Hey guys I'm doing the shocks on my omega right now, ive got the drivers side almost out, 2 bottom bolts are out, but the top nut im having trouble with, I got vicegrips on the top non threaded part but even with that it just spins when I try and loosen it with the wrench, I keep hitting it with penetrating grease, any tips? I'd like to get them both done today if I can haha

 

Just read a post about a shock tool, My other vehicle isnt here right now so I cant go grab one, any ideas in the meantime?

 

Split the nut.

 

If you are replacing the shock you can use a 6 point deep socket that fits the nut on the shock, put the ratchet in the socket but do not try to turn it. Instead you use the combo to bend the rod of the shock back and forth and it will break right under the threaded section. The further you bend it in both directions the quicker it will break. It has never failed me.

 

X2 on breaking it, This method works well. Put a deep socket over it and the longest extension you have room to move in the socket and bend it back and forth until it breaks. Wear gloves to protect your hands when it breaks.

 

X3
you are done with that shock
Snap it off.

 

Yupp x4

 

Or you can put vise grips on the top of the shaft to keep it from spinning and turn the nut off with a wrench.

 

If you got all day and nothing else to do
They also sell a double-D socket to hold/turn that shaft.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Speci...item589de25535

But, ONE MINUTE with a deep socket and both are broken off.

Take your pick.

 

X5 deep socket and extension rock it back and forth until it breaks.Nick

 

An impact wrench works good sometimes. Clean the shock shaft well. Hold the shock shaft below with vice grips (with rounded jaws, with heater hose scrap in between). Use impact wrench on nut. If this fails, a nut splitter might work. I cut one of mine with a dremel with a carbide cutter. Got almost through the threads and then it spun off with the impact.
I tried the holding the top stud first but it rounded easily.

 

OK, sure, but... again...

"I'd like to get them both done today if I can haha"

In less time than it would take to CLEAN one of the JUNK parts you are removing, I can snap off both and press on to the install part. There are many ways to remove junk parts. Cutoff wheel, flaming hack saw, impact, etc. You will be hard pressed to trump the sheer expedience of breaking off the rod with a bending motion.

 

I had air tools available but the compressor picked a wicked time to die, no stores had shock tools, and it didnt wanna break, sawzall ended up doing the trick and she drives nice now that I actually have working shocks up front, the old ones i could compress all the way with my hands and they wouldnt bounce back

 

If you don't have a smoke wrench avalible you can pull the shock down and clip your vise grips right on the shaft above the body of the shock to hold it. I've done this many times and it works 98% of the time. PS it's got to be a good set of Vise Grips no cheep china tool.

 

Your car was made before the dawn of gas charged shocks, so the old shocks may not bounce back. Although inferior they still might not have been bad unless they were leaking.

 

I guess I didn't mention in the OP, but I tried the vice grips and it wasn't working for ***** it was all rounded off and the metal was so soft and old it just kept rounding off more and more as the nut was on their super solid, even after coating it with tons of penetrating grease and also heating it up with a blow torch.

The old shocks were total garbage and completely done, hitting a bump over 30-40 mph or so would cause the front end to bounce up and down several times and the top of the wheel wells to bang into the top of the tires over and over, which was probaby the only thing preventing me from totally tearing up the underside.

The new ones on the other hand, the drivers side I only had to use the vice grips for a coupe of turns, it went down on its own fine before and after, the passenger side didn't need vice grips at all. Now I got some nice monroes in there, I imagine the springs are probably pretty worn out too, just curious is there any springs I can get that will tighten up the handling a bit? If I'm going to replace them I figure I might as well get some better ones in there if they're affordable