Strut top nut sockets

[TMB]

4 hours ago, smithysmoo said:

Just thinking is there not enough access to get some spring compressors in there to get enough compression so that then you can get it out of the mount without going to the hassle of disconnecting the hub. Obviously without seeing it I don't know how far are it is when the driveshaft bottoms out.

 

I managed to do both of mine in situ using spring compressors but it was an absolute pig on the driver's side. The next time I had to remove the struts I took them off complete with the hubs - more dismantling but a lot easier in the long run.

 

 

 

 

Edited 7 January, 2019 by TMB

[smithysmoo]

44 minutes ago, TMB said:

 

I managed to do both of mine in situ using spring compressors but it was an absolute pig on the driver's side. The next time I had to remove the struts I took them off complete with the hubs - more dismantling but a lot easier in the long run.

 

 

 

 

Cool mate thanks for the info and the pics....It helps..

[TMB]

No probs

[rum4mo]

On my wife's September 2002 build Polo, I got the impression that the factory fitted track rod ends had Torx recess in them - but either way it all went like Wino explained, very very annoying and lots of time wasting, buying a tap and die set from Screwfix let me take care of rust on exposed ends of fixings - a really good investment with the correct pitch of metric threads used on these cars. I initially left that potentially depressing news out in case you got lucky!

[TMB]

If you get a track rod end pin that turns when you try to undo the nut you can often get away with putting a block of wood under the track rod end and jacking it up to force the taper to grip.

[smithysmoo]

10 hours ago, TMB said:

If you get a track rod end pin that turns when you try to undo the nut you can often get away with putting a block of wood under the track rod end and jacking it up to force the taper to grip.

Cheers for the tip...

[StevesTruck]

Clean the thread up, spray it with (insert Internet argument about release spray), go for a brew, come back and put the air ratchet on it. Don't bother with a normal socket set. 

 

If that doesn't work, chop it off with the hacksaw, because if you do refit it, it's going to be an utter mare next time. 

[smithysmoo]

3 minutes ago, StevesTruck said:

Clean the thread up, spray it with (insert Internet argument about release spray), go for a brew, come back and put the air ratchet on it. Don't bother with a normal socket set. 

 

If that doesn't work, chop it off with the hacksaw, because if you do refit it, it's going to be an utter mare next time. 

Air ratchet are tools of dreams...I'm left with hand tools I'm afraid...I have a dewalt imapact driver but it doesn't have masses of torque.

[StevesTruck]

Might be worth a stab. My little makita impact driver can do a surprising amount. Reason it works on track rod ends is you're rotating the nut evenly, not swinging an arc round it. 

[smithysmoo]

Got ya...Yes I will try it..Might be enough to break it....

[Breezy_Pete]

12 hours ago, rum4mo said:

my wife's September 2002 build Polo, I got the impression that the factory fitted track rod ends had Torx recess in them

Are you sure you're not thinking of the ARB links?

[rum4mo]

8 minutes ago, Wino said:

Are you sure you're not thinking of the ARB links?

 

Too long ago for me to be totally certain about that, but I agree that the ARB drop links do have a Torx recess in the original ones, hopefully in this case the original drop links will have been replaced and maybe aftermarket ones with flats on them instead - which works better if you have a slim open ended spanner.

 

All I can definitely remember is, when I fitted a suitable bit into the end, holding that and trying to unscrew the nut caused the unthreaded end to split and bell out as the material was too soft and wall thickness too thin to handle the torque needed. Not good memories, another reason to possible be wrong about the hex/Torx thing!

[sepulchrave]

I seem to remember simply slicing the nut on the TRE with an angle grinder once it had started spinning, I did replace all the ball joints and bushes while it was in bits because they were all worn and the parts were cheap enough.

[Lofty]

4 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

I seem to remember simply slicing the nut on the TRE with an angle grinder once it had started spinning, I did replace all the ball joints and bushes while it was in bits because they were all worn and the parts were cheap enough.

 

Exactly, for the price of them they're not worth spending hours to undo - view them as a service item and lop them off with a grinder if they don't come undone easy 

[rum4mo]

When I did this work the first time, I let the doom and gloom of deepest winter get to me - and my wife's September 2002 by then 5 year old Polo rewarded me by making every move very difficult, getting extra tools and parts proved a bit tricky due to the New Year in Scotland holiday period - horrible time wasting experience, when I needed to carry out this work almost 2 years ago on a late 2009 Ibiza in early summer, and by then I was retired and that car was a 3rd car, it was completely different, also every nut came off without any problems - sometimes you let life hand out you out a good kicking.

[StevesTruck]

Now I've worked up properly....

 

The rod ends often have a flank under the dust cover that you can get a spanner on to lock them while you undo the nut. Just use the slimmest spanner you've got, it's not a job for a 9" adjustable!

[TMB]

^ Are you sure about that? I've never ever seen it. Only seen them on drop links above the rubber cover.

[rum4mo]

Nor me, if you look at TMB's pictures, there is absolutely no room under these dust covers for a helpful flange to exist - just threaded section dropping down to opening out slightly before becoming a ball end.

 

A gentle bit of jacking back up to re-engage the TRE into the taper is the way forward - or chopping the nut section off, I tried using a nut splitter on these nuts once, unfortunately it would not split/crack the nut open, but it provided some extra grip and leverage so that when I held the TRE up on a jack, I could work away at that nut until it came off - but then I had serious parts supply issues as it was during a holiday period so I was not open to throw anything away as I wanted that car back on the road ready for my wife to start back to work (or she would need to use my car!).

[KeithCheetham]

On ‎07‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 16:18, TMB said:

 

I managed to do both of mine in situ using spring compressors but it was an absolute pig on the driver's side. The next time I had to remove the struts I took them off complete with the hubs - more dismantling but a lot easier in the long run.

 

 

 

 

 

 Just changed a spring on mine, dropped the driveshaft out as above but due to problems with the ABS sensor being stuck in the bearing carrier and no electrical connector being available in the sensor cable, I had to remove the bearing/caliper carrier from the strut before fully dropping it out- what did you do about the ABS sensor/cable TMB. Regarding the drop link nuts, I just ran the new link nut down the old link thread using the 1/2 turn on, 1/4 turn back method before loosening the old nut which cleaned the threads up.

[sepulchrave]

The ABS sensor wire has a plug on the end where it fits the sensor, you pry the release tab with a screwdriver while pushing on the plug to release it.

[TMB]

2 hours ago, KeithCheetham said:

 Just changed a spring on mine, dropped the driveshaft out as above but due to problems with the ABS sensor being stuck in the bearing carrier and no electrical connector being available in the sensor cable, I had to remove the bearing/caliper carrier from the strut before fully dropping it out- what did you do about the ABS sensor/cable TMB. Regarding the drop link nuts, I just ran the new link nut down the old link thread using the 1/2 turn on, 1/4 turn back method before loosening the old nut which cleaned the threads up.

 

I couldn't get the plug off the sensor, the little tag broke off it due to being brittle so I simply cut the wire and made a waterproof joint afterwards. I potted the joint in hot glue.

[smithysmoo]

12 hours ago, TMB said:

 

I couldn't get the plug off the sensor, the little tag broke off it due to being brittle so I simply cut the wire and made a waterproof joint afterwards. I potted the joint in hot glue.

 

Tell me more mate...curious how you've done this. Might be useful in the future...How did you join them back together. DId you just splice them and what glue did you use, like a glue stick type glue from and glue gun?

[TMB]

1 hour ago, smithysmoo said:

 

Tell me more mate...curious how you've done this. Might be useful in the future...How did you join them back together. DId you just splice them and what glue did you use, like a glue stick type glue from and glue gun?

 

Yes I just used an electric glue gun and an ordinary clear glue stick. I soldered the wires together, but before that, I slid a small piece of plastic plumbing tube over the cable. Then I soldered the wires and moved the tube over the joint. I blocked the bottom of the tube with Blu Tack and filled it with hot glue. I would have preferred not to cut the cable at all but I think the plug would have broken if I'd messed with it too much.  Solder melts at a much higher temp than hot glue, so it doesn't affect the solder joints.

[smithysmoo]

4 minutes ago, TMB said:

 

Yes I just used an electric glue gun and an ordinary clear glue stick. I soldered the wires together, but before that, I slid a small piece of plastic plumbing tube over the cable. Then I soldered the wires and moved the tube over the joint. I blocked the bottom of the tube with Blu Tack and filled it with hot glue. I would have preferred not to cut the cable at all but I think the plug would have broken if I'd messed with it too much.  Solder melts at a much higher temp than hot glue, so it doesn't affect the solder joints.

Sounds good mate....my soldering skills not the best but if needed I guess practice makes perfect  

[TMB]

Yeah, you could do some practice