Will this work: file away, destroy, the threads on this top strut bolt.

[lizpat]

^ This here is the top of a TEIN damper bolt. You can see the top is machined flat which allows you to use the box end of a 10mm wrench to hold the bolt in place.

Here's the problem with this design: using the 10mm wrench causes the thread part to deform a little bit, even a little bit causes a BIG problem because the nut is supposed to spin FREELY. If the nut can't spin freely there is no way to hold the strut bolt in place to spin the nut. The nut absolutely has to clear this part. The whole point of this machined flat part is to hold the bolt in place while you spin the nut. IF the nut can't clear this part and spin freely up and down, there's nothing that can be done. The whole unit is worthless and un-installable.

So this particular design INITIALLY SEEMED like an improvement upon the more common design where a hex tool is inserted at the top, but I don't think so anymore.

Anyways, I'm thinking about using a file tool to just file away the entire threads on this portion. They don't serve a purpose anyway.

What do you think?

 

[JoelB]

Couldn't you just file a chamfer at the end of each flat? Then the deformation from the wrench wouldn't affect the threads.

 

[Astro14]

I think I would get a better wrench that doesn’t distort when load is applied.

 

[mk378]

You're overthinking this, severely. During installation the nut will go on by hand to below the flat parts before you need a wrench.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

Troll post?

 

[kschachn]

How does that work exactly? Wouldn't you spin down/snug the nut by hand (past the flat) before you put the wrench on for final tightening? Or is this for subsequent removal?

 

[Imp4]

Operator error.

 

[spasm3]

A good wrench should work, if it is messing up the threads, the wrench has too much play, i've seen this with cheap endwrenches. Even a good quality adjustable should work.

What brand wrench?

Anyway with the nut below the flat, it should not matter, The nut should still come off later even if you ding up the threads a bit.

 

[lizpat]

You're overthinking this, severely. During installation the nut will go on by hand to below the flat parts before you need a wrench.

I'm glad you brought this up: during the first installation, the nut will spin freely going up and down. Once the nut is down, you have to tighten it holding a wrench to the flat part, this holding with a wrench deforms just enough of the thread to cause any FUTURE installation and reinstallation to be problematic!

 

[RooflessVW]

I'm glad you brought this up: during the first installation, the nut will spin freely going up and down. Once the nut is down, you have to tighten it holding a wrench to the flat part, this holding with a wrench deforms just enough of the thread to cause any FUTURE installation and reinstallation to be problematic!

How hard are you cranking on this?

The torque should not be that high.

 

[Astro14]

I'm glad you brought this up: during the first installation, the nut will spin freely going up and down. Once the nut is down, you have to tighten it holding a wrench to the flat part, this holding with a wrench deforms just enough of the thread to cause any FUTURE installation and reinstallation to be problematic!

That’s the problem with cheap tools…

You won’t have that problem with a good quality wrench on those flats.

 

[lizpat]

A good wrench should work, if it is messing up the threads, the wrench has too much play, i've seen this with cheap endwrenches. Even a good quality adjustable should work.

What brand wrench?

Anyway with the nut below the flat, it should not matter, The nut should still come off later even if you ding up the threads a bit.

I used a Craftsman then a Husky all 10mm have some play to be honest, the adjustables tend not to hold position well.. oh well

 

[Variant_S]

You can see the top is machined flat which allows you to use the box end of a 10mm wrench to hold the bolt in place.

Could you use the open end of the wrench instead? You may get better purchase on the flats and less thread deformation than using the box end.

Just a thought.

 

[vw7674]

I don't pull MacPherson-type struts for fun OR for inspection. They usually go in once, then come out at failure point. So do not worry about future removals, those strut cartridges be spent when you go to undo that nut in a decade+.

 

[grjr]

just use a die or file to clean up any damage after you've taken it apart and replace the nut, removing the threads will just leave you with less material to work with in the future.

 

[lizpat]

Could you use the open end of the wrench instead? You may get better purchase on the flats and less thread deformation than using the box end.

Just a thought.

I meant the open end!!!!

That must have been confusing and dumb

 

[lizpat]

All right, here's an update and here's how I solved the problem.

First I use a file to file away the top thread, then just based on a hunch, I use the TOP NUT, spinning clockwise and counter-clockwise back and forth to eventually "repair" the thread enough so that it spins freely..

The TOP NUT is apparently a much tougher material than the strut bolt. Whatever, it did the job!

 

[lizpat]

This is a design error, not user error. The design is such that EVERY SINGLE TIME you use the top-flat part to tighten the nut, you HAVE TO repair the thread---it's a must.

This is a poor design choice, for sure. The metal deforms every single time you use that flat part. I used an adjustable wrench and absolutely minimizing the play involved, it still happens---the metal deforms.

LUCKILY, the metal so soft that with coaxing the NUT is able to repair the thread by unscrewing it back and forth.

This is a design error!

Just so no one thinks this is a user error.

This sort of design is really only good for 1 use, even then the first time I installed this TEIN damper there was a little bit of difficulty (nothing like this time but it wasn't seamless.) It's a design error.

 

[kschachn]

Okay.

 

[oggb]

I think @grjr has the simplest solution.

Why are you removing the top nut so often? Are you rebuilding/revalving or constantly changing the spring rates on coilovers?