Help! Seized locknut on adjustable suspension

[boon]

So my car is in for a cert for the adjusties... turns out the rear springs aren't quite captive. They went to wind the spring platforms up and one of the locknuts is seized tighter than a nun's... well, you know. They've soaked it in CRC overnight, tried big ass c-spanners, putting a punch in the notches and giving it a good smash, and finally a 4ft long pipe wrench with a jack handle for more leverage and they still can't get it to move.

Any ideas?

[D-Style]

A little heat from gas set and BIG stillsons?

[Scoobydoo]

Jackhammer

[Scoobydoo]

Wait.. winding it up? They aren't trying to wind the bottom one up without loosening it from the top one first, are they?

:-X

[boon]

 Scoobydoo said:

Wait.. winding it up? They aren't trying to wind the bottom one up without loosening it from the top one first, are they?

:-X

Nah they 'cracked' one of the nuts and got it to move but the other is stuck like a mo-fo.

Kinda depressing really ;/

[boon]

 D-Style said:

A little heat from gas set and BIG stillsons?

Stillsons = pipe wrench, if a 4ft long set with a jack handle stuck over them didn't move it I don't know what will.

Can't heat it, gas filled struts = kabooom!

[rex-leggy]

have they got the strut out of the car? probably a bit more room to move .

they'll have to move at some point otherwise grind/tap and get new lock nuts.

[boon]

 rex-leggy said:

have they got the strut out of the car? probably a bit more room to move .

they'll have to move at some point otherwise grind/tap and get new lock nuts.

Nah they haven't pulled the strut out yet, bit of a pain in the arse because you have to pull the back seat out blah blah to get to the studs.

I'm a bit staggered by how stuck it must be though. I mean I've seen them be stiff as hell before but usually at the very least putting a punch into the notch and smashing it with a hammer is enough to crack it.

[rex-leggy]

 boon']

[quote name='rex-leggy said:

have they got the strut out of the car? probably a bit more room to move .

they'll have to move at some point otherwise grind/tap and get new lock nuts.

/quote]

Nah they haven't pulled the strut out yet, bit of a pain in the arse because you have to pull the back seat out blah blah to get to the studs.

I'm a bit staggered by how stuck it must be though. I mean I've seen them be stiff as hell before but usually at the very least putting a punch into the notch and smashing it with a hammer is enough to crack it.

yea shit yea . if anything from what ive seen there more likely to come loose then seize.

get the strut out mate... will be able to get alot more leverage without having to worry about damaging the guards ect

[Guest]

 boon']

[quote name='D-Style said:

A little heat from gas set and BIG stillsons?

/quote]

Stillsons = pipe wrench, if a 4ft long set with a jack handle stuck over them didn't move it I don't know what will.

Can't heat it, gas filled struts = kabooom!

lies! i used a gas set on mine to help crack teh nut. didnt help, had to cut the nut off. but fire is only bad if ur silly with it also, its a great way to burn off all the road crap that build up on them hahaha

-smurff

[Scoobydoo]

Maybe in the previous owners infinite wisdom, he saw it wise to use loctite on the adjustable thread hahaha

[boon]

 Scoobydoo said:

Maybe in the previous owners infinite wisdom, he saw it wise to use loctite on the adjustable thread hahaha

The other 7 nuts were fine

[bobbyjimmy]

I had one of mine seize on the weekend - it was the top locking collar/nut on the last coilover, every other one wound on/off fine.

I hit it with a cold chisel to put a groove it then cut it off with a grinder.

I obviously need a new collar/nut now...

[PhatRS]

Best to take the strut out and take it apart so there is completely no tension on it too. All the road grime/sand and grit get in the threads and jam them up so if taking the pressure off it doesnt work then the grinder better come out. I have a spare locking ring or 2 if you need tein ones?

[boon]

 PhatRS said:

Best to take the strut out and take it apart so there is completely no tension on it too. All the road grime/sand and grit get in the threads and jam them up so if taking the pressure off it doesnt work then the grinder better come out. I have a spare locking ring or 2 if you need tein ones?

The springs weren't captive so there was no pressure anyway.

They solved it - pulled the strut out, put it in a vice, smacked the ring with a hammer a bit, then froze it with a fire extinguisher and did the old punch-in-a-notch trick and it 'cracked' and came loose. Then they cleaned all the threads up and now it moves smoothly.

So now it has a cert