Strut top stuck

NYSpeed Automotive
1

I’m helping a friend replace the rear struts on his POS 94ish escort. We removed one rear strut, compressed the spring, removed the top nut. Now, the stop strut mount/rubber isolator is stuck… won’t move. We tried a sledge hammer, nada, nothing. I don’t have good access to the strut piston to just cut it off with my chop saw.

Anyone have any advice (safeish please, we’re working with a compressed spring still on there).

The strut piston is rotating so twisting isn’t an option, the piston is too hard and smooth to get a lock on with vice grips. The spring is suprisingly in good shape so we’d love to preserve everything but the strut itself.

I may compress the spring even more so I can just cut the strut piston to give us more freedom to get the top mount off, like a press or something really inventive :wink:

Thanks.

I’m talking about part #4 in this image:
http://econtent.autozone.com:24991/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0900c152/80/08/df/d3/small/0900c1528008dfd3.jpg

2

Can you bolt #4 back into the car and have access to hit the top of the strut with a small sledge hammer?

If you have to remove the spring compressor.

3

if i remember correctly you should just take the center nut off, pull the assembly off of the car, switch shocks then put it back together. i changed all 4 shocks on my old 94 escort in 05 so its been a while.

or

release tension and put the center nut back in, undo the bottom bolt from the trailing arm or whatever, take the two out side bolts off then just pull/rock/wiggle/yank the strut assembly out of there. you dont need the spring compressor till its out of the car

and to grip the shock try a piece of tire side wall (like 1"x3") then vice grip that. i usually do that if i am saving the strut. if not get real vise grips with good sharp teeth, they will dig in