Strut Top Mounts

[Sikez2012]

After a bit help/advice

Went to replace the strut top bearings over the weekend and all went well untill i tried to undo the 21mm nut holding the strut top bearing cap on.
Clamped the spring to what i thought was sufficient and the bearing cap moved around quite freely, I went to undo the nut sat on the bearing and for love nor money could i undo it, Having the inner held with a allen bit in a ratchet and a spanner could not undo the nut,
I'm wondering did i infact have the spring clamped tight enough? which was still putting pressure on the bearing which may be why i could not move the nut, The nut though is very thin and not like the size of nut that sits on the cap in the scuttle area.
So i ran out of time and had to refit the strut and all the other gubbings, Bit miffed  i could not get the last part off so re-assessing where if anywhere i went wrong or spring maybe needs clamping more.
Anybody have any pointers from doing the job themselfs?
Thanks all.

[LR76]

When I did mine I used an impact wrench.

[smutts]

Service box specifically says "DO NOT USE AN IMPACT WRENCH!!"

It would seem that the torsional shocks can undo the nut at the other end of the shaft inside the shock that holds the damper piston.

But, the 7mm allen socket on the end of my damper shaft is softer than chinesium, which started to strip & needed a torx 50 hammered in to save the day.

It were chuffing tight.

Devil, or deep blue sea!

[shtu]

Ideally you want no load at all on the top cap, the spring should be compressed enough that it is free to move. Sometimes not easy to achieve with DIY compressors.

While impacts aren't recommended, lots of people do use them, and haven't died in a fireball so far. Equally, grips on the very top of the shaft that is never actually used isn't the right way either, but if there's no other way, so be it.