Front shock absorber top self locking nut removal? 76 530i

[canada karl]

Spring compressed. How in the world do you remove this nut without turning the the shock rod? First one I did came off easy. This one is like it's welded on???? Tried holding rod in vice... no joy:x

[John in Simi Valley]

Had same problem with my E24.
Liquid Wrench, let it soak for 5 minutes.
Use a big-ass channel-lock or plummer's wrench, like 10-inch or more.

Have fun.

[Mike W.]

Impact tools. If you don't have them, maybe a rubber hose around the shaft, then grip it with a vice grips. Or take it to a tire shop or something and pay them a couple of bucks to spin it off in seconds. Not because it's so tight, but the locknut is one of those things where impact is really the only effective tool.

Oh, I haven't tried, but I have heard of spray carb cleaner on the nylon helping soften it enough to make removal easier.

[T.Hanson]

Pneumatic wrench ? As in air gun, pardon my flubby vocabulary.

Getting the pulley off the power steering pump was frustrating until I gently, with rag padding, clamped the pulley in a vice, whacked the nut with an air gun.

Also seen it done by alternating tight / loose button, pulling the trigger, with rust sauces or carefully added heat.

Good idea to work in a cool environment, maybe with soothing music. Once it took over an hour to find the tie rod end I threw over the neighbor's garage.

[canada karl]

I didn't have access to an air tool.Tried wrapping rubber around the rod and holding with vice grips and then channel locks. Didnt work.Removed the turret on the top of the shock tower and and removed the coil spring....put the shock shaft rod in the vice ...it still spun.....took an angle grinder to try to square up the sides of the rod so it wouldnt turn in the vice....no joy.....took a chisel to the nut(put a strip of cloth around the nut to keep the metal bits out.....battered the nut to a pulp but it wouldnt budge... threw the whole thing over the neighbours garage. .....went back and got it...ended up drilling out two sides of the nut and chipping it off the shaft. Finally got it off....I might be able to salvage the bearing. Next time it's an impact

[Pete K]

After all that, I imagine even the impact wouldn't have worked. All of mine have either a hex head or two flat sides where the rod sticks up. You just stick a small spanner on the rod and the very thin ring spanner on the nut and away you go. I take mine off regularly to change springs though, so there's no rust or gunk build up.