Help with top Strut Mounts, MK IV Golf

I am hoping someone can give me some suggestions on how to keep the piston from spinning while I try to loosen the bolt for the strut mount here.
Unfortunately these shocks are aftermarket, and do not have a place for an allen wrench - as you can see from the image. I need to be able to grab this piece with pliers or vice grips while loosening the nut. I am looking for alternatives to purchasing an expensive L wrench, or box wrench set. I have a 13/16 socket that I can use to put the new struts on with , that I cant turn while having an allen wrench inside. I just need a way to take off this old set of struts!
My thought was to place vice grips on the strut piston in the wheel well to keep it from spinning while I broke the nut free. I will be installing a complete new set of struts/springs so I don't need to worry about damaging the current struts.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Impact wrenches were *made* for jobs like this.

If there's any way you can borrow/beg/steal one for 2 minutes, you're gold.

Otherwise you're going to have to figure out some slick way to grab the chromed shaft in the wheelwell... and it will not grab easy, being chromed. Your vice grips will need to be very very sharp.

Vince Waldon said:

Impact wrenches were *made* for jobs like this.

If there's any way you can borrow/beg/steal one for 2 minutes, you're gold.

Otherwise you're going to have to figure out some slick way to grab the chromed shaft in the wheelwell... and it will not grab easy, being chromed. Your vice grips will need to be very very sharp.

Click to expand...

Thanks Vince, I do have access to an impact wrench through a friend - I wasn't 100% sure that would do the job, but I will certainly give it a go.

A 10 minute soak with some good penetrating oil (NOT WD-40 etc) and a good impact wrench and you're on your way!

Awesome, thanks again!

Yup impact is your best bet. Otherwise they make tools just for this.

Hey Narongc73, thanks for the reply - can you let me know what the name of that tool is, and where I could find it?

I bought a strut shaft tool set when I put Monroe loaded struts on. Can't remember the tool mfgr name but NONE of the Double D sockets fit the shaft. Had to return unused. Might have been a W83015 Performance Tool.

If you're scrapping the struts, I forget if you have vise grip access on the shaft from underneath to hold it and bust away.

This is the factory type tool (check your exact nut size, they come in different sizes):

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/strut-nut-socket-22mm/003046sch01a-04/

OR

if you can find a ring spanner with enough bend on the end to fit into the recess, they work as well.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/22mm-offset-wrench/ecs010/

(See the pictures on this page)

Thanks Graem - those are exactly what I was hoping to find here! Can't help but laugh at the name strut nuts though !

Yes GCBUG00, that is a current plan - the just grab the shaft from the wheel well, since I am getting rid of the struts themselves. thanks for the advice!