Vice grips.  You can clamp them on the top portion and then you don't have
to hold on to them, as they will just spin around till they hit the back
wall of the fender well and you can merrily work the 17.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Smola, Tony" <TSmola@TRIBUNE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 6:41 PM
Subject: Re: front shock removal-tip

> Tom,
>
> In order to prevent the shock rod from spinning while trying to remove the
> top nut try this:
>
> The top of the threaded portion either has an allen opening in the top or
it
> becomes flat ( this will allow you to either
> place an allen wrench in side the top of the rod (Bilstein) or you can use
> 1) use a crescent wrench- aka adjustable open end wrench to hold the
> flattened top of the rod.
> 2) fit a boxed end wrench on the nut....I think it's a 17MM......
> 3) of course the boxed end wrench goes on first, followed by the crescent
or
> allen wrench on the very top, above  the threaded portion of the where it
> becomes flat.
>
> That's all Folks
>
> Malibu Tony 85' Westy w/ Bilsteins and MXT's all around