1995 Pontiac Grand Am Front Strut Replacement

JUSTRC

MEMBER
1995 PONTIAC GRAND AM

Suspension problem
1995 Pontiac Grand Am 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic

My Grand Am has 170K miles and is in dire need of new front struts. I purchased a new set and began the disassembly process. When I got to the step that requires the removal of the strut to steering knuckle bolts, I ran into trouble. According to my repair manual, these bolts are splined and must be driven out. The problem is, no matter how much pounding, I am unable to get these bolts to move at all. Is there a trick to this? Could it be that they have somehow rotated and need to be aligned first? If so, how would I do that? I appreciate any insight that you can provide.

1 Reply

VANNER

MEMBER
1 POST

I just completed this task myself this past weekend and ran into the same problem. The side that had the 2 nuts on it broke free pretty easy the other side was the problem. We used a combination of pounding the bolt, using cold chisels and torches eventually it did brake free. The bolts were rusted in pretty good. I think heat was the key here, if you have access to some torches I would try that.

The torque specifications for the front strut assembly on a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am may vary depending on the specific model and suspension setup. However, here are some general torque values that can serve as a starting point:

Strut-to-knuckle bolts: The torque specification for the bolts that connect the strut assembly to the steering knuckle is typically around 80 to 90 foot-pounds (108 to 122 Newton-meters).

Upper strut mount nuts: The torque specification for the nuts that secure the upper strut mount to the vehicle body or strut tower is typically around 25 to 35 foot-pounds (34 to 47 Newton-meters).

Please let us know what happens.