[bmw_solid]

Hi All,

Urgent help required please!

Had no problems with the left strut, only this right strut which is being a PITA. The strut nut does not want to move...I have applied plus gas about 15 times and using a 21mm flat head socket along side a crow's foot and a 6mm hex bit (H6 bit) attached to a ratchet (going through the socket).

I have sheared my 6mm hex bit via the above process so have ordered a 21mm deep ring spanner and a good quality 6mm hex bit but am concerned as the internal 6mm hex in the strut stud is starting to round up slowly!

If I manage to round the stud in the strut shaft, what hack would there be to remove this bloody strut nut?!

- Tried loosening the nut with a compressed spring and without the spring compressed but no luck.

- Also tried my 12V impact gun but no luck.

- Can't damage the shock as its fairly new!

I'm in the process of changing the bump stops for my front struts as I had stupidly ordered M-Sport ones instead of SE ones when I booked my car in the garage to replace my front shocks! Had I ordered the correct bump stops I wouldn't be doing this job today!

Car is currently on axle stands and the fronts are basically stripped down.

[relative4]

IF and ONLY IF the spring is ACTUALLY COMPRESSED and DISENGAGED from the seats,
wrap an old timing belt around the shaft and grab it with a vise grip.
Then just spin it off with an impact wrench. An actual impact wrench, not a 12V toy.

[bmw_solid]

Originally Posted by relative4

IF and ONLY IF the spring is ACTUALLY COMPRESSED and DISENGAGED from the seats,
wrap an old timing belt around the shaft and grab it with a vise grip.
Then just spin it off with an impact wrench. An actual impact wrench, not a 12V toy.

Understood, this sounds like a good idea.

I will have to find a good rubber item as I don't have any old timing belt handy. But I think by putting a rubber material on the shaft and then applying the gripper on top will definitely provide much more grip and hopefully let that bloody nut come loose.

The only thing I don't have is a impact wrench! Will have to try this method with my 21mm socket and breaker bar if no success then I will put a 21mm deep ring spanner and knock it with a hammer maybe...

Thanks.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by bmw_solid

Understood, this sounds like a good idea.

I will have to find a good rubber item as I don't have any old timing belt handy. But I think by putting a rubber material on the shaft and then applying the gripper on top will definitely provide much more grip and hopefully let that bloody nut come loose.

The only thing I don't have is a impact wrench! Will have to try this method with my 21mm socket and breaker bar if no success then I will put a 21mm deep ring spanner and knock it with a hammer maybe...

Thanks.

You don't need a good rubber or rubber at all. Just grab it as higher as you can. Suspension travel is very limited. So you just don't want to damage the portion of the shaft that goes into the strut body. The top portion of it certainly doesn't.

[relative4]

A 120V impact wrench from Harbor Freight is cheap, more than adequate to this task, and an essential tool for working on cars.

[Wolf 335]

Originally Posted by relative4

A 120V impact wrench from Harbor Freight is cheap, more than adequate to this task, and an essential tool for working on cars.

This is not an option for him as he's in UK.

[bmw_solid]

Thanks all for your inputs.

I ended up going to my local garage and getting them to open the nut for me.

They also struggled but basically clamped the shaft and put their impact wrench on the nut and opened it. Even their impact wrench was struggling! The reason was because apparently when I got home and had a closer look at the thread on the shaft I noticed the tip of the shaft thread (maybe thread ring no.1) was sort of bulged outwards so I'm thinking that when I had the front shocks replaced last year by the same garage, they must have put the nut on straight with their impact wrench (not turning it a couple of turns by hand before using the impact wrench) and therefore wrecking the tip of the thread.

So, I have gone and ordered a new M12 nut from BMW + a M12 tap and die set so will either try the new nut first and see if that screws on okay (the current nut hesitates to turn after 1/2 turn). If the new nut also hesitates, then I will put on the M12 tap and clear the thread.