A few final comments, a couple months after I finished my strut repair.

Here's a good tool to loosen and tighten the 24 mm top nut on the MacPherson strut: Wilmar W83015, available at Amazon. Possibly the the Lisle 20400 is an equivalent. I bought the Wilmar tool.

I tried three different tools to ...

There's some wrong information here in the last few posts.

As I understand it -- and I'm not a mechanic -- the charging indicator light on the instrument panel DOES serve an important function. It provides current to the alternator to initiate the excitation process. An alternator uses relatively ...

I'll answer my own question: The top nut comes off easily with an impact wrench and a 24mm deep socket.

I removed my MacPherson strut and took it to an experienced mechanic. He said the top nut will come right off with the impact wrench. I pointed out that you're supposed to hold the shock piston ...

Still struggling with the 24 mm top nut on the MacPherson strut. Front, passenger side, 1989 240 with 226,000 miles.

I have the strut assembly out, spring is compressed so that the upper strut mount is now just loose against the spring.

Tried to loosen that 24 mm nut. No go. Holding the flats on ...

"The Right Tools" indeed.

I'm having trouble getting the top nut off my MacPherson strut. 1989 240 brick. This is the 24 mm nut at the strut tower, not the gland nut which holds the shock absorber insert in place. This 24 mm nut is recessed so that a deep socket would be the perfect tool to reach ...