please save me from an insurance claim...

[SuperHO]

So both right side struts on my 98 are completely blown. it takes absolutely no effort at all to move the strut up and down by hand, and each pothole (this is michigan, so there's one every 38 feet or so) feels like the car just fell off a 4 foot cliff and landed flat. So sitting in my garage are 4 brand new Motorcraft 2002 Taurus Struts, 4 brand new strut mounts (the fronts have bearings) and 4 brand new Eibach Springs for a 98 Taurus LX (parts list courtesy of Mr. A). The rear setup has now become a quickstrut thingy, as i've got them assembled, but the fronts need the hardware, which I was going to take off the existing struts.

Problem: The friggin things won't come out. I had the right rear strut out a couple of months ago to change it, which is when I realized the nut holding the strut mount on was so badly rusted, I'd either need copious amounts of heat or a sawzall to get it off. So I threw it back together (after drilling out the snapped pinch bolt and putting a new bolt in).

This morning, I was feeling my oats despite my 4:45am bedtime and proceeded to tear the old whore apart....only to find getting the strut out of the knuckle was proving simply impossible for a guy with basic hand tools, a large hammer and a floor jack with jack stands.

So, SHOForum, I plead to you...would anyone be willing to lend a hand with these God Forsaken contraptions before I drive this car into a phone pole, collect the insurance and get something reasonably reliable?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Some good banging with a 6 lb. sledge on the top of the rear spindles while a helper holds constant pressure on a 3 foot long pry bar (even sitting or standing on it) with around a 1" socket on top of the end of the pry bar so it's pushing up on the bottom of the strut will work wonders.

Put the prybar in from the rear of the car so it's on top of the rear control arm.

 

[somedude_001]

sometimes if the strut is really rusted in there you might have to get something into the rear of the spindle and pry it open a bit to break the rust free.