Spring changeover problem!

[mr.awesome]

Tried searching for some help with my situation but no luck :\. I just got my H&R race springs on monday and failed at installing them. I got the strut assembly off pretty easily, can't get the toop nut off the strut! I've heard of other people having problems with the top nut spinning freely and used a hex wrench and sockest to get it off....one problem, the top of the threading of the top not for me some weird rectangular shape... i have no idea how the hell i'm supposed to get it off, this is my 2nd time trying in my friends garage and i've wasted way more time trying to do this one corner than it should have taken to do the whole car.

[Kookie]

I used an impact wrench.

[mr.awesome]

no impact gun :( any other options? special sockets? etc? im not use to this weird ass nut thread combination why the hell couldnt they just put in the hex+ nut ones!

[x610326]

get the box end wrench that is bend so the socket will go in and you can hold the top of the strut with pliers.

[mr.awesome]

i couldn't fit any of my box end wrenched in far enough to rear the nut because its in the cap just far enough to be out of reach

[CrtchRktRcr]

I placed it on the ground and just used a socket.

[stapo69]

Could you chop up a deep socket like this;

http://www.verle.be/brochures_articl...do_top_nut.jpg

Then you could get an open ended spanner on the flat sides of the centre bolt to hold it.

Or you need a deep drop ring spanner like this, and then another spanner on the centre bolt again instead of the allen key.

http://www.corsasport.co.uk/carimage...owerfront2.jpg

[Tusin]

What about something like this?

http://www.gearwrench.com/catalog/xl...m/gearratchet/

[bighuges]

A little OT, but I was unaware that H&R made "race" springs for our cars. Where can I get them? I have searched for them, and only seem to find the "sport" ones.

Thanks in advance!

[jeffp477]

i couldn't fit any of my box end wrenched in far enough to rear the nut because its in the cap just far enough to be out of reach

try realeasing the spring compressor to put pressure on the strut mount..then use a socket.. once you break it loose you can tighten back the spring compressor. ;)

[mr.awesome]

i sort of tried that. im gonna give that another shot along with cutting out the sockets. but right now the very last thread is the only one still visible, its almost near the top and if i release pressure and try to turn? btw...its an 2.7t a6...i know its out of place but i get much quicker response here, so thats how i got race springs.

[jeffp477]

i sort of tried that. im gonna give that another shot along with cutting out the sockets. but right now the very last thread is the only one still visible, its almost near the top and if i release pressure and try to turn? btw...its an 2.7t a6...i know its out of place but i get much quicker response here, so thats how i got race springs.

did you spray it off with some breakaway. or wd40? try to turn counter cw then cw again , kinda like wiggling it..

[mr.awesome]

tried wd40 and pbblaster. thinking about it right now i cant remember if i tried loosening it with the spring uncompressed...kind of wanna kick myself in the ass.

[jeffp477]

tried wd40 and pbblaster. thinking about it right now i cant remember if i tried loosening it with the spring uncompressed...kind of wanna kick myself in the ass.

lol.. go ahead and try it out.. sometimes u just need a break and you'll figure it out, watch the oppposite is gonna happen when you try putting that nut back ... happened to me a month ago... lmao... oh and yeah the rear spring you might need another hand.. cause race springs are short already and the space between coils is much closer that the spring compressor is gonna be torque down all the way...

[mr.awesome]

wow the more i think about it the more it seems to make sense... spring was completely uncompressed when put it back in should have just given it a shot cause the nut wasnt completely back to where it was. i would have figured it out somehow if i had my own garage to do it in, using my friends so its basically been..take off. tryi it out then put back together (granted we usually start at like 12 at night)

[jeffp477]

gl. post some pics once your done..

[mr.awesome]

will do! gonna try to get it done tonight the way you suggested..

[mr.awesome]

no luck...got one of them off,now my car is sitting with one corner lowered..the other one spun even when it was completely uncompressed

[MacDaddy]

find a shop and offer the mechanic $5 to buzz off the nut, i'm sure he will say yes

[MacDaddy]

by buzz i mean use his impact gun on it.

[mr.awesome]

thats my last ditch effort. im thinking about just buying an impact wrench..i can get a low model craftsman for like 40 bucks.. think that would work?

[imola]

Impact gun, or without one, I used a sparkplug socket, stuck an allen through that to hold the strut in place, and then used a wrench on the sparkplug socket to rotate it. Worked well. Slow, but well.

Btw, impact gun is a great investment. Saves a TON of time, especially when constantly dealing with wheels and suspension.

[kwan]

You can make or use something similar to this:

http://www.amazon.com/Schley-SCH8730.../dp/B002XMOVK8

The actually factory tool is a very deep socket with an "access window" cut out to stick in a hex key wrench. Impact guns work the best imo.

[mr.awesome]

thing is i dont have the hex center threading. Mine is a weird little rectangle.
I got the rears off, one side i got off by uncompressing the spring and ratcheting it off...had the thing blow up in me but i did it pretty safely. the other side i got it to the last couple threads but my friends air compressor was too small for my impact wrench so i just brought it to a little shop nearby where some guy spent a solid 10 minutes telling me i was gonna get hurt doing this on my own as he was struggling to figure out how those complicated auto struts come together ;).

Found the tool im supposed to use...

heres a pic of the car before

and heres a pic of the rear after

still have to do the fronts

again..i know this is the s4 forum..but i just get a quicker response here!