Remove top nut on a Koni Sport?

[ianc]

Hi Folks,

I'm planning to do top front strut mounts over the xmas break. At first I was thinking that once I had the strut out of the car and the spring compressors on, I could use an allen key to hold the shock shaft through the top of a socket while turning the socket with vice grips.

Taking another look, I realize that won't work because the Koni has an adjuster where the allen key would normally go and instead relies on what looks like 10 mm flats directly above the nut (below).

Any ideas for getting this sucker off once I've got the strut on the floor? I don't have an impact, electric or otherwise, and would like to be able to torque the nut up again after replacing the mounts. I thought of using a dremel to make a wide notch in a 22mm (or whatever it is) deep well to allow a 10mm box end to fit in there, but it seems dicey.

Anybody else know of another tool or method for this? Thanks as always,

ianc

[Matt@EuroJerks]

https://www.americanmuscle.com/koni-...t-install.html

[ianc]

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately BMW didn't have the good sense to design the mount to allow easy access with two box ends like the Mustang's. It's recessed down in the mount and hence you can't get a wrench on the big nut, as you can see in the pic above...

Any other ideas? Any reasonably-priced specialty tools for this job that anyone knows of?

Thanks again!

ianc

[Tommm]

Reasonably priced tool is a vice grip. Clip it on the top of the strut, where the bump stop would be. Then loosen the nut.

Harbor Freight $50 electric impact has paid for itself with two strut swaps.

[ianc]

After some mooching around with my good pal Google, I think I'll go this route:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben...3046sch01a-02/

Thanks for the suggestions though!

ianc

[Tinsta]

A set of these can help.. pass through socket

[ianc]

Looks like another good solution. I found someone who created another good method in post #5 on this page:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...i-yellows.html

I think the Schwaben tool will work fine though, especially since ECS is having such a huge sale on Schwaben tools until 3 Jan...

ianc

[ShocknAwe]

I use a spark plug socket, pass through a 1/4" extension, put the small socket on the extension, adapter up to 3/8" and 3/8" ratchet on the small socket. Then use the ~22mm box wrench on the spark plug socket. Works perfectly. Can even use it to torque things down properly. Cost me $5.

From my build thread:

[ianc]

Genius. Should have thought of that before ordering up the Schwaben tool...

Thanks for the response...

ianc