Removing Bolts From Top Mounts

[AMR33]

Folks, what is the easiest way to get the bolts out of the top mounts of coilovers. The bolts on mine dont have a hex head or allen key, they are simply round. The thread on the bolts is stuffed so I need to remove them and replace with other bolts. Any ideas how I can do that?

Cheers

Amir

[Duncan]

Generally if there is no hex key in the top of the shaft there is a small flat section below the top where you can hold a spanner. If not I guess you need to try a rattle gun, and if you don't intend to reuse the coilovers lock a set of vice grips onto the shaft nice and tight.

Don't forget spring compressors before you start.....

[MrStabby]

Photo please. Duncan is talking about taking the nut of the shock piston (which is how you get it apart) but you said you want to replace them with other bolts, which sounds like you want to replace the piston.... Not making sense to me

[djvoodoo]

Are you referring to the 2 x 14mm bolts on top of the camber plate? They are similar to wheel stud bolts with a flat base.

[GTSBoy]

Are we talking about the studs (not bolts) that stick upwards through the shock tower from the top plate of the coilover? If so, then they're not bolts. They're quite possibly welded in.

[AMR33]

Apologies guys, I should have been more clear. Yes I am talking about the studs which stick out of the shock tower. I removed some from my old suspension but these had an alen key head and were easy to move. I found that there is a small thread in the camber plate which they screwed into. Im assuming the ones I'm trying to get off are similar and have a thread in the camber plate/top mount so I dont really want to hammer them through so as not to damage the thread. Will upload photos soon

Cheers

Amir

[AMR33]

Here are some photos. I am tryin to remove the two studs on either side

[GTRPSI]

They are punched/pressed in, in exactly the same way as wheel studs are fitted to hubs.

Put a socket under the stud so the stud can fit through the hole in the socket, sit assembly with the socket on a sturdy bench, whack threaded end of stud with a hammer so its pushed out into the socket.

The whole idea of the socket is to support the camber plate while hitting the stud back out into it.

If you find new studs to knock in and they fit a little too easily, you can go around the camber plate, right next to the stud hole with a center punch, this will shrink the hole a little to make the new stud a tighter fit.

[AMR33]

Cheers Peter. But what if the studs actually screw into the plate? As I mentioned before, another set I tried - the studs were screwed in rather than punched/pressed in. If this is the case with these ones then hammering them out will damage the thread in the camber plate. Any ideas?

[GTSBoy]

They won't be screwed in if there's no flats on the head to use to torque them up.

[GTRPSI]

They won't be screwed in if there's no flats on the head to use to torque them up.

Exactly what he said. If they were screwed in then no need for the mushroom head underneath and there would have been a method to drive them in by a tool.

I highly doublt that they are threaded into a aluminium hat and just hold via some threads in alloy, notice the large flat mushroom head from underneath?

Its so they dont pull through the alloy when tightening the nut.

They are studs just like on wheel hubs.

I have seen a few manufacturers use this method on coilovers and normal struts on OEM assembies, we had one broken on the rear on our GTR, it was snapped off by the previous owner, when looking at it it was a punched in stud, next time i have the rear coilovers out i will be punching it out to replace it.

[AMR33]

Alright Ill try hammering them out. Peter, can you clarify what you mean by your method? I'm not really understanding it

Amir

[GTRPSI]

Support the yellow alloy top from under where the mushroom head of the stud is with a socket that is large enough for the musroom head to fit through as you hammer it down.

You need something tubular like a socket to fit around the stud but not touch it, it must sit against the yellow alloy top to support it and provide room for the stud to pass through.

[AMR33]

I managed to get 3 out of 4 studs out. I grinded some of the stud off, hammered it down and finished the rest of with a nail punch. One stud I cut to close to the camber top and I cant hammer it down and the nail punch is simply not doing anything. The stud is sitting flush with the camber top and seems to have welded itself to the camber top from all the hammering etc. Any ideas?

[GTSBoy]

Hydraulic press.

[MrStabby]

Heavier hammer with the punch?

[GTRPSI]

Heavier hammer with the punch?

This.

Use a solid punch that covers the whole stud face that you cut and use a heavyier hammer so you have some force behind it.

I wouldnt have cut the studs.....

Edit, i just noticed your using a nail punch NOooooo......use a pin punch thats a similar or slightly smaller diameter than your stud.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_%28tool%29

Edited November 23, 2014 by GTRPSI

[AMR33]

Thanks for the help boys. Finally managed to get them all off by hammering them, punching them through and swearing at them. All that work and when I was looking at one coilover when it was lying on the ground noticed it was slightly bent. So I have to get it to the suspension place and see what they say. Good times

Amir

[AMR33]

Something like this....

[GTSBoy]

It's rooted.