lower bolt on rear strut

[joe5]

Hi there, so I was looking under the car and saw that on one of the rear struts, the lower bolt is only half way through  Yikes!!! (goes in one side and through the strut but doesnt make it into the threads on the welded nut on the other side, iso the bolt is in at an angle and pinching the bushing pretty good).

 

I dont have a spring compressor. I was thinking of taking the rear axle out, putting a jack under the strut and pushing up on it until i can get the bolt lined up with the threads.  Since the top of the strut is mounted in place, it should work right?

 

Just thought i'd run this by the forum in case this is a bad idea, and open up the opportunity to hear hopefully better ideas if they exist. 

 

thanks!

[bratman18]

Is it possible for you to post a pic ?

[joe5]

So to be clear, this picture is NOT of my car, its from that awesome wheel bearing thread that another board member posted. But it happens to very nicely point out the bolt I'm talking about with the red arrow. The bolt doesn't go all the way threw and is sitting crooked, and the bottom of the strut is actually resting on the axle. 

 

[idosubaru]

jack the rear wheel up so the control arm falls down and you can use prybars/an additional jack to push and pull things in place. 

 

i would get a new bolt or chase the threads - i would imagine the threads are mangled and unusable.  it's a standard bolt if you have access to any other Subarus.

 

i think that's a 17mm bolt which would be an M10x1.25 thread bolt.  same as every other 17mm bolt on the car.

if it's a 14mm then it's M8x1.25, but i think it's 17mm.

 

in general that lower bolt is easily installed - nothing to it, no spring compressor needed and you don't have to mess with that axles or rear diff at all.