Removing Control Arm bolts (front) "Tips?"

[ElectroPanda]

I'm having a difficult time removing my control arm bolts.. Any suggestions? I got the nut off but can't get the bolt out

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(96 Eclipse)

 

[talonguy85]

Bfh

 

[bryanwheat]

90 percent of the time, if those are seized than you are going to have to cut it apart. Use a hack saw, cut off wheel or sawzall to cut between the arm and strut mount fork. I would try to put a big breaker bar on it and see if it will turn to break loose before cutting it apart though.

 

[ElectroPanda]

Bfh

BIG Flipping Hammer?? and I am not planning on cutting it apart. there has to be a better solution than that..

 

[TJCTalon]

hammer and a punch. Once you get the nut off go to pound town. Your gonna need a new bolt. You can thread the nut on it a bit so you dont F it up as bad but if its really siezed then your going to need to hit it hard.

 

[bryanwheat]

BIG Flipping Hammer?? and I am not planning on cutting it apart. there has to be a better solution than that..

Sometimes there is no other solution. You can have as big of hammer you want and it will just mushroom the bolt on the end. Water gets in between the bolt and bushing in the control arm and rust welds the bolt in there. It it is that stuck than you will need to cut it apart. The only thing that you will need to cut is the bushing inside the control arm and the bolt. You will need a new control arm and bolt if you have to cut it.

 

[idkiliketurbos]

Hammer until you end up having to cut the bolt out!

 

[islandertalon]

Impact gun/breaker bar/ratchet with a pipe on the end/interlock wrenches* for more length and get the head of the bolt to move, then it will come out. I've always been able to get the bolt out this way, even though a hammer wouldn't move the bolts.

*here is what I mean by interlocking the wrenches, http://etischer.com/dropfolder/doublewrenchtrick.jpg.

 

[bradikus7]

Since my car came from California and I don't drive it during the winter, I've had 0 bolt seizing issues . But, if I were to tackle this, I would treat it with PB blaster and let it sit, then put the nut back on a few threads and tap with a hammer. Heat if you have to but realize you likely need to replace that LCA.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

90 percent of the time, if those are seized than you are going to have to cut it apart. Use a hack saw, cut off wheel or sawzall to cut between the arm and strut mount fork. I would try to put a big breaker bar on it and see if it will turn to break loose before cutting it apart though.

^This.

OP, just a head up, heating it maybe prove destructive. Don't forget about that rubber bushing.
My car now lives in CA but it spent 75k in the salt and snow. I must be fortunate to have not had any seizures. Everything usually comes apart with patience.

Pb blaster several times in the evening, both ends, and let it soak overnight.
Try to break the Hex end loose with a bar and smash the bolt out with a hammer.
If you're mushrooming the threads, stop hitting it so hard.

Another thought, if the bar fails, the impact wrench is a good idea, too. For whatever reason, the cheap (relatively) GM performance electric impact from Orielly's made short work of my axles nuts, whereas 5 feet of bar could do nothing for me.

EDIT:

Since my car came from California and I don't drive it during the winter, I've had 0 bolt seizing issues . But, if I were to tackle this, I would treat it with PB blaster and let it sit, then put the nut back on a few threads and tap with a hammer. Heat if you have to but realize you likely need to replace that LCA.

Dang. Talk about taking the wind out of a guy's sails..

 

[ElectroPanda]

I'm hoping i can get it resolved in the morning and i'll update my results! But future reference.. Is there ways to prevent this from happening?!

 

[flawlessTSI]

The steel sleve inside the bushing will seize to the bolt. You can spinn it but it wont come out. I say cut it.

 

[bryanwheat]

I'm hoping i can get it resolved in the morning and i'll update my results! But future reference.. Is there ways to prevent this from happening?!

Yes, you can prevent it by putting anti seize on the bolt.

 

[WES_393]

I'm hoping i can get it resolved in the morning and i'll update my results! But future reference.. Is there ways to prevent this from happening?!

Some ultra thick grease in the sleeve and/or Anti-seize like Brian mentioned. Since you'll have to cut the bolt out, I would replace it with a stainless/coated grade 8.8 bolt and nut.

Side note- You may also want to look into Poly bushings with coated sleeves. It's likely that you have many other bushings/bolts that are rusted together, which means the bushings are being twisted and torn. Installing Poly bushings was easily the worst job I've ever done but well worth the end result.

 

[ricktb]

any luck?

 

[jdxnc]

If you're just looking to pull the axle, it is possible to get it out without getting that bolt out. I had the same issue on mine when I AWD swapped it. It's tricky, but definitely doable.

 

[Cox Abele]

It doesn't hurt to put your jack under the lower ball joint and lift knuckle assembly just slightly. This will help unload some of the weight the suspension is putting on that bolt.

 

[DSM_GSX01]

use some WD-40 and soak it. then try and get the bolt to turn. after hit it with a punch and big dead blow hammer. if that don't work get a propane torch and heat it the bolt a bit. then do the same process over. should come out after that.

hope this will help

 

[andyvr2]

I agree with Cox and also a big hamer, thread the nut flush to the end and hammer away!

 

[Joethefallen23]

PB Blaster or AeroKroil are FAR superior to WD-40

I myself prefer to use Aerokroil as it seemingly works its way in a tad bit quicker. Besides, the odor is far more bearable.

 

[Cox Abele]

use some WD-40 and soak it. then try and get the bolt to turn. after hit it with a punch and big dead blow hammer. if that don't work get a propane torch and heat it the bolt a bit. then do the same process over. should come out after that.

hope this will help

WD40 is a water displacing oil, not a penetrant. Use a penetrating oil like PB Blaster, Kroil Oil or AeroKroil. Even a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF will do better job of helping dislodge rust than simply lubricating it like WD40 will do.

 

[hocka09]

It doesn't hurt to put your jack under the lower ball joint and lift knuckle assembly just slightly. This will help unload some of the weight the suspension is putting on that bolt.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but jacking up the lower ball joint will only compress the spring more, putting more downward pressure on that bolt. The jack would help, however, in removing the nut on the ball joint itself by relieving the upward force it is experiencing.

From my experience, when the ball joint nut is off and the balljoint bolt is free to slide through the hole on the knuckle, that will relieve the pressure on the bolt through the strut, making it very easy to tap out the bolt the op is trying to remove.

Either way, good luck.

Now that I see it, definitely attack the ball joint bolt first, it'll relieve all pressure on that bolt through the strut.

 

[Cox Abele]

Correct me if I'm wrong,

Than consider yourself corrected. I'm not suggesting he ram the strut plate through the shock tower. Rather I'm suggesting he unload the knuckle weight by lifting from the ball joint less than 1/8"-1/4" in order to redistribute the weight off the bolt.

If I'm wrong, than the knuckle wouldn't have to be lifted/supported when reinstalling this particular bolt unless the upper control arm bushings were frozen more than penquine's pecker.

 

[dsmcurse]

those bolts can be a bi***, but deffinatley doable, mine were a major pain in the as$ too when i got my car and it only had 56K miles on it. once they do come out tho, the bolt will more than likely be to F'd up to re-use, but, the perfect replacement bolt is a old stock head bolt. if you upgraded to ARP head studs than a old stock head bolt goes in there tittys.

like right now you have the bolt head circled in red, once you get those stuck bolts out you can replace with a stock 1G (6bolt) head bolt and the allen head portion would be there where you have it circled in red. nylock nut on the back and thats a pretty good free-be upgrade as the head bolt replaces that bolt with perfect fitment and is alot more durable than what came there factory.

goodluck, and one thing you could do is put a 1/2"drive air gun on the bolt head and just hammer away in loosen mode and mean while have a buddy help you out and be on the other end with a hammer and punch and be smakin that stuborn bolt at the same time as its trying to be air-gun un-screwed

 

[ElectroPanda]

UPDATE!!! ok.. I beat the hell out of it with a huge hammer. I let WD40 soak for a few hours and then went to town on it with the hammer. I used my jack to lift it to take pressure off the bolt and HAMMER! I tried to turn it but not budging.. I EVEN YELLED AT IT! Nothing has worked so far IF YOU KNOW how to get the axle out without the bolt being removed please tell me!