I cannot seem to get the top nut loose. I held the shaft but the nut seems intact from corrosion. It's pretty tight in there. The manual calls for a J-25591 removal tool. I guess this hold the top but I do not have enough force to remove the nut. Any help is very much appreciated.
either a cutoff wheel or a torch works great. It either that or lots of liquid wrench and some vise grips or a nut splitter. I usually go for the installation when they have a special on it for like $30 a pair.
you are right. I should have taken it in to a shop but I hate mechanics working on the car because they don't take care. The car is in pristine almost brand new condition so I am very nervous when it is in someone's shop. Might try a nut splitter. I do not have a torch. I went to O'Reilly and bought a shock removal tool. It just snapped the top of the stud off because of the torque applied to removing the nut...Thanks for the advice.
I lift car, stick in my vice grips, clamp tight on the shaft and then turn nut at top, almost always comes out easily.... Soak nut in oil first if you can. Aerokroil or PB Blaster, Deep Creep....
Thanks for the advice. I was at O'Reilley's last night and the fella was telling me about PB blaster. Instead, I bought liquid wrench, which did not do much. I am also going to use a vice grip but it seemed a little tight between the springs. Would a ten inch vice grip suffice?
I was finally able to get my first shock off by rocking a deep socket on the stud back and forth. For the other side, I will soak the nut with PB Blaster. I notices the bushings on the new GM premium shocks were a little smaller than the originals. Does this matter?
Bushings should be no problem, I have found many aftermarket shocks the bushings are a tad thicker and cause install headaches, I found it is difficult on fat bushings to get the nut on the top of the shock. But no issues in performance.
I tend to like to use a more solid bushing like the sway bar end links. Stiffer is faster shock reaction, not a delay. Low buck tip.... Is it radical improvement? No, but it helps....
Glad my method worked on the first one. Really, the only reason to use PB Blaster and a wrench is if you want to re-use the old shocks. Otherwise, just break it off...
In fact, I used PB Blaster on the nut. It was coming loose but very slowly. I resorted to breaking it off. Worked like a charm. I ordered premium AC Delco, which is a step up from the stock installed. Again, the bushings were smaller. GM probably would not have listed the gas shock unless it was a direct replacement. So I guess the less thick bushings are more responsive. Well I am happy.
So glad I read this thread before changing my front shocks today. I was going to do it the correct way since I had my strut removal socket, but got all cocky. Didn't use penetrating spray, didn't even remove the wheel since it seemed like I had enough room to work. Got the nut halfway off, stripped the top of the strut. Then I got to do it the fun way - 5/8" deep socket and a long breaker bar. It was rusted well enough to break in half:
Another picture of the install:
Brand new Bilstein strut among grimey front end components:
Excellent struts, by the way, B46-1140. I can't tell what was on there before (maybe someone else here can look at that grimey thing and tell better than I) but they were clearly old - not blown, but far from new. The Bilsteins didn't add any harshness to the ride that I can tell - what it did was clean up some of the sloppy feeling that gives away that the car is 16 years old. Now, combined with my new Pirelli summer tires, it almost feels like I have a new car.
While you are at it, toss in some polyurethane sway bar end links. You will love the improvement in response. Impala SS's come stock with them, the rest of the B/D line rubber black bushings like you have.
If you can get the bigger bars by all means, but if it was me, and I was swapping bars, I wouldn't mess with the 1 1/8" stocker, I would look at the 70-81 F Body 1.25", it is a massive improvement in handling.
Remember, Herb Adams designed our front suspension.....
You wanna turn it into a corner burner this will do the trick, And no sacrifice in ride either, just handling like you have never felt before in a big car.
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