Shock - strut seperation

[Austin]

Hi,

How do you separate the shock from the strut on the front suspension. I can't seem to work it out! (YES, I have removed the spring first :) )

Rich

[vr_powered]

Undo the large nut on the top of the strut where the piston rod disapears inside, they can be a pig to undo so you may find it easier to carefully cut it with a hacksaw and split it

[Village Idiots]

Applying heat will make it easier to undo.

[go-for-it1]

Hold the bottom of the strut in a decent sized vice and if the cap won't undo with a pair of stillsons, hammer it round with a drift on one of the cut outs to break the seal and then use the stillsons again. Helps to have the strut upside down for a few hours and allow some penetrating oil to run into the threads before starting to undo the cap.