Trying to install Ingalls ETD but I cant seem to remove the 14 mm bolt on that connects to the strut(?) bar. Is this nut suppose to be this tight? I'm concerned I'm going to strip it if I keep forcing it...any thoughts?

 

if it was torqued correctly, it should only have 36 lbf-ft. mine was a little hard to remove too when i installed my strut bar. you just need to use a wrench with longer arm, that will make the job a lot easier. instead of using a constant steady force, try to give it some impact force.

 

Not sure if it was torque correctly. The strut was already on when I got the car. I'm trying to get it off for the ingalls etd. Any of those sprays might work well like liquid wrench? Don't know how paint safe they are since it is painted inside...

 

spray some wd40, let it sit for a while. then try to use a wrench with longer arm. i took mine off using a longer wrench, didn't even need any wd40, but it's not a bad idea to spray some on first.

 

What size wrench are you using to get it off? They should come off very easily with anything over a 1/4" drive. Even that should be able to pop them off no problem though.

 

Finally got them off...it was a 1/4 inch wrench so probably need to pick up some better tools....The thing was stuck tight though but used some penetrating oil from liquid wrench.

 

For future jobs, get yourself an 18"+ breaker bar. They are designed for this type of job, and are nearly indispensible when doing any real work on your car. Penetrating oils help (wd40 is good.. it's not meant to be a lubricant), and as mentioned above, impact force is much better than steady force. So, jerk it hard and quick (no pun intended) instead of trying to just push/pull with constant force. I use a breaker bar whenever possible instead of a ratchet for losening bolts/nuts.. any auto store will have them, and they should come with lifetime warranty.

 

+1 on the breaker bar. I try to stay away from impact force because I have stripped/broken bolts and nuts before (usually only applies to old and rusted ones).

If you go to any hardware store you can find a small steel tub that will slide over the handle of your socket wrench.

 

True, that is a concern, but I seem to remember that impact force is suggested in order to protect threads in the car. While a broken or stripped bolt is no fun, stripping the threads in your diff or tranny housing would be worse

 

And bolts that are really stuck sometimes it helps to tighten it slightly then remove it. I have used impact force before also. Sometimes it's unavoidable.