So today, I finally got everything together to install my Tanabes. Got the car on ramps, sprayed all four bolts, and waited for a couple hours. Came back, and used a breaker bar on them. The first three when fine, until the final passenger side nut stripped. How the hell do I get this thing off?

 

Torch it!! Or ask betty he says he has a good stripped nut remover.

 

Take it to a shop with an high powered compressor and have them gradually turn it with an air hammer.
I tried several differerent sockets for rounded nuts/bolts and none are good (Craftsman Universal design and Gator Grip)

Easiest and best option would be to cut it off with a grinder or something similar.

 

Buy a set of damaged nut removers. I have the Craftsman ones from sears. It should come right off.

 

I have a rounded off nut on the driver side strut tower that i can not get off. Ive tried the damaged nut removers from sears (actually bought 3 different sets) and none of them worked. One of these days Im just going to get my dremel out at cut it off.

 

Is it the nut for the actual strut tower or one of the 3 nuts? If it's the individual nut, it is much easier to remove when the spring is compressed.
I removed the whole strut when putting on my coilovers and tried to impact them off. Could only get one, but rounded the other off. I took it to work and put it in our spring compressor and it came off easily with a breaker bar.

 

one of the three nuts, and its the one thats hard to get to with a dremel (sandwiched between the intake pipe and strut bar).

 

Just bought and tried them today, and it was a no-go.

I'm gonna just try to file it off, and if that fails: Midas on Monday, assuming they're open Memorial day.

 

Why didn't the damaged nut removers work?

 

It just couldn't get a grip on the nut. Tried the one for 14mm, it stripped the nut even further. It's just really stuck on there.

 

Hmmmm... I wonder are we talking about the same tool? The ones I use are the ones you hammer onto the nut and it actually grips tighter and cuts into the sides of the damaged nut as you unscrew it.

 

You have to hammer them on first? That might explain why it isn't working for me, then.

 

Yes. Hammer it on tightly. The teeth will cut into the damaged nut. Then when you turn it to remove the nut it digs in deeper and the grip tightens as you unscrew it.

 

why is the one nut on the bottom of the strut(front passenger and driver) so hard to take off??? the one where the bolt goes thru the round piece...ive rounded one so i torched it to expand it and it was still a b@&$* to take off...now my driver side is hard to turn...is there a trick to take it off???

 

There's nothing special about it. It's supposed to be torqued to 120 ft/lbs and tends to freeze up. I've taken off plenty of tfe doing spring/coilover installs. Be sure to use penetrating lube generously and give it time to work in. Obviously it will be pretty difficult once you've rounded off the head. An impact wrench should make quick work of it.