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2G Control Arm Help!

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kcd

Proven Member
143
5
Apr 15, 2014
Fremont, Nebraska
Hey guys, so here's the story...

Got into a little fender bender the other week. My front passenger wheel hit his rear driver wheel. My wheel got pushed to the very back of the wheel well. Once I got it home and removed the wheels, I noticed that a few suspension components got bent in the accident. The sway bar link and the lateral (straight) arm were fairly bent. After replacing those, I went to reassemble everything. The knuckle was back in the middle of the wheel well like it should be, so I thought all was well. Then, I went to reinstall the lower control (compression) arm. And it was WAY too far back. I had to use all my strength to grab the knuckle and pull it all the way over to the arm. That's when I realized that that was the reason behind my wheel being pushed back towards the back of the wheel well. So I went to go take it off, and that's where my troubles began. Both of the bolt heads were taken off in the accident. So, needless to say, I'm dealing with some fairly bent bolts.

Where do I go from here? Some people suggested using an "E-Z Out", but I didn't have much luck with that. And some others said to weld on a nut and go that rout. But the heads broke off to the point where they aren't flush with the subframe. So it's kind of impossible to weld it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys.
 
What was holding the compression arm on if both the rear mounting bolts were broken?

I have not looked at this in a long time, so I have to ask if the rear compression arm bolts are threaded into the front crossmember or the body? If they thread into the crossmember, you may be able to slightly drop the crossmember (I know, that is a big job) to access the top side of the bolts and turn them from there.
 
Drill them out and heli-coil or time-sert the holes back to the correct size. Most suspension/chassis stuff is 10x1.25 or 12x1.25. You will have to verify though. Step-drilling will be the easiest way to get through the bolts. Take it slow and use lubricant.
 
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Drill them out and heli-coil or time-sert the holes back to the correct size. Most suspension/chassis stuff is 10x1.25 or 12x1.25. You will have to verify though. Step-drilling will be the easiest way to get through the bolts. Take it slow and use lubricant.

I'm trying to drill but it just doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere. Maybe I'm using the wrong bits or something? I'm new to broken bolts so I'm just clueless.
 
Couple of suggestions:
  • Look at metal specific drill bits (like cobalt drill bits) and not run of the mill titanium bits.
  • Step drill your bits. Start small and work to a larger size. The final and largest bit should be the one used for your thread repair.
  • center your first bit using something like a center punch to make sure you are as close to the center of the bolt as possible.
  • Don't go for full speed. Slower is better.
  • Something like cutting oil to keep temperature/friction down (increases drill bit life). Anything is better than nothing.
  • Keep the bit as straight as possible.
  • Wear gloves and safety goggles as you will likely be on your back a while.
 
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