strut rod bushings

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the65dartguy1

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I started to replace my strut rod bushings today, but the rear nut does not want to budge at all. According to the MOOG instruction sheet that came with them it has to come off... Any ideas , I know heat and vice grips are usually no-no's on suspension parts, so I was wondering if anyone had any other good ideas...
 
Generally, removing the nut from the strut rod at the lower control arm will not be enough to allow you to remove the strut and replace the bushings. Everything has to move rearward which involves loosening the torsion bar adjusters, removing torsion bar clips, loosening or removing the lower control arm nut and prying the LCA/torsion bars to the rear. If you have to do this then there's really no reason to disconnect the strut from the control arm. Remove the nut at the bushing, pry everything to the rear till it clears the k-frame, replace the bushings, pry everything forward again. Tighten all nuts with the suspension loaded and don't forget to replace the torsion bar retainer clips. Count the turns and/or threads before loosening the torsion bar adjusters so that you can return them to their original position.

Even if you remove that strut nut at the LCA, it's a taper fit into the LCA. I assure you, it won't be easy to separate.
 
If you proceed as descibed above, You may need to remove the bump stop from under the upper control arm before you can fully unload the torsion bars.
If you get that stuborn nut hot with a torch it will expand and come off. You'll need to heat the nut faster than the shaft or both will expand. Either way suspension work is what it is... labor intense.
 
Thanks for the tips!!
I was looking at it and wondering if it really needed to come apart as well, it seems with everything else the instructions (and you guys) say to disassemble, it would be unnecessary.
I will soldier on with the project then, justwanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything, or if there was an alternative way of doing it!

You're absolutely right, I don't think i've ever done a front end job that wasn't labor intensive. But the rewards are so, so nice!
 
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