PLEASE Help!!! Stripped nut!!! How do I get it off.

Update: the circle illustrates the nut stripped.

 

I was told the nut splitter might not work, due to the space.

 

Remove the 3 nuts that hold the top of the space on the upper shock mount, remove the 1 bolt for the lower shock mount and pull the whole thing away from the truck to give yourself more space to work. Once it is off the truck, see about putting the nut splitter on. It will be close, but that should give tryouts the extra space you need.

 

Yea everything was completely taken apart yesterday night. I'll be working on it today in the evening as well. I didnt know about the splitter till after I post here. I'll try to purchase one today I also bough a socket designed for messed up nuts. So hopefully one of those do work.

 

If you get the assembly off the truck you can also dress up the rounded portion of the nut with a good file then use a slightly smaller sized wrench or socket to try to get it off. You can try heat as well, as others have mentioned. Buy some MAPP gas, it burns hotter and you can make that nut glow cherry red and remove it with no problem at all.

 

this wouldnt damage anything else around????
Or the bolt itself???

 

These bolts may be tempered steel. While MAPP gas will get that thing glowing hot, that may be too much as well. A propane torch will certainly heat it up, but that will take longer. Because of the tight area, I would suggest not using heat. You are probably better off to get a really good penetrant (like the ATF/Acetone mix I mentioned earlier). Filing down the sides of then nut is also a good idea. At that point, also try to fit a standard socket instead of metric on it. Metric comparable sizes are usually just a tiny bit bigger than standard.

 

The least invasive method that works is always best. If penetrating oil or the special mixture that was suggested works then great. My suggestion of heat is the "next step" if other methods do not work. And you can do a pretty good job of localizing the heat to just the nut and the attached bolt if you are careful. Chances are the nut would release before you ever needed to get to the cherry red point. I also cannot tell what all of the materials surrounding the nut are comprised of. Certainly if there is plastic or other heat sensitive parts nearby then you should skip the heat.

 

Have you tried a vice grip and a cheater bar?

 

Someone in your area probably has an extra factory strut just laying around they would probably sell cheap

 

2 min with a grinder, with a fairly thin disc and you should be done. File the last little bit if you are worried about grinding into strut/spacer.

 

This thing saved my lift last night!! Two of them ended up being stripped as well and came out like butter! Just had to hammer it down a few times but came out like nothing.


THANKS TO ALL YOU GUYS!

 

hmmmmmm never seen that. Where did you get it?

 

Really nice guy at local shop called "tool shack" gave it to me after he saw how mad I was about. But I seen them at tool stores too, I believe auto stores have them too. Lowes didnt have it tho.

 

I stripped the head of a bolt holding on my starter. Bought a set of these same type of sockets made by craftsman. Came out no problem. Really glad to have a set these sitting in the shop now.

 

I was going to suggest selling the truck. Glad you fixed it.I'd hate to buy a used one an have that stripped nut.

 

So yeah I just broke the stud loose from my top hat and it just spins. I have brand new top hats going in but can't get this damn one off