tmontague
03-31-2015, 12:34 PM
I installed new struts and mounts last night on my Yaris which I have to re do this weekend since I put the spring compression bolt on top of the strut mount instead of underneath it :S) I was told a great trick for removing end links that are stripped/seized from a young kid at Parts Source who said he used to do it all the time when he worked at GM.
My one end link was stuck bad and the allen key hole became stripped. I went to buy another one ($90 for one, so I obviously only bought one). I was told that to save time or to avoid damage so the end link can be re used you can do the following:
-grab a good size vice grips preferably with a slightly rounded pair of jaws.
-clamp the jaw extremely tightly around the boot but as close to the end link mount on the strut as you can (closest to the nut and as far away from the boot/joint as possible)
-use an impact gun and loosen the stuck bolt.
I did this on the stuck end link and it worked amazingly well. The boot somehow wasn't even damaged. I replaced it anyways as it was damaged from previous.
Luckily the second end link came off fine as I made sure the allen key was inserted all of the way after spraying it with some PB Blaster.
Hope this helps some of you save some cash and the time of having to cut it out.
My one end link was stuck bad and the allen key hole became stripped. I went to buy another one ($90 for one, so I obviously only bought one). I was told that to save time or to avoid damage so the end link can be re used you can do the following:
-grab a good size vice grips preferably with a slightly rounded pair of jaws.
-clamp the jaw extremely tightly around the boot but as close to the end link mount on the strut as you can (closest to the nut and as far away from the boot/joint as possible)
-use an impact gun and loosen the stuck bolt.
I did this on the stuck end link and it worked amazingly well. The boot somehow wasn't even damaged. I replaced it anyways as it was damaged from previous.
Luckily the second end link came off fine as I made sure the allen key was inserted all of the way after spraying it with some PB Blaster.
Hope this helps some of you save some cash and the time of having to cut it out.