and it's just sitting there basically frozen in place. I need all of your help! What can I do to get this damn nut off? Any tricks I can use for leverage being that the allen wrench is small it is a little hard to try and hold that thing and then use my crescent wrench to force it the other way. Anyone know of a product I can buy to loosen the nuts grip besides WD-40? Or do I just have to take it to a shop and get them to install it?
Please help ASAP as Im driving now w/ a wobly stock RSB

 

sounds like you stripped the stud threads pretty good backing the nut off. If you don't have access to a torch, I would take it to a shop and have them hit it with some heat and then try working it off. The condition of the stud after that probably won't be good.

Man, you didn't even get to the hard part of that install! Good luck.

 

make sure you don't have a strip bolt there but try PB Blaster or liquid wrench

 

impact gun

 

take it to a shop

 

How do I tell if the bolt is stripped? The threads that are acutally visible look clean and thick still. Do you mean the allen wrench hole? I still have grip left in there when I place the allen wrench in there - enough that I have resistance when I hold the allen wrench and try and loosen or tighten the nut that is. And w/ an impact gun...how would I be able to loosen the nut w/ that? How would I be able to fit the allen wrench in if I have an impact wrench bit covering the hole? Wouldn't that just make the stud spin w/ the nut?

 

Put a ratcheting wrench on the nut and get an allen socket to hold the end link. Move the nut forward and backward. It is a nylon lock nut so you will have to do this to get it to fully come off the endlink. If that doesn't work try torching the nut with a handheld torch. If that doesn't work get a set of thin vise grips and grip on the inside of the end link and use an impact gun to shock it.

 

get a breaker bar.

something that extends the length of the handle of the wrench for a lot more torque. the further away you are from the bolt the more torque at the bolt.

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I guess I'll be raiding Home Depot tomorrow or tonight after work. I'll update this thread once I retry again friday.

 

I think you just need more leverage. I used a 1/2" ratchet as the 3/8" was a little tough to move. If that doesn't work then get yourself about a two foot long piece of steel pipe at HD. Slip it over the end of your ratchet and you gain a bunch of torque multiplication. Maybe sure the allen wrench it wedged up against something good before you start cranking or you might strip it.

 

Be careful when you tug on something with that much leverage and torque. I have slipped many times doing stuff like that and it's liable to damage you or the car. Take your time. Also try working it back and forth, tightening and loosening as much as possible while applying liquid wrench.

 

Alright, I'm getting annoyed. I saturated the nut w/ PB Blaster and let it sit for 30 mins. Got back under the car and tried again w/ my breaker bar and a new Hex set(which has better grip and isnt just the little L-Shaped bar). Still nothing...I can't tighten or loosen the nut. It's not budging and my locking pliers are still too fat to try and fit on the exposed thread to try and just lock that and shock the nut off. I'm a little leary of heating the nut up being that I'm so close to combustibles, fuel lines, etc. The only thing I can think of is this
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...rd=nut+cracker
I know I have to replace the nut anyway. Think this will work? I appreciate the input guys.

 

Bump...I'm getting ready to go to Sears and get it unless someone stops me, haha.

 

How'd you make out?

Hope all is well.

 

Bleh, I've been stuck @ work @ the hospital all weekend and yesterday. The sun is out today and weather is warm. Breaking the ramps out in a few hours and giving it another go, hehe If this doesn't work I think I will have to break down and actually pay someone to do it ...That or I will go insane w/ rage and frustration and just rip the damn endlink off the car but hopefully not the latter...

Wish me luck!

 

be careful not to scratch up your paint if the ratchet falls when the nut comes loose

 

All I can do is laugh...So I went at it again yesterday and tried out my newly purchased Craftsman Nut Cracker. First strike against me is that what I'm working with isn't a standard Hex shaped nut but a Hex shape nut w/ a flat round base at the bottom. I slipped the cracker on and started tightening it. It was a PITA still but I was making progress as I could see the blade cutting into the nut. All of a sudden...CRACK... I was elated as I figured I had finally did what I had been previously unable to do and remove that f$&#ing nut. I loosened the cracker and was about to remove the nut but when I looked at the nut the cut was not all the way through - The friggin' Nut Cracker CRACKED. In half, to be exact. Im at a loss. I went back to Sears last night and replaced it under it's warranty but I don't know if I should attempt it again or search locally for a shop to do it for me. The thought of me paying someone to do something so simple is what klling me but I feel if I go through another cracker again I will need to see a Psychiatrist. This nut is taunting me I have to think about it...

 

:UPDATE:

Soooo... it was nice the other day so I decided to give this another go. I have updated my arsenal of tools including a cordless impact wrench and new MOOG endlinks - I figure why the hell would I want to go through w/ this again, I'm just gonna replace the damn things now. I brought out the new nut cracker I had replaced by sear and went at it again. This time with....SUCCESS!!!. That GD nut came off after god knows how long. I laughed as it hit the ground broken, laying there like a little wuss. I wanted to take a piss on it out of spite but was afraid of what the neighbors might think after seeing me urinating in the middle of my driveway. The other nuts came off fine -a little work for the endlinks but the bushings were no trouble. I worked the bar out and put the new bar in. Took me about 3 hours total but the bar is on and.. I LOVE IT!! The nut is now in a garbage can waiting to go to a landfill...fucker.
Thanks for the help guys.

 

Glad it worked out!!!

 

Damn. Installed mine a few days ago. Took 45 minutes. Must be the humidity back east causing the rust. I had no issues. The nut got stuck at the end where there was some rust so I used the allen wrench there. Was using a 1/2" torque wrench and it came lose no problem.

I put it on the stiffer setting. The handling is simply amazing now compared to the old 17mm sway bar ( 5sp automatic version). It's got be driving faster now around corners which is bad but it's sooo addicting.

 

i also loosened it about half way and then it got stuck. so i took some vise-grip pliers and put it between the swaybar and the endlink and used an impact gun to take it off. after i put the RSB back in i used anti-seize on all of the fasteners. i aslo used generous amounts of di-eletric grease on the bushings. the little bottle that comes in the box isnt enough to assure a lasting sqeak free RSB. the whole process tooke around 30 min. but i was doing this on a hoist so it was alot easier for me.