Stuck Rear Shock Lower Bolt

Just my luck that the ‘easy’ bolt gives me problems. I’m replacing the rears and front with 4600s but currently the lower bolt for the driver side rear shock is stuck. I’ve taken the nut off but the bolt won’t budge out. I’ve tried wedging stuff in there but the bolt just spins along with the spacer/bushing. I have the truck jacked on the diff only. I tried fully removing the top portion of the strut and extending it out. I have not tried a proper smaller pry bar but that might be the next step.

Any tips?

 

Use a drill or impact on the head while you wedge something against the threaded side and the leaf mount

 

The best way I've found when the bolt is completely fused to the inner metal collar, is to just cut off the bolt with a sawzall and replace the bolt.

 

Another reason I recommend cutting it off is because it's almost impossible to isolate and wedge the inner collar and not have it spin in the surrounding rubber. Just my 2 cents of course.

 

Air hammer would make extremely quick work of that.

 

Have you tried wacking it with a Big F'n Hammer?

 

Lots of good answers already but I would lift the bottom of the shock with a pry bar or long screwdriver to take some tension off it and then whack it the bolt out with a dead blow hammer.

 

Inductive bolt heater would come useful in this situation.

 

Wanted to give an update in case someone else runs into this. I removed the saddle for the leaf springs to give myself more room but whacking it did nothing. The spacer was basically fused with the bolt at this point. I think heat might of worked but I ended up just cutting the bolt. Gave me an excuse to buy some more tools at least. Total PITA but I’m glad it’s out.

 

I did lca on a 4Runner with zero rust. Couldn’t get the concentrics out, stuckkkkk. Had sawzall all 4 out, 2b blades a cut. F me that suckkkkeddddd. Glad ya got out. Best

 

Given how "simple" of a job you'd expect it to be (two bolts), it's pretty regularly a pain in the ass. Even if everything goes smooth, that top nut is pretty annoying.

 

On 1 side the bottom bolt was stuck, on the other side the top bolt was stuck. Classic.