lower ball joint bolt from hell

[RC_slow_dsm]

I'm installing a new passenger axle in my 7 bolt FWD and i cant get my lower ball joint bolt out. ive tried everything here are some pics

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i shave the threaded end off of the bolt because it was all mushroomed out from me hitting it with a BFH.

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any tricks or suggestions would help

 

[VTRICCO]

get yourself a blow torch and heat up the bolt. once you have it good and hot (glowing orange) grab it with a vice grip and pull it out. But make sure you wear some good gloves otherwise you'll be visiting the ER

 

[RC_slow_dsm]

the only thing that worries me about a blow torch is the bushing... wont it melt??

 

[VTRICCO]

just try and keep the flame focused on the bolt and and away from the bushing and i think it should be ok

 

[VTRICCO]

the fork from the skock is more then likely whats giving you the problem since i see that you all ready got the bolt coming out some of the way and its getting stuck where you cut the nut off. Hit it with some heat there to soften up the metal and it should slide the rest of the way out

 

[RC_slow_dsm]

Well it's wierd because I can move the individual legs of the fork back and forth but the bolt will not budge.

 

[tunethis]

Maybe you tried this but did you try putting the jack under the ball joint to relieve some of the pressure on the bolt? Once you have the weight off the bolt, try to bang on the threaded end with something like a large screwdriver and a hammer. I've never really had many problems getting those bolts out. I get the weight off the bolt and bang it out. Good luck.

 

[turboglenn]

This happened to a friend recently. We ende up using a sawz-all and cutting the bolt on both sides between the lower control arm and the lower strut mount. The bolt was froxe in the bushing on his, so we had no choice but to destroy it anyway.

If you hadn't mushroomed it out, you could have just backed it out with an impact wrench and a few good soakings of PB blaster (penetrating oil)

 

[RC_slow_dsm]

I've tried that also. I have been banging on this bolt for about 2 days now which is why its so mushroomed out. You can see the jack in one of my pics, I just cant seem to get it out that way either.

 

[No_Skillz]

You managed to move it a bit before it got stuck, so I'm assuming you hit it weirdly and it bent. Try some PB blaster, take anything smaller than the diameter of the bolt (maybe another bolt or a chisel or a diesel-ass screwdriver... you get the idea) , and hammer it some more.

 

[tom04841]

From the pic, it looks like the bolt has started to come out. Odds are, you probably didn't cut the bolt back far enough from mushrooming it. Tap the bolt back in until the head of the bolt is against the fork. Grind or file the bolt down a bit all around it, then smack it back through. once its though the fork, use a punch and a hammer to get it out the rest of the way. DO NOT torch it!!!!! you will melt the bushing and be looking for a new bushing at best , or a new lower control arm.

 

[68442]

I just dealt with this issue. The heat,hammer,soak didnt work so I ordered new lower arms. Going to cut that sob off tonight.

 

[Hollywood77]

Man, I feel your pain. THAT frickin' bolt, on the same side of the car, gave me SUCH a headache when I was doin' my clutch and flywheel a few weeks ago.

I didn't even get as far as you did though. You'll notice the center of that bushing has a steel insert, and my strut fork bolt seized in there. I never did get it out. I ended up having to leave it in, and work around it when I dropped the tranny.

The mushrooming CAN be fixed tho, if u go that route. I ended up cleanin up the mushrooming on mine (carefully) with a grinder, and since that bolt is a 12x1.25mm thread, I just retapped it, and put a new nut on.

I too was afraid to heat that bolt to the point at which it was glowing red, as I didn't want to overheat the rubber bushing...

So aggravating, isn't it? Dude, I cursed that bolt for HOURS....even now I still do.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

To remove mine, I just used a smaller diameter bolt, I even used a nail one time, and place the end of it in the hole - mating to the surface of the stuck bolt. Then use an average hammer to tap it out, tapping may be substituted for smacking if necessary.

I've not experienced one that this did not work for. So I'd try that before you really get excited and use a torch.

 

[evileclipse909]

Why dont you try cutting the head off the other side of the bolt and drive it out the other way? But grind down the sholder that will come with cutting it. Then make sure you use a center punch when you drive it out, otherwise u'll just end up mushrooming that end too.

 

[RC_slow_dsm]

First of all I would like to say THANK YOU for all the responses my threads always seem to get ignored! heres a little more info on the situation:

It's been soaking in PB blaster for 4 days since today, WD40 for about a week. I'm going to try the heat method tomorrow but I really dont want to melt that bushing. new LCA is completely out of the question because i'm flat broke from the motor build. I will also try to knock it back in a bit and file down the mushroom it seems like that may be part of the problem. I do think that cutting the bolt head off would make an even bigger problem because i wouldn't have a way to put any torque on it.

This is such a pain in the ass! this is the only thing thats stopping me from starting up my freshly built bottom end and running 38psi

I will let you guys know how each method works tomorrow so maybe someone will find this thread and not make the mistakes i did!

 

[TSi_with_psi]

I really don't recommend using heat. If you put a torch on the bushing it will most certially melt before you get the metal hot enought to do you any good. As long as your ball joint is disconnected and there is no spring tension on the bolt from the suspention, you should be able to hammer it back to its original position. From the looks of the pictures, it is mushroomed out far to much to be able to slide through the hole. Once you get the bolt back to its original position, cut as much of the bolt off the threaded end as you can with a hack saw, and using a punch drive the bolt out. If you have to, cut the head of the bolt off, and drive it through the other direction. Then go to the hardware store, and buy a grade 8 bolt that to replace the stock one. You might also try using an Air hammer if you have one available. Once again, if you don't want to be replacing the LCA, or buying new bushing inserts from energy suspension or prothane, then DON'T USE HEAT to remove the bolt. Good luck with your problem. DSM's Rule!