Strut Tower Bolts

Ok, so I bought new struts for the front of my 1995 Grand Am SE Perf. Pkg. vehicle. Got the tire off, tierod off, then I got to the two large bolts at the bottom of the strut. I got the nuts off of the bolt, however, after using just about everything to try to knock them out without destroying the bolts, they haven't moved an inch! I've used liquid wrench, etc to try and loosen the bolts, but nothing has worked!

My question is: How do I get these bolts off without destroying them or taking it to a repair shop and paying alot of money because of two bolts?

So you have weight pressure off the strut, correct?

I would try letting them set overnight in break-away, then spray it again the next day, and then maybe let it set the next night in liquid wrench, and then shoot it the next day with liquid wrench, and if 2 days of that doesn't work, try heating it up with a bottle torch for a little bit - I would imagine that combined would deffinately do it.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

Hmm as for weight pressure, never put a thought into it. Tire is obviously off. The three bolts up top were not taken off. As for anything else, didnt do anything else with it. I appreciate your reply. Any ideas as to what I should use to take the weight pressure off?

Oh and thanks for welcoming me to the forums. I have a decent knowledge of automotive know-how, this is just my first time replacing struts, and yes I have the spring compression tool. :p

Jack up underneath the knuckle where the bottom of the strut mounts, also compress the spring with the tool, that should help ya out.

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/09/e2/06/0900823d8009e206.jsp

Sounds like ya just have some rusted bolts, but maybe the above will help with something ya overlooked.

Yeah, thanks for the help. I'm going to try this tomorrow first thing in the morning. I want to get this done by Monday morning so i can go get 4 new tires and an alignment done as well.

remeber, those bolts are splined!!!!!!!!! Do NOT attempt to turn them, just soak the H*** out of them as suggested above, and then either heat or tap the ends so the bolts come out.

Use a drift punch, get one, to do the tapping, a screwdriver will gouge and flare the ends out for a no-go situation.

Just as a follow up, I finally got them off and my new struts on both sides on today. Tomorrow morning I go in for an alignment. :biggrin:

Cool deal, glad ya got it taken care of!!!!!!!!!

i have the exact same problem. How did you get them off??

I back the nuts off, but leave them on, with just the end of the bolt sticking just past the nut(nut protects the threads, in case you miss)....I rotate the wheel so the bolt it pointing outward......then I use my trusty 5# hammer.......

I do the same as TechII, only I use a air hammer with a flat bit.

When I have a nut or bolt that will not come off. I end up getting out the acetylene torch out and heat up the the bolt and or nut. Then I am able to break free the rusted bolt or nut. When I had to change the control arms on my GP. The mounting bolts were so badly rusted I could not get the bolt free. I soaked it with PB Blaster which did not work either.