changing shocks and springs

Hi Gents - thought I would fit a new set of springs and shocks as the ones on my 95 Disco 1 are quite tired and corroded.
Watched a few videos on YouTube and it looked easy enough!
Spent a few days soaking all the nuts and bolts I knew I would have to remove with release agent like a good boy scout.
Tonight I thought I would try and undo the top nut on the front shockers, but fell at the first hurdle!
Put a socket on it and it turned straight away with little resistance - happy days I thought, until I realised the nut was not actually undoing, the spindle was turning with it.
I looked down the body of the shocker to see what was turning lower down that I would need to stop - but no evidence of anything moving lower down.
The top of the spindle has a shoulder to it that an 8mm spanner will fit on, but I'm pretty sure that this will round off with the force I need to exert to crack the nut, I tried holding it still whilst I heaved at the nut with a ring spanner and it looked bound to fail.
Apologies if this is a retarded question guys, but am I missing something simple? I don't recall the guys on YouTube struggling with this!

Cheers,
Pete

use a Vortex socket.

Vice grips on the top, wind em up tight and that works.

Failing that, nut splitter or sharp cold chisel, job done, most likely need to do same on the bottom ones too, although I did get stilsons on the shock body through the spring.

Bottom ones are easy - Just use an exhaust clamp to stop the shock rotating.

As mad hat man says a big pair of stilsons stops the shock turning for the bottom nut and if you cant get the top one off you can get the turret out with the shock attatched and remove the nut with a grinder afterwards if your reusing the turret

Just did mine and although they looked to have been done recently i had to cut the top nuts off

A good tip to remove the springs is to use the landy bottle jack to push the axle away from the chassis

No - don't use stilsons, because you need both hands free.
Use an exhaust clamp.

Seemed to work for me

Besides, you can put a spanner on the nut and turn the body to undo it.

Thanks for the advice gents, thought I might have missed something simple, but sounds like brute force one way or another will be the answer....as is often the case!
Cheers,
Pete

Stilsons are a bit rare in tool kits these days - I did my front dampers with a strap type oil filter wrench and some rope twisted around with a breaker bar to tighten the strap against the body and give a bit of purchase..

Let us know how you get on .......

Loads of piccies please.

Chrisw8 said:

Let us know how you get on .......

Loads of piccies please.

Click to expand...

I did a bit of a write up in my build thread in the members vehicles forum.

this is the post in particular. http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/3460135-post43.html

Tool for the job.

Thanks Dieseldog - vice grips did the trick.
Clamped them on so tight I nearly gave myself a hernia as I knew my first attempt would probably be my best shot, and it worked fine both sides.
I think knowing you are doing the right thing means a little more commitment is applied!
I think I'm adequately prepared to tackle the bottom end, with stilsons, strap wrench and chain type oil filter wrench all on the bench waiting for a shot!
My first attempt at this so I'll take lots of pics and post when it's done.
Successfully, hopefully...........