my gf's car had a wheel bearing basically explode inside the spindle and hub. Ruined the axle, the spindle, the rotor, basically the whole spindle assembly. We picked up the parts from a local junk yard all assembled already (they took the entire thing out of the junk car, axle and all. The bolts are all frozen up of course and with the assembly not mounted to anything it's impossible to break the bolts loose to disassemble it (no air compressor in sight).

My problem is the strut spring compressor is hitting the underside of the strut tower the more i tighten it down. Best way to compress the spring? This is a PITA. I would turn the compressors around but I can't get my hand up in there to tighten the compressors on the spring, any other ideas? Maybe compress the spring just enough to get the strut through the tower and bolt it down, then put the spindle up to it? The struts don't have the two bolts on them that bolt to the steering coupler like any normal car, they actually slide down into the spindle. At this point I'm up for any ideas, I'd cut the threads shorter but i rented the tool from advance and I don't think they'd appreciate that. Help before I get the sawzall out and start cutting the car in half.

On your gf Nissan SR20 Cougar, I would take the junkyard parts to a local garage and have them loosen all of your frozen bolts/nuts.

As for the spring compressor, why are you compressing it on the car. Are the spring mounted over the strut or perched separately.

If its stut mounted, remove the nuts on the top of the tower and drop the whole assembly down. Do all of the compressing with it off the car. But, why do you need to compress anything. Thought you got the whole thing from the junkyard.

Take the busted unit off the car (without compressing the spring). Take both assemblies to your local gas station and have them loosen ALL of your frozen bolts/nuts. If they are nice and not Xmas money hungry, swap the good parts around to get a good unit assembled. Take that unit home, insert into the tower and bolt in place....

you can't remount the spring without compressing it and the tool is in the way when you do compress it. I'll get it figured out.