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Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. #2605897
01/13/19 02:48 PM
01/13/19 02:48 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX Offline OP
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MRGTX  Offline OP
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Connecticut, USA
I’m getting ready to install QA1 dynamic strut rods...

Ran into a problem in getting the factory rods out. I torqued down the nut on the control arm side of the stock rods and no matter what I do, trying to loosen the p nut on the K member side just spins the whole rod. I’ve soaked them with penetrating oil, I’ve heated them with a torch...no luck.

Any ideas?

Last edited by MRGTX; 01/13/19 02:49 PM.
Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2605902
01/13/19 03:06 PM
01/13/19 03:06 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 30,947
Oregon
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AndyF Offline
I Win
AndyF  Offline
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Posts: 30,947
Oregon
Clamp a vise on there.

Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2605959
01/13/19 04:45 PM
01/13/19 04:45 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,695
Bitopia
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jcc Offline
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
jcc  Offline
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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Posts: 22,695
Bitopia
Tried an impact yet?


Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606010
01/13/19 06:01 PM
01/13/19 06:01 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda Offline
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up yours
did you take the roll pin out? Joke, you don't mention an impact, sometimes that'll shock it enough to break it free. A strap wrench if you don;t want to mar the surface of the rod. IF you are going to scrap them a long pipe wrench on the rod and the handle on the ground so that the ground will keep it from turning on you.


They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.
Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606141
01/13/19 09:39 PM
01/13/19 09:39 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX Offline OP
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MRGTX  Offline OP
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Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
Thanks for all of the responses, guys.

I tried the vice grip idea again but since I’m not saving the rod, i decided to grind flat spots in the rod to give the grips better purchase and that did the trick.

I don’t know what was going on in the fall of 1972 when my car was being assembled but I gather that the Hamtramck cafeteria was serving Wheaties that day!

Last edited by MRGTX; 01/13/19 09:41 PM.
Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606160
01/13/19 10:08 PM
01/13/19 10:08 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline
Striving for excellence
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Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Oh, I suspect that 47 years of Connecticut winters may have played a role in this as well.

Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606170
01/13/19 10:22 PM
01/13/19 10:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 667
Los Osos, Ca
C
CKessel Offline
mopar
CKessel  Offline
mopar
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Posts: 667
Los Osos, Ca
Time for a Victor wrench aka torch.


Carl Kessel
Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: CKessel] #2606180
01/13/19 10:50 PM
01/13/19 10:50 PM
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 131
Conroe , Texas
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iapco103 Offline
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Conroe , Texas
Originally Posted By CKessel
Time for a Victor wrench aka torch.
aka the blue wrench Paul

Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: Kern Dog] #2606221
01/13/19 11:59 PM
01/13/19 11:59 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX Offline OP
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As far as I know, this car has never been on the road for a CT winter day. It came from North Carolina and evidently didn’t get driven much when the original owner moved up here. I bought it from him when I was 17 and worshipped it...and I was happy to go car-less in the winters to keep my machine clean and rust-free. That was 23 years ago. So far, so good. smile

Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606229
01/14/19 12:30 AM
01/14/19 12:30 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 18,677
Fresno, CA
Jim_Lusk Offline
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Fresno, CA
The strut rod has a slight interference fit into the control arm. If it spins fully seated there isn't enough interference.

Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: Jim_Lusk] #2606457
01/14/19 02:27 PM
01/14/19 02:27 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX Offline OP
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MRGTX  Offline OP
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Connecticut, USA
Thanks, Jim.
Now that you mention it, that makes sense. This would presumably be designed into the system to avoid the situation that I ran into.

FWIW, These were stock strut rods in QA1 LCAs. I'll keep the interference fit in mind when I install the QA1 dynamic rods this week.

Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606608
01/14/19 08:42 PM
01/14/19 08:42 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda Offline
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up yours
Wasn't someone having issues with aftermarket LCA pivots being undersized? I forget which brand, might have been QA1.


They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.
Re: Stuck strut rods - suggestions welcome. [Re: MRGTX] #2606610
01/14/19 08:44 PM
01/14/19 08:44 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda Offline
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up yours
Found the thread

LCA pivot issue


They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.






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