Seized Passenger Side Strut!! What to do!

[speed3guy]

Hey everyone, I am attempting to put the stock Springs & new OEM Shocks on the car and switch out the Stock Shocks (that are currently on there) & Sportlines from the car. Well I've had 3 different people (friends) try to do the install and cant get the Front Passenger side shock out of the housing. We've tried everything from lube to beating the hell out of it. And it just simply wont budge. The shock is to no use to me and I really just want the springs as Ive already sold them. Plus I got new shocks anyways. Any ideas on how to remove a seized shock? I have a Speed3 in case anyones curious and have been trying the scissor jack approach to remove them. Pretty much at my wit's end with this whole thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MAZDA_SPEED]

Cut it out!!!!

 

[inseong]

take it to a cheap auto place. they usually bang those suckers out with a rubber hammer but if you tear your boot at least it wouldnt be your fault?

 

[kotez]

There was a thread I saw around here where they used the scissor jack between the control arm and the spring perch to pry it out and it work with no problem.

 

[ericm]

You can buy a strut housing spreader. Or make one. I made one from an 8mm hex socket. Grind it down on two sides so it's thin enough to fit in the slot. Stick it in and rotate it 90 degrees. Grind it so the flats will wedge in the slot.

Commercial tool:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/ES3894/ES3894/

 

[GoFast]

There was a thread I saw around here where they used the scissor jack between the control arm and the spring perch to pry it out and it work with no problem.

'tis what I did and it worked like a charm

 

[M12]

Use coin trick to spread clamps, Then spray some PB Blaster to loosen it.
I have tried using the scissor jack trick but that doesnt work for me.
You need to pull the shock straight out of the clamp. No Angle and it comes out easy.

 

[speed3guy]

Cut it out!!!!

HAHAHAHA How you suppose I do that?

There was a thread I saw around here where they used the scissor jack between the control arm and the spring perch to pry it out and it work with no problem.

Yeah thats actually what we had been doing but to no avail. We've had the scissor jack all the way up to where it cant crank anymore and the thing still hasnt move one bit.

You can buy a strut housing spreader. Or make one. I made one from an 8mm hex socket. Grind it down on two sides so it's thin enough to fit in the slot. Stick it in and rotate it 90 degrees. Grind it so the flats will wedge in the slot.

Commercial tool:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/ES3894/ES3894/

We actually tried using a pry bar to spread the strut housing but also to no avail. I think im just gonna take it to a shop and see if they can get the sucker out for me. And just pay the labor. Cause Im done screwing with it.

 

[fasteract]

Ah, those IL winters..! If you still feel like trying, get a piece of hardened 1/16th steel plate and grind a wedge on the end and hammer into the housing slot with bolt completely removed (obviously) or use two metal chisels of same size (HarborFreight) at top/bottom of slot. Saturate that area with PB Blaster overnight. Get a piece of wood with slight wedge shape to place in area where scissor jack goes ( I used a small 2 ton bottle jack..more power) so the jack sits parallel to strut, with another small piece of wood at strut coil spring mount underside to, again, straighten jack angle. Heat cast iron lower area gently with propane torch and jack up a bit, tapping spindle/strut insert area with a hammer. Take a chisel and make some vertical indentations in the strut where it inserts in areas you can reach every 1/2" or so..this action will loosens things also and than spray more PB in these areas. If you have a spare jack, mount it so you put some pressure on the bottom of the strut where it shows in the housing..a good spot to PB Blast and give a few hammer whacks carefully without hitting the edge of the housing or deforming/mushrooming the base of the strut. That's the area that most likely has bult up the most rust "weld".

Good luck..you can do it !



Watch out that you don't jack up strut so tightly without strut moving that you distort the coil spring plate or even the upper strut mount area.

 

[Remspeed3]

I have the ECS spreader tool two, it works great! Yeah... PB Blaster does wonders on rusty parts.