New rear strut nut spinning...

[oldskool3]

Hey guys while tightening down the strut nut on my new rear struts I realized that it was just spinning the strut. I guess the lock plate is stripped or somehow it stripped the brand new strut. Now I am stuck!!! I can't put my old struts back in and can't finish the job on my new ones! Anyone have any suggestions on how to torque it down now that the lock plate isn't catching?

I've tried releasing the spring so that there is pressure on the mount but that didn't seem to do anything. I also tried compressing the spring completely to remove all the pressure which didn't work either and I am sort of hesitant to vice grip a brand new strut tube!

The only remaining thing I can think of is to bring it to a shop and ask them to torque it down with a air gun but not sure that would work either. Any suggestions? TIA

 

[pcb]

If you do try the vise grip approach,... you could put some rubber, like a piece of old bicycle tire in the jaws to cushion what you're gripping.

Can you dremel a slot in the stud or whatever to use a big flathead screwdriver to hold it from spinning ??? (I haven't had my strutt apart,... I don't know what you're lookin at)

 

[tweety2300]

Is it the shaft that's spinning? You could easily have a shop re thread it to a different size

 

[oldskool3]

Ya it's the shaft. I read on another post that if you put the car on the wheels the nut will tighten without spinning the shaft so i am gonna give that a go.

 

[oldskool3]

Well that didn't work either... I have no more time off to work on the car so it'll have to go into a shop. Do you guys think it is safe to drive ~15 mins with it half torqued? There are a lot of threads showing so I can't imagine it ever coming off. Thanks for the suggestions

 

[AzzA SP20]

Well that didn't work either... I have no more time off to work on the car so it'll have to go into a shop. Do you guys think it is safe to drive ~15 mins with it half torqued? There are a lot of threads showing so I can't imagine it ever coming off. Thanks for the suggestions

fully assemble suspension (with half tightened nut). put the wheels on... drop the car down. Get the rattle gun out and rattle them up.
you wont (shouldn't) have any issues with that method. That's how i have done it for years.

 

[pcb]

Hey oldskool3,... I notice you are a fellow Canuck,.... Canadian Tire has their 7.5 amp electric "rattle gun" on sale this week. July 5th to July 11, 2013.

It's on for $49.99 regular $159.99,..... Just in case you don't have one.

 

[oldskool3]

Thanks for the heads up pcb! I'll definitely pick one up at that price

 

[915_P5]

Have u tried dropping the arm to pull the strut down then retighten. That what I had do, but not on the p5, it was on my truck.

 

[tweety2300]

You need to use an impact to get it tight, or put vice grips on the shaft and have someone hold it then use a hammer to tap it to get it tight

 

[kamesama980]

Do NOT put a vice grip or any other pliars like device on the shaft of a new strut or shock. Even with an inner tube as cushion, enough pressure to hold the rod can damage the rod. ANY damage to the rod will damage the seal and let out the all-important oil inside the damper.

also check the end, many have a hex socket for an allen key to hold the rod. Depends on the engineers. Impact gun is the way to go though: short bursts and let it stop between. If you just lay into it you can still spin the rod. I've seen someone actually unscrew the rod from the piston inside a shock doing that (albeit a very old already blown one that was coming off)