Hi,
I purchased replacement tailgate struts from ipd. They have a circular eye on one end and are threaded on the other. The threaded end is clearly meant to screw into the brass "ball" that is attached to a socket on the door frame. The problem is I can't seem to get the old strut unscrewed from the brass ball.

Tips/suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

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Solved.

Even with a vice grip and liquid wrench, the shaft of the strut would not unscrew from the brass socket. I ended up popping the strut/socket off the car. I held the shaft of the strut with a vice grip and used a pipe wrench on the socket to twist it off. Once came off right away, the other required more cursing and effort but eventually it too came off.

 

phew. I am happy to say, the 740/940 struts are *MUCH* easier than this. pop a spring clip off the socket, and pop the socket off the ball which stays on the car. snap on new strut, snap on spring clips (they come with the struts). done.

the 850 is a little trickier, the struts are hidden behind the plastic above the rear side windows, so you remove the C pillar and top plastic trim, then do about what I described above.