Front strut mount bolts - Bad times

[beausuf]

Hey guys,

Spent the day pulling bits and pieces off my parts car and started to take out the standard suspension to give to my brother as spares as he only has lowered. Trying to undo the front strut mount bolts and they do not want to move at all. I gave them multiple marination sessions with WD40 and was using a socket + alan key combo like every video or guide that I've found has said to do. I was using a short pole as an extension on the alan key as well to gain better leverage but that still didn't seem to help. Finally thought I got somewhere when I felt something give way slightly, took the socket off and found that the threaded centre has been stripped out and has also split under pressure....



My questions are,

- Has anyone had this happen before?
- How the hell do I go about removing this coz I'm a bit stumped as to what I can do while still being able to salvage the suspenion.

It now has me worried about removing the fronts in my normal Mk3

Thanks guys,
Beau

[cliftronix]

Rattle gun will get them off in seconds.

[beausuf]

I have an electric impact drill which is what I tried in the first place, it just spins the mount around?

[HaydEn]

Leave car on ground when undoing?

[h100vw]

You need to hold the piston. I'll leave it to your imagination how. Just don't mark it below the bumpstop. Or oil will get past the seals.

[sports racer]

The car must be sitting normal with the front wheels on the ground so there's no tension on the top of the shock.

File down 2 opposite sides of a socket so you can get a good grip with an open ended spanner or pipe wrench. Weld an Allen key to the top of the shaft making sure none of the weld goes onto the thread and throw lots of water on it so it doesn't melt any of the rubber.

That should stop it from moving and let you use the socket to move the nut. When it's off jack up the car to take the shock off.

When it's off cut the allen key so it's about 10mm long when poking out of the socket so you can use it hold on to when using the shock again.

[mattross]

this might help out also
https://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen...ols/ES2652183/

[Mk3 AAA]

My ghetto solution was using a spark plug socket that was hexagonal at the top so it could have a big open ender on it, and the gap in the socket where it usually attaches to the handle left room to hold the centre in place (with I can't remember what, possibly a series of Allen keys and whole bucket of hopes, dreams and good luck).

That was a mess around but worked (granted not burred out like yours) THEN did it all again later with a rattle gun and it just blasted it off without having to stop the shaft from spinning.

[beausuf]

Leave car on ground when undoing?

Yerp that's what I did. Car completely flat on the ground, electric impact drill just made it spin. So from there I tried the socket + allen key combo and wound up with the above picture.

My ghetto solution was using a spark plug socket that was hexagonal at the top so it could have a big open ender on it, and the gap in the socket where it usually attaches to the handle left room to hold the centre in place (with I can't remember what, possibly a series of Allen keys and whole bucket of hopes, dreams and good luck).

That was a mess around but worked (granted not burred out like yours) THEN did it all again later with a rattle gun and it just blasted it off without having to stop the shaft from spinning.

Yeah I used socket with a hexagonal top with an open ender on it. The trouble I found was getting enough leverage on the allen key, so I used a short piece of pipe as an extension. The car had been sitting for ages before I picked it up so I don't know if that would have any effect on how easy the bolts would be to undo. I've never came across any thing so tight and stubborn before accept some water pump bolts on one of my old cars which completely corroded.

[Special Air Service]

Don't want to sound like a knob, but you sure your rattle gun was going the right direction, easy mistake to make, I bet we've all done something similar, I know I have.