How to remove strut nut without an impact

[Syy0628 13]

1 hour ago, Jacko said:

You can get away with running a rattle gun on a single hex non impact socket a few times, normally just beats up the 1/2" drive square on the top, doing it on a multihex (like the one I lent you) will kill it pretty quick and has the chance of rounding off the nut and making it even more of a mare  

 

Tried soaking it in WD40 and cooking it up good with a heatgun?

 

I have a ryobi impact driver from bunnings, wasnt expensive (under 2 hundy from memory) and it has saved the day more than once, worth the money. If you are still stuck by the weekend bring it around Ill have a go (and that way I break my tool and not you ) 

Thanks, I will use my own socket with the impact. I figure if I break your tool. I will never ever be able to receive help here anymore, can't risk it.  And since I don't have to use the hex bit with impact anyway. I will try to vise griped the shaft over a rag.  I soaked it with wd40 many times. I don't have a heat gun. I do have a MSR propane burner, will that help?

[zero 1162]

7 hours ago, Syy0628 said:

I gave it another try today, I changed the spring compressors to a few different spots to reduce pressure at the top hat as much as possible. But it still would not come off, probably the previous garage who changed the strut used the impact gun on it for too long? I took the strut to a few garages near me, but can't settle a deal for less than a shop hour, they all want to charge me the standard price for a strut mount change just to undo the nut despite they don't have any customer because of the heavy rain. 

I saw a cheap Chinese made a corded 12v impact on a facebook group for $60 with a quoted torque rating of 350nm, I wonder if that thing can zip it off? Would it damage my hand tool socket if I just use it with impact for once?

 

The cheap impacts are pretty sh*t, and yes it will damage a standard socket, so only use a cheap socket you dont care about.

I have a $600 gun and impact sockets, which I'm happy to help you with, but I wont be back in Auckland for a week.

[Syy0628 13]

So, I bought the $60 impact, and it worked alright. The nut came off, and my handtool socket didn't explode. The nut was hugely over torqued by whoever changed the front damper. I only got time to change one side yet. And I noticed it sit quite a bit higher due to the thickness of the strut mount I used. Now I am not a fan of stanced car, but the higher front does look a bit strange, and I don't know if it will introduce more understeer due to the lifted front suspension?

Edited June 26, 2018 by Syy0628

[M3AN 4016]

Moving the COG back will shift the balance back, yes.

What's important is not what the PO had installed but that you're installing the correct part. Did you get the part number and mounts from a reputable place? It looks like the original piece has the top broken off it? Or perhaps they cut the top off to "slam" the car?

You may need to check the rear as well if the rake is wrong.

Nice one on the strut nut! ?

Edited June 26, 2018 by M3AN

[Syy0628 13]

Been driving the e36 for more than a week now, the wheel didn't come off when I am on the motorway despite I reused the two bolts which connect the struct to the knuckle, so that's good.  But the new struct mount made a previously almost unnoticeable vibration into a slight shaking. It only happens above 90kph, worsen with speed.  I have done rear trailing arm bushes, I have done front lower control arm bushes, I have replaced the driveshaft and flex disc. I have balanced the tires, so I guess it's the ball joint on the control arm. the inner ball joint looks fine? no crack on the boot, so I will attempt to only replace the outer ball joint and see what happen.  

The new strut mount made the car sit about one and a half finger higher at the front. it is the right part but seems like many third party part supplier used the same moulding for many different BMW struct, and the thickness of the part is a compromise between different model to save cost.  the higher front suspension clearly made the car more understeer, as the rear used to step out at the roundabout in the rain if I lift off mid-corner, but now it won't. 

 

Every time I replace a wore suspension part on this car, the state of the old part always made me think that now the new part is on, it should be driving good now, but it just eliminate one problem and make others more pronounced.  But I think I can get there eventually.  And then I can think about whether to get a tidy 328i 5mt or do the conversion myself on this crap.