I got one of them out with my framing hammer, the other one wasn't moving. I ordered the napa bushings that were posted before and changing it all out this weekend hopefully. I'll attempt some pics and definitely will confirm or deny if the part number is the correct bushing at least for an 06.

 

Shoulda left the nut on and beat the nut, that way the bolt won't shroom. Nut would still come off and is replaceable. That's how I did mine and I didn't even have to replace the nuts. Also, if you heat the bolt head and spay penetrating oil from the other side, the heat will help pull the oil thru (capillary action). Just like sweating pipes, you heat the bend in the elbow and it sucks the solder in.

 

I took mine to a shop to have the struts installed. Let them deal with that strut bolt bs. Then the bolts were easy to get out when I installed the leveling kit later.

 

At least I don't feel so bad now that I couldn't do it.

 

More patience than I had.. I spent 20 minutes and then went to town with and angle grinder. my advice to anyone, if it's never been worked on before... you might want to hit up a shop.. let them bs with it.

 

I would suggest getting a new nut and bolt from a dealership and have that handy as well. Applying a high heat to a bolt that's rusted into the bushing won't help to remove the bolt but can change it's strength characteristics - I think those are strength 10.9.

If you're going to burn out the old bushing (lots of smoke, let neighbors know so they don't call the FD), have an extinguisher handy and when all the rubber is gone, you'll still have the bolt with the sleeve rusted onto it and may need to cut the bolt anyway.

I used a bunch of anti-seize compound on the bolt to help prevent the rust on the new bolt and bushing.

 

I used Pb blaster, torch and air chisle. It was a M.F. to get out! Dodge should be hung by their thingies for making such a piece of crap truck!

 

Although they have their share of issues and may present a challenge to some to work on, a piece of crap they are not. Try changing a distributer on an early model Chevy LTI engine, when you have to remove the water pump to get to it, talk about a bad design. Just saying, lots of cars/trucks have issues and challenges in doing certain repair work. No need to bash the whole truck because of a strut bushing design.

 

Had I thought about it when I had everything off the front of my truck, I should have drilled and tapped each bushing for grease hole right to the bolt and tap it for a grease nipple, it wouldn't have been hard to do with the control arms off the truck.

 

yup its going to the shop next month, gotta save up, gonna get new struts and have them put the leveling on with it, def the way to go front end has had one thing replaced the whole time ive had it


and i just noticed your subtle license plate in your sig "hemi"