I'm still scheming how I'll deal with the strut nut (upper rod nut) when I replace my cartridges. One of the options I was considering was Lisle's Universal Strut Nut Remover #63400

I assumed that the black socket (in the above link), 2nd from the left, was what fit over the strut top nut. I called Lisle to confirm what the size of this socket was. I was transferred to Fred Lisle, and he had to go back to the original drawings to find out. He responded that part #63450 (which is the large socket included with kit 63400) was 1-3/8"

I knew the Volvo nut was 15/16" or 24 mm, so I figured the tool wouldn't work. Then I stumbled across on old post: Strut nut options 200

Here, Bruce Young claims that he used this exact kit, and that most strut nuts are indeed 15/16". Based on this, was Fred Lisle wrong about the 63450 kit; is it actually 15/16" socket?


I'm still not sure I can justify the cost of the Lisle kit. Based on other comments in the above post, if I remove the nut from the old strut with an impact wrench, it sounds like the cheaper IPD Strut Nut Tool
would work for tightening the new one, since the proper tightening torque is only 15 ft-lbs. anyway. (Or I might just make my own out of a socket). I'm thinking that at that low of torque, I could use an adjustable wrench gapped at 10 mm to hold the strut rod - the flats on the double D.

If the IPD tool isn't strong enough, another good option I've seen referenced on the Brickboard, would be a deep offset box wrench of the type shown at the Stahlwille website.