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How do I remove the strut top hat?

Pilsner

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Just spins the shaft? And don't have a deep enough socket for the larger gun

Yeah, I'd NOT do that. I had a set of Bilstein 6100s that I was putting heavier springs on. Tried to loosen the top nut with a couple zips of an impact as it was pretty solid. Well the piston is supposed to be staked at the bottom. Mine was not and quickly unthreaded. The resulting jolt kicked off my spring compressors and launched the top hat, piston, and spring about 20 feet up, right past my face. It was strong enough it broke the socket extension. Luckily it missed my face. Pretty sure it would have been an extended hospital stay or worse. I completely take them off by hand now so I can watch the center post and make sure it's not rotating.
 
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Techun

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Yeah, I'd NOT do that. I had a set of Bilstein 6100s that I was putting heavier springs on. Tried to loosen the top nut with a couple zips of an impact as it was pretty solid. Well the piston is supposed to be staked at the bottom. Mine was not and quickly unthreaded. The resulting jolt kicked off my spring compressors and launched the top hat, piston, and spring about 20 feet up, right past my face. It was strong enough it broke the socket extension. Luckily it missed my face. Pretty sure it would have been an extended hospital stay or worse. I completely take them off by hand now so I can watch the center post and make sure it's not rotating.
Oh good, there's a new part that can disassemble and fly off and kill me lol.
 

Tonka Bronka

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Oh good, there's a new part that can disassemble and fly off and kill me lol.
Struts are no joke. If you don't have the right tools and knowledge, they are best left to someone that does.
 

Pilsner

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Struts are no joke. If you don't have the right tools and knowledge, they are best left to someone that does.

Yeah, treat them like a loaded firearm and don't be in the way of where they would launch when working on them. Since that happened, I built a jig that fits into a shop press and don't use compressors unless I have to for some reason. Used them a lot in the past, but that close call changed my mind.
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