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Old 05-30-2018, 04:56 PM
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Default Advice on removing rear shock w/stripped hex ('06 E90)

The driver's side rear shock on my 2006 325i is making a clunking noise, which appears to be a problem with the upper mount. The car has about 120K miles on it, so I am just going to replace both rear shocks and the associated mounts. Here's the potential problem:

The upper end of the shock has a female hex (5 mm IIRC) into which I can insert an allen wrench to keep the shock from spinning as I remove the 16 mm nut that holds it in the upper mount. It looks like this . . .



That hole on the passenger side shock is stripped. So, putting an allen wrench in there does nothing to stop the shock from spinning when I turn the nut.

Any advice on how to deal with this? I haven't tried anything yet, but I'm thinking about cutting away the dust cover and trying to clamp vice grip pliers on the rod. As I plan to replace the shock anyway, if I do a little damage that should not be a problem. I figure the night before I do the work I can spray some penetrating lube on the 16 mm nut.

Any other ideas?
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Old 05-30-2018, 05:03 PM
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If I could weld, I could weld something on top to grab onto, but I can't weld. If I run into trouble with my other attempts, I might look for someone to try that.
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Old 05-30-2018, 05:10 PM
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Vice grips on the rod, impact wrench on the nut - zap it right off.
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Old 05-30-2018, 05:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoophead View Post
Vice grips on the rod, impact wrench on the nut
That just sounds fuching painful! Wasn't this done at Gitmo?
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Old 05-30-2018, 07:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackTalon View Post
That just sounds fuching painful! Wasn't this done at Gitmo?
So, a little enhanced interrogation is in order?
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Old 05-30-2018, 08:14 PM
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How you going to slide the socket on the nut if you have grips on the rod? Vicegrip on the rod near the tip. run the nut up to the vicegrip using an open or box wrench then move the vicegrips to under the nut and finish cranking the nut up through the beavered threads and off.
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Old 05-30-2018, 08:35 PM
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If, following vicegrips most excellent advice, the 16mm nut is hard to spin off errrr up...than hit it with a torch and spray plain old water and go again.

Don't burn down the barn m'kay?
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Old 05-30-2018, 09:08 PM
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Torture is fuching hysterical, know any good rape jokes?
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Old 05-30-2018, 09:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicegrip View Post
How you going to slide the socket on the nut if you have grips on the rod? Vicegrip on the rod near the tip. run the nut up to the vicegrip using an open or box wrench then move the vicegrips to under the nut and finish cranking the nut up through the beavered threads and off.
Thinking I will grab the rod below the upper mount—in the wheel well.
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Old 05-30-2018, 10:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Hubley View Post
Thinking I will grab the rod below the upper mount—in the wheel well.
That works too! Less fumbling around in tight confines.
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