[Sisyphus58]

If you never completely removed the bolt, it will need to be removed eventually anyway.
And yes, you definitely want to avoid breaking it off, as has happened to others here. You need to Dremel off all that excess bushing material to completely expose the bolt. Then soak the bolt with PB blaster and let it seep in overnight, adding more PB blaster every few hours to the crevice between the bolt and entrance hole. Try not to mess up the threads on the bolt too much, although the important threads are not exposed really, being inside the knuckle still at this point. Use a breaker bar to remove the bolt, or an air wrench since it is a rather thick bolt that should withstand the force. If it won't budge, consider disassembling the knuckle and bringing it to a machine shop to get the stuck bolt out, probably from both sides of the car. If one is frozen, the other one likely is too. The shop will probably use heat, which most diy-ers don't have.
This is the type of repair that can easily turn into a nightmare and having to replace more parts than you expected. Prepare your head and wallet for that possibility. The worst case scenario will be having to replace your knuckles with used ones, as they are discontinued.

 

[Sisyphus58]

No, what you have the wrench on is more like an adapter plug, which screws into the knuckle on one side, and the actual mounting through bolt screws into that adapter. So when you are removing the bolt, you have to put one wrench on the adapter, and another wrench on the through bolt head. The mounting bolt has to completely unscrew from the adapter in order to remove the strut.
In one of your pictures, it appears the mounting bolt is still in place, perhaps you screwed it back in a bit after removing the strut? But in another pic, the bolt is removed.
So apparently you were able to remove one bolt but not the other, and thus needed to cut the strut. In any case, it looks like the bushing and it's metal sleeves on both sides is still attached, and that's what needs to be removed entirely. So when installing, the mounting bolt goes through the pre-installed bushing and sleeve of the new strut and attaches to the "adapter" which in turn is screwed into the knuckle.
Sooooo, on the side where there is no mounting bolt now installed, try tapping on the seized bushing/sleeve with a hammer as the metal sleeve is probably seized to the adapter. Not too hard though cuz you don't want that adapter to break off.
As a precaution, try pushing a pencil into the open end of that seized sleeve to check if the bolt broke off when removing it. The pencil should go in enough to reach the outer edge of the adapter. When you are sure there is no remaining bolt piece, use a Dremel to cut the sleeve off "at the outer edge of the adapter nut" assuming you weren't successful with the hammer.
The reason you don't want to cut through a seized bolt is so that you still have something to grip when you finally get the sleeve off from around it. This of course assumes the head broke off the bolt.
If on the other side of the car the bolt is seized inside the adapter, with the sleeve also seized around the bolt, then carefully Dremel off the sleeve WITHOUT cutting into the bolt or adapter nut.
As for the sleeve not being centered in the new struts, I am assuming that is by design to create some clearance. However, you should check the instructions to determine if the protruding side is suppose to flush against the adapter plug, or turned around instead.

 

[Sisyphus58]

If you got both bolts removed without snapping them, you are now safe to cut away the remaining bushing using a Dremel or grinder. There is nothing else there to ruin, as the needed threads are protected inside the knuckle. It's actually safer to cut away rather than chisel since you wouldn't be putting any pressure on the adapter, or banging it.
Removing the bolts is the critical part and you made it through that already. Buy a cheap Dremel or grinder from like Harbor Freight with cut-off wheels, and you'll still save money on machine shop labor charges.
Plus those tools will likely come in handy on future repairs, for example like rust removal.

 

[Sisyphus58]

I thought you said the bolts were removed???
If so, just hold the tool the other way and simply cut off the sleeve slightly away from the adapter nut, which again is NOT a bolt!!!
You are trying to remove the sleeve from the adapter nut, so you will cut straight down as if you were cutting a pipe. You can then file down any remaining material still stuck to the nut to get a smooth surface so that the new strut sleeve sits flush against the outer nut surface. Just go slowly with the cutoff wheel, or use a hack saw with a metal blade.
Just stay away from the nut as much as possible but still close enough so you only have to cut once. Or cut it about 1/16 inch away and grind down the rest.
A Dremel would be a better tool in this case because it's easier to do intricate cutting. A grinder/cut off tool requires more finesse due to the thicker blades.

 

[Sisyphus58]

Congrats!
Now I'm jealous cuz I'm just using lowering springs with stock struts.
I'm saving up for a full paint job, undercarriage rust removal and undercoating.

 

[Sisyphus58]

You may want to consider doing all the bushings at once while you have things apart, since alignments should be done whenever messing with the suspension. Changing out only some of the bushings now means an extra alignment in the future when you decide to do the rest. In terms of safety, replacing with poly gives you better handling at high speeds on a track, and thus is safer, with the tradeoff being a stiffer ride as a daily.
IMHO, If I was gonna track my car, I would probably redo the entire suspension, especially if over ten years old, just for safety sake.

 

[Sisyphus58]

I know that being the trade off, however I do use more as a daily than the track currently. And yeah I know you need to do an alignment Everytime hence why I am trying to do a set up I’m gonna use for a year or so at least. And that set up ideally was staying as much rubber as possible for now. However I was thinking g the exact same thing due to the alignment. So I’m just trying to debate what all I do want to replace since a lot of my bushings are fine and removed fine and it is wayyyy more daily than track and probably will be for this year. So hence the train of thought and why I asked. I’m thinking I’m just gonna do all 3 upper control arm bushings and leave my lower Knuckle bushings. Since I had no problem removing those bolts, popped right out and turned without any issue at all. The bolts also came out very clean minimal rust on the lower ones surprisingly. So I plan to leave those and put anti cease on the bolt to prevent future ceasing when I do need to replace, if/when she goes full or at least a lot more track.

I was a bit surprised you had that much trouble with the bushings since there doesn't seem to be that much rust in your pics. I'm gonna replace my rear struts soon, along with lowering springs all around, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things aren't badly seized. I already have a full set of poly bushings in my closet, just in case they are needed upon inspection. I plan to replace the rear wheel hubs and lower control arms/ball joints, too. Last year I replaced the entire front suspension and both axles, since it was easier and quicker than messing with seized bolts. That was a nightmare project that started out to be just axles, then escalated to new everything.

 

[Sisyphus58]

Yeah I did MOOG all up front last year too.

And for the record it seems all of these have that specific bushing seized. I pulled another ones and it was seized in the exact same spots just as bad if not worse. And also the lower came apart fine on that one. Another 3g hit my junkyard this morning so I checked that one too it was in nice condition definitely cared for rims and etc. Alsp seized same spot. I was just gonna trade out the one I pulled if that ones was better. So yeah be prepared. That upper control arm is screwed on these. Apparently known to do it with the 3000gt as well. Since I talk to a guy in those forums often too. So yeah I’d prepare to just be ready to press out that bushing it’ll save a lot of time of trying to release the bolt. Just press it out with the bolt in it. Replace it right away and save 2 weeks of struggling with a bolt is what I learned.

so which gave you more trouble, where the knuckle mounts to the upper control arm, or where the strut mounts to the knuckle?

 

[Sisyphus58]

D2 color won't matter....when you lower it, you won't see the coilovers anyway.

 

[Sisyphus58]

Installing a thicker rear anti-sway bar from ST Suspensions part# 51194 is a bigger bang for your buck in regards to handling.