my girlfriends dad bought new Monroe Struts for the back of my 1992 Bonneville SE. but he cant get the old ones out. He showed me the issue. I havent tried myself, but from what i can see..... the top of the strut doesnt mount in the trunk with the usual 4 bolt plate method. it is a single large nut. and very little room to get to it since it comes into the trunk under the rear deck lid. he was using a 3 foot ratcheting breaker bar and socket and said he couldnt do it with that.

any ideas?

Thinking outloud here. Don't we have to remove the rear deck lid to get to those?

The FSM says to remove the rear decklid. It'* not worth the time though. Most mechanics find it much quicker and easier to take a 13mm ratcheting wrench and crawl into the trunk. Feel up under and you'll find 3 nuts per strut to loosen.

First jack and support the car. Then move your jack under the lower control arm and support the control arm for the side you are working on. This is because the strut is seperate from the spring. The spring would push the control arm down and potentially hurt someone or something when pressure is released.

No special tools needed - just get into the trunk and remove the rear liner up under your deck, remove the
13-mm nuts on top (a little tough to get at), and then jack the car, use jacks stands under the frame as you will want to place your jack under the spring before you undo the strut from the back of the wheel assy, AFTER removing the large strut bolts you slowly lower your jack, Note: if your struts are controlled you will find a connector on top of the strut- I find it MUCH easier to remove from below when you start to lower the strut or just cut the wires if your good at soldering, when you get enough clearance remove the strut. reverse this to replace it with the new one ( don't forget to mark your bolts before undoing them or your new allighnment will take some time also be sure you don't hit the ABS sensor/wires during your change-over)
Hope this helps!

P.*. DO NOT remove the rear deck lid as that is unnecessary and A LOT of extra work for nothing

13mm? im pretty sure it is 24mm. and i thought the rear deck lid is spot welded in. there arent 3 bolts/nuts. its a single 24mm nut that threads onto the top of the strut.

That'* the middle shock to mount nut. The should be two nuts that hold the shock mount to the body. Here'* what it looks like. http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/ge...11-0&width=450

Your right Nighthwk - that is where the 2 nuts are removed from, the mount can be switched over on the bench/floor easily when it'* out. and yes Raptor660 they are 13mm (I have done this before), as for not removing the deck - it was something someone else had said and I just wanted him to know that it is not required (and I believe impossible without torches and good insurance), if you wish to critique the post maybe you should say something like "what about unhooking the sway bar to allow the wheel to swing out" - that would have been better as that is something I didn't put in there. Not trying to be "bitchy" or anything as I was just giving advice to someone who asked. I grew up in my Dad'* garage (his business), worked for him and have owned 3 Bonnies myself, I only take the car to a shop if I need an alignment as I don't have the Alignment rack in my home garage, therefor I promise I will not steer anyone wrong.

Rear deck lid meaning, removing the cardboard liner to access the holes in the rear deck lid. Not actually removing the metal portion of it.

OK Mike I understand what you are saying and it was not me that said "i thought the rear deck lid is spot welded in", I replied in that manner as this seemed just a little sarcastic when I read it, actually the rear deck liner does not get removed to do these shocks as you simply crawl into the trunk and work in the corners to get at them. I appreciate what you are saying because many would try it that way since it is common to see in vehicles, thats also why I said to use a 13mm so he wouldn't be trying to take the shock off of the mount while its still in the car (removing them together is very,very much easier. No offense was intended to you Mike.