Hey all,

I am trying to replace my shocks and springs on the rear of my '91 740. However I am stuck on virtually the first step here and am looking for some advice.

I am unable to loosten the nut on the lower shock bolt. I have used some PB blaster and a lot of force here. Any suggestions on how I can get that nut loostened?

Thanks
T

Well,
The nut is realy stuck on ther and I haven't even gotten to the passenger side yet. I heated it up quite a bit since I work at a machine shop and I also used a jack to try and get that nut off but to no help.

I think I am going to just have to cut it off now. Does anyone know if this is a bolt and nut that I should be able to just get at a local hardware store? Or do I have to go to the dealer for it.
tomtbone

Well, I was able to get the lower bolt and nut off, but I had to use an angle grinder. There was so much pressure built up, that the bolt shot out the other side, bounced off somethime and took off, never to be found again. Its good that I went to the dealer and purchased new bolts and nuts.

Tomtbone
Bala Brass Quintet

Ran into this when I put IPD sways on my 745t. If you have a spare bottle, floor or screw jack, with the rear wheel off the ground, put a box end wrench on the shock mount NUT and use the small jack to "jack" the wrench in the proper direction. It will break the nut loose. Works great and you won't bugger up the nut. (I've also done it in a salvage yard with a jack I found in a trunk when I spotted a new set of shocks on a freshly totalled 740.)

If after the nut is loose you find the bolt is stuck in the shock, run the nut out flush with the end of the bolt and with a mallet, tap the bolt loose. Keeping the nut on the bolt will prevent you from damaging threads if you intend to reuse the bolt.

Before pulling the bolt out, use the smaller jack to hold up the end of the trailing arm.


Erwin

I found that if I inserted some vise-grip inside the rear trailing arm and locked on to the lower shock sleeve that I could get the bolt to come out. This was the problem... the bolt had frozen to the shock sleeve.

The vise-grips and a four foot long steel pipe (home depot $5) fit over the end of my breaker bar did the trick.

I always got nervous using the fire wrench near the gas tank.

hope this helps

This worked for me too, but I didn't need the bar. This info should be added to the FAQ! That sleeve ground me to a halt too until I figured it out.
--
Paul NW Indiana '89 740 Turbo 110,000

Well,
The nut is realy stuck on ther and I haven't even gotten to the passenger side yet. I heated it up quite a bit since I work at a machine shop and I also used a jack to try and get that nut off but to no help.

I think I am going to just have to cut it off now. Does anyone know if this is a bolt and nut that I should be able to just get at a local hardware store? Or do I have to go to the dealer for it.
tomtbone

Have you tried to heat up the nut a bit?

No, I have not, I suppose that this is the next step then?

I had to use a torch on mine also. Cherry red before it would turn. I used PBlaster for a couple of days before that. Replace the nut and bolt with new.

This can be a bitch due to corrosion. Try heat, long breaker bars with six-point sockets, the whole tool arsenal used when one has corrosion.

One chap recently had to cut his out with a Sawzall. Needless to say, when you install the new shocks use plenty of antiseize on the bolt and nut.