Hello. I'm having some problems removing the old struts from my 2009 1500 4x4. I don't have an impact gun, so I'm relying on breaker bars. The issue is the bottom bolt that attaches the strut to the control arm. I was able to get the nut off, but cannot get the bolt to slide out the other end. It seems that there is a collar that is spinning inside the control arm that may be seized onto the bolt. Any advise would be appreciated. I don't think that I want to heat it, as there is aluminum and rubber involved.
Thanks!

 

Spray penetrating oil, wait and then beat the crap out of the end using a drift so that you don't screw up the threads.

 

x2, penetrating oil and a good ol' BFH are necessary in the tool box. Also, try heating up around the bolt to help break it loose. The reason it's spinning is because that's not a threaded hole, granted you got the nut off but there isn't anything there to "guide" it out, except some brute force.

 

This is pretty typical. The strut is trying to expand beyond the control arm. Therefore there is simply pressure holding the bolt in place. I'd be careful hammering it out it using too much force as you could damage the threads. I always instead use a bottle jack or similar to slightly press up on the bottom of the strut which relieves the pressure and it slides out.

Good luck! Strut changes always suck.

 

I had the exact same problem on my passenger side, drivers side however came right out. the bolt is corroded into the spacer of the control arm bushing.

agreeing with popsnbeer make sure there is no pressure or weight from the strut binding on it. I had to soak mine with pb blaster overnight then beat it out with a mini sledge. I put the nut on the first couple threads to minimize damage and just put a new bolt/nut in when I was reinstalling.

 

Well, I've been soaking them for days with PB Blaster and hammering them here and there. I loosened the top 3 nuts. Jacked up the bottom of the strut taking all of the load off, and still nothing. Tonight I beat on one with a 16 pound sledge. Didn't budge. At this point I'm going to take it to my neighbor, who had been a mechanic for 40 years. He took a look and said that at the least, the bushings and bolts will need to be replaced. There is the possibility that the control arms will need to be replaced depending on if everything comes apart without damage. I'm beyond frustrated. I've got $300.00 in shocks and struts, another $300.00 for the control arms (if required) probably another $200.00 for labor, and $120.00 for an alignment. I had originally figured $500.00 total for the entire job. A little antiseize applied at the factory would have gone a long way.

 

if you know you are replacing the bolt just come up from the bottom (inside of the strut arms) and cut the bolt off so you can get the strut off. This way you wont damage the control arm by beating on the bolt. then you can press the bushing out and replace it with a new one and pick up a new bolt.

I did find that you can buy just the bushing aftermarket (NAPA actually had a kit with the bushing and bolt if that tells you anything) even though dodge only appeared to sell the whole control arm.

 

Ok. Thanks. I'll get a part number for the bushing/bolt kit and give that to the mechanic. As more people start doing struts on these, I'm sure this will be a more common topic. Thanks again.

 

Well, the job is done. I must say that the KYB struts are amazing. I do not think this truck rode this good when it was new. The OEM's were completely shot. I was surprised...They had barely any resistance when pushed down and once down they stayed there. They were probably shot at 45,000 miles and I just didn't know it. I did buy the bushing and bolt kit, made by Monroe, as the stock bolts were so rusted in the bushings they had to be cut out. A piece of advice for anyone that owns one of these trucks: Take an hour and remove that lower bolt, coat the entire thing with antiseize, and reinstall it. This will save you many headaches when it comes time to replace the struts.

 

Did you go with the KYB SR 4548 or SR 4549?