Brought car to dealership for strut swap and they tightened the nuts up so tight that it's now stripping. What's the best way of getting them off without completely rounding off the nuts. There's still some meat on it but not much.

 

I would think a good vice grip plier.
Replace them with new. Something like this should be torqued to proper spec.

 

Pneumatic Impact Gum.

 

I would take it back to the dealer that did the work and have them fix it.

 

DO NOT USE VICE GRIPS!!!
If they are torqued on that tight vice grips will do nothing but round them off ASAP!
Maybe try some Kroil and an air ratchet.
If they are still rounding you may have to try and file some of the edges back flat and then get the correct size socket and use an impact driver to break them loose.

 

Are you using the right size socket? I mean if you are using a 6point socket, there is absolutely no reason they should be stripping.

Dixit

 

Big dog has the best. What can work best is if the hex is screwed up just enough to that you have to lightly tap on the socket to get it on the nut with a hammer.
Yeah, you gotta use common sense with a vice grip. Put some light on it. If the nut doesnt turn as you start to turn the tool STOP, turn the **** tighter and reclamp. But if it is badly stripped it is about the only way or I have to resort to the die grinder.

 

It's starting to strip but I want to be sure before I try it again that I'm trying the best possible way of getting it off. They must have used the impact gun to tighten them down. Also I am going to replace the nuts when I get them off. Thanks for the advice. Not sure if I can bring it back to them to break the nuts.

 

ABSOLUTLEY TAKE IT BACK TO WHOEVER DID THE WORK AND MAKE THEM FIX IT. They f***ed it up, why should you have to worry about it.

 

I had a defective strut replaced on my 02 SE today. The tech did it correctly. He used a 6 point socket and a torque wrench. If you are trying to correct somebody elses mistake on your dollar, you are causing yourself unnecessary grief IMHO.

 

They did not strip the nuts but did use a impact gun to put them on without the proper torque. Also it's like 20 minutes to that dealership from my house. So once I get them off I'll just replace the nuts. Don't get me wrong I hate the dealership as bad as anyone else. I even called Nissan North America to report these dumba$$ **********a's for being retarded and not fixing my car.
I also mentioned the $hitty paint job on the hood and they had nothing to say.

 

Take it back to the dealer! Don't touch it. Let them fix what they screwed up.

 

Listen to the earlier advice. Take it back to dealer. I recently put on a strut brace. The driver side nuts came off just fine however passenger side was a real female puppy. I couldn't figure out why and stripped the first one I tried (breaker bar and lots of WD40). Then I remembered that, like others here, I had to have a defective strut replaced by my local dealer. When I approached the dealer with my dilemma, the 'master tech' there said that the strut nuts only get 'hand tightened'. The dealer loosened the nuts for me, replaced the jacked-up nut with a purdy new one and stated that their 500 lb. gorilla must have been working on my car during the strut replacement. The nuts were torqued to 200 foot pounds (!). According to my strut bar installation instructions these nuts should be torqued to about 50lbs.

Sounds like their 'service tech' was transferred to your shop.

This is why I have begun to work on my baby every opportunity I can. The techs at my dealer D-N-S!

Good luck.

 

U soak them in WD-40? it helped w/ removing my stock exhaust bolts. might help you too

 

Those three nuts should only be torqued to 35 ft/lbs maximum!

 

you know what works better than WD-40 IMO? PB Blaster

 

I agree, PB Blaster is the shiznit.

It is 100 times better than WD 40 for penetrating and loosening rusted and stuck fasteners.

 

I used it to remove rusted and stuck 3 year old trailer hatch. Left big orange stain right in the middle of my driveway

 

I agree with you totally about bringing it back to the dealership. But on the other hand I agree with one of your last statements even more. I don't trust anyone to work on my baby especially something pretty easy like that.
I was just wondering. If the nuts are tightened so freakin' tight could that cause the strut mount to break prematurely due to overtightening. Remember I live in New Orleans and potholes are a pain in the a$$. I'm starting to hear the same sound again that I heard when I brought it in. I'm thinking the strut mount maybe broken again. Anyone agree with this?

 

I agree that you should take it back to them and have it fixed either way.

 

IMHO, yes. The tech that originally worked on the F/P strut said that Max's tended to have problems with their front struts, specifically a bearing of some kind. He would not elaborate. Since retorquing the nuts, I have been waiting for that thumping sound to come back, however, so far so good.

Regarding my dealer, I'd have to start a new thread, but it would resemble all the other 'hate' threads about dealerships. You still gotta call them on shoddy work that they perform on your pride and joy and grin and bear the inconvenience.