My car is such a pain!!

[Ephet]

Ok so i went to the junkyard today picked up some aspire rear struts so i can run 14"s, i do the passenger side no problems but then i try to do the driver side and the bolt head snapped off on the axle! So what should i do? the car is sitting crooked and i only have mondays off work an dont have the tools like a tap and dye set, i dont have time to mess with it. Could a garage help? or maybe a machine shop? or will i have to swap out the whole rear axle? i really dont want the rest snapping off while driving.

[festyfreak39]

kk better explination is needed


so right now....... you have one side with the aspire rear strut installed but the other side, the lower strut bolt is snaped off right at the head?

do you have a sawzall? this happened to me twice if you dotn have a sawzall it hink you can rent one for the day at home depot for relativeley cheap

what you pretty much have to do is take a sawzall and cut the little nut thatis welded on the inside of the "axle" clear off the axle itself. Then you have to cut with the sawzall inbetween the axle and the strut and cut away till you can remove the old festiva strut

take a new drill bit and clean the hole out, go to a hardware store and grab a new nut and bolt and use that to hold in the new aspire strut

if you dotn get waht im talkign about i can take pics for you? its not an easy fix but with a bit of time and patience you can do it in an hour.

[Ephet]

i know what your talking about, wow i feel stupid ive done things like that before but just didnt think about it. i have a sawzall but it seems to tight of an area to use it.

[gestiva]

^I hope you get it fixed! You still going to FM4?

[Ephet]

^I hope you get it fixed! You still going to FM4?

yea im gonna see what i can do, and yea im still trying to go.

[91_festy_Gl]

Its just a bad week for festys man. I watced 2 festys go down in 1 day. Its crazy!

[lessersivad]

I agree with the sawsall. I have a problem with the "cutting the nut from inside the axle" suggestion.

Use the sawsall to cut as close as possible to the strut base. Cut thru the rubber, sleeve, and bolt.

Remove strut from lower mount. Then there should be enough of the bolt left to grab with vise grips to remove it from the axle.

This way it saves having to manipulate the nut while holding your tongue just right to get the bolt started. Use the "stub" that is removed to match for proper diameter and thread pitch.

Not trying to step on anyone's toes. Just trying to save some steps.

[TominMO]

I agree with the sawsall. I have a problem with the "cutting the nut from inside the axle" suggestion.

Use the sawsall to cut as close as possible to the strut base. Cut thru the rubber, sleeve, and bolt.

Remove strut from lower mount. Then there should be enough of the bolt left to grab with vise grips to remove it from the axle.

This way it saves having to manipulate the nut while holding your tongue just right to get the bolt started. Use the "stub" that is removed to match for proper diameter and thread pitch.

Not trying to step on anyone's toes. Just trying to save some steps.

Hope it works. Wish I had had a Sawzall! I had to hacksaw each bolt (driver's and passenger's) THREE TIMES to get it out! Seriously annoying.

[lessersivad]

Well it worked for me anyways. Each bolt 3 times....WITH A HACKSAW?!?!?

I think I would have used a "blue tip" wrench and repaired what I damaged. But I'm not known to be the most patient person in the world....LOL

[festyfreak39]

^^ what he said

i just wasnt as lucky.. but try that first hope it works

[drddan]

Man, i'm so not looking forward to doing the Aspire rears on mine for that same reason! I have really bad luck with things breaking off, instead of unscrewing, on cars. I use PB Blaster in advance, let it soak, tapp with hammer, soak more...and still break!
Soaking the rear struts every other day for 2 weeks in Blaster, so I may try to remove those bolts soon.

[TominMO]

Well it worked for me anyways. Each bolt 3 times....WITH A HACKSAW?!?!?

Yeah, it truly sucked. The bolt was frozen to the metal tube inside the lower strut mount, on both sides--besides the little issue of the two captured nuts breaking off, even after repeated soakings with PBB and tapping with a hammer.

[Ephet]

Thanks guys the rear struts have been completed now all i gotta do is put new tie rod ends and coils in the front then all i gotta worry about is my oil consumption and magic ATF fluid that disappears.