I'm puttin my new springs on and I'm having a hard time getting the strut assembly apart. In my chiltons manuel it shoes a special tool to use to get the nut off to release the spring (yes, I have and am using a spring compresser) but doesn't tell what it is. Does anybody know what this tool is called and where to get it or any tricks gettings the strut assembley apart.
When i did mine I loosened the nut when the strut was mounted to the car still
just hit the nut with an impact wrench....it will get it off every time.
"Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience!" -Anonymous
Sometimes it works to hold the strut shaft with vice grips and hit that nut with an impact gun
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
If you use a good impact wrench you do not need to hold the center strut shaft.....it's the fastest, easiet, and best way to do it. Just use a good impact.
"Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience!" -Anonymous
Loosen it before you take the strut off the car, that seems to be the easiest way to do it in my opinion. Just put springs on chuckles car last weekend and that's what we had to do. Didn't use an impact put wish i would have had one.
Here's the way I did mine when I replaced the strut mounts on the car.
It's very easy and you have to remove the entire spring/ strut assembly for you to be able to do this.
Basically you're letting the socket and ratchet stay on the table while you loosen the nut on the assembly. It's a one hand operation once you've got it all tight, prestressed, and then using the wrench to loosen the nut.
Hope this helps.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO! 
Whoa what kind of socket is that? That sure looks like an easy way to do it.
Joshua Dearman wrote:just hit the nut with an impact wrench....it will get it off every time.
You can say that all damn day long, but not everyone has a damn air compressor.
I did the same thing as blu. but I didnt have one of those stretched wrenches, so we hit the pawnshop for a spare socket, and welded a bar to it. then stuck the smaller socket on a extension and ran it through the welded socket.
Yup.
And you don't have to have the spring compressors on their until you actually break the nut loose. Once it's loose, it comes off easily.
All you're doing it breaking the nut from it being so tight.
Good luck with it.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
Borderlin3 wrote:Joshua Dearman wrote:just hit the nut with an impact wrench....it will get it off every time.
You can say that all damn day long, but not everyone has a damn air compressor.
I did the same thing as blu. but I didnt have one of those stretched wrenches, so we hit the pawnshop for a spare socket, and welded a bar to it. then stuck the smaller socket on a extension and ran it through the welded socket.
O ok....but they all have welders?
Say what all you want about what. 'If you have a compressor".....use an impact, it will solve the problem in seconds with the pull of a trigger.
Anyway, to the OP, do it anyway you want......plenty of ways to get the same thing done.
"Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience!" -Anonymous
Thanks for all the help I ended up using an impact. Worked really well and the car looks great with the new springs.
I actually bought the tool it was like 10 bucks. It is like a long hollow socket that you put a wrench on and then you use a normal socket inside for the strut shaft. basically works the same as blu's way of doing it.
