Front Strut Nut Removal

I got a surprise yesterday when I removed the protective shell from the top of the front strut assembly.

The nut that holds the damper into the strut shell was totally ruined.
Any thoughts on how to remove the nut when the flats are totally gone?

I have thought of gripping what is left in a vice and heating the area but am concerned about the danger of heating the damper. They can explode I hear????

I have also considered crushing the nut in a hydraulic press and straighten any damage afterwards.

Or can I machine the top off and the damper will come out and then I can remove the rest of the nut then.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Bob

Just to be clear, you must be talking about the large (~1.5" dia.) nut, correct? My favorite trick to remove stubborn bolts, usually after I have exhausted every available resource in bolt removal, is to get out a medium ball peen hammer, a large sharp cold chisel and the penetrating oil.

Position the chisel in the direction to loosen the nut, at an angle not quite tangent to the circle, and let it have it. The idea is to turn the nut, not chisel it off. It may sound crude, but when properly applied this technique has never let me down.

The machining trick should also work. If you have a descent sized lathe with a 4 jaw I suppose you can dial the strut in well enough so that you can trepan out the threaded portion of the nut - but that's absolute luxury!

Good luck.