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)

 

[grothe3297venge]

Edit**** - oops just saw what bolt you were talking about, don't mind all the other shit I said .

Can you spin the bolt with a socket attached or it won't turn at all?? I would try to find a bolt just small enough to use as a punch, while someone else is turning the bolt at the same time. That in turn might loosen it up enough in there to back it out.

 

[Cox Abele]

IF YOU KNOW how to get the axle out without the bolt being removed please tell me!

1.) Magic.
2.) Swindle a dieing kid and have 'em contact the "make a wish" foundation.
3.) Use a penetrating oil. WD40 doesn't break down rust!
4.) Cut the strut fork, but good luck getting another one installed.
5.) Cut the bolt. Frozen suspension bushings are one of the leading contributors of poor suspension performance and feline AIDs.
6.) Drill it out with the steadiness of Michael J. Fox's arch-nemesis.
7.) Pull the lower control arm bolts out from the body, yank the axel from the transmission, then if you have clearance to separate the axle from the cup, separate it and attempt to rotate it out.
8.) Figure it out.

 

[crazyquik22023]

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!

What are you using to try and turn it? Are you using just a 1/2" ratchet with a socket? Have you or is it possible for you to get an impact gun to try and break it loose? If an impact gun isn't an option take your 1/2" ratchet, and get a very long/large pipe. The handle of a large floor jack should work. The pipe should be at least 3-5 feet long. The longer the better. Put the socket on the 1/2" ratchet, then put the pipe over the ratchet. That will give you alot more leverage/torque and it will break free. Just make sure the socket doesn't slip off the bolt and hit it with wd-40 before u do this.

 

[xxNocturnalxx]

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!

It's best to thread a nut on to it then beat it so you don't end up mashing the shank/threads. You simply need to use a bigger hammer/ rivit gun or large breaker bar on the head for more leverage, a little heat can go a long way too, buy a cheap little torch from the parts store. If you can't get this simple bolt out then there are probably plenty of other things you can't do on this car either, think about it like that. Good luck.

 

[ElectroPanda]

It won't turn at all. I'm going at it again today. Btw No reason to being damn dicks..

 

[PieEyedPiper]

No one here is being a dick. I'm not sure why you think that - at all.
However, you did waste your time using WD40 as was previously explained.

All the information you need is contained in this thread and a hundred others just like it. I'm sure you'll get it done.

 

[Kod]

CRC Freeze Off

Usually have to buy off amazon anymore for me anyways.

 

[luv2rallye]

So the bolt won't turn at all due to being siezed to the damper fork? If you've already beat it to death you're going to need heat. Don't waste your time with propane - you'll need much more heat than it can provide. Use something that combines oxygen with it - like Mapp gas with O2 or acetylene with O2 (make sure you turn the O2 on last and off first, or you won't have to worry about your car anymore ). Home Depot sells a Mapp gas kit but get the one with the O2 tank (not just Mapp only one). Get the bolt head glowing red hot, then after it cools 5 minutes spray it with PB Blaster and lightly tap with hammer to work the solvent in. Then let it cool another 15 minutes before wrenching. Use a 6 point socket (not 12) with breaker bar and pipe. You may have to brace the socket/bar with something (eg. wood with assistant holding a pry bar against it) to keep the socket from coming off.

However if the bolt turns in the damper fork but won't turn in the metal sleeve that goes through the rubber bushing (which is usually the case), the above won't help. You can try the solvent and hammer thing but if that doesn't do it, you'll have to cut it off. You cut inside the fork (both sides) using a sawsall (reciprocating saw) right through the bolt and sleeve removing the entire bushing with the bolt and sleeve still in it. Here's how it's done on the rear toe control arm but the idea should be the same for this too: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...3-replacing-seized-rear-toe-control-arms.html

 

[Cox Abele]

hit it with wd-40 before u do this.

#### it. Why not just dump a shit load of used motor oil on it? Canola or peanut oil should do the trick also, but the cat's ass of uselessly oiling shit down would a water displacing oil.

WHY DO YOU PEOPLE CONTINUE TO THINK WD-40 WILL DIGEST RUST?

 

[crazyquik22023]

#### it. Why not just dump a shit load of used motor oil on it? Canola or peanut oil should do the trick also, but the cat's ass of uselessly oiling shit down would a water displacing oil.

WHY DO YOU PEOPLE CONTINUE TO THINK WD-40 WILL DIGEST RUST?

Whoever said it would digest rust? Its a good idea to spray any bolt with some kind of lubricant before putting a lot of torque to it. I never stated wd-40 alone is going to help him do anything..

 

[xxNocturnalxx]

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.

Try this^^

Usually the method used to put the bolt back in but it can certainly help remove it too.

 

[bryanwheat]

Cut it already.

 

[Silver99OZ]

I fought with one of those bolts for three days trying to get it off. They are an absolute pain. Go buy a new control arm and bolt and cut the damn thing off. I tried everything mentioned in this thread and the bolt just laughed in my face. Eventually the bushing tore when I put my half inch drive ratchet on the bolt and gave it all I had.

 

[gieri002]

I had to cut this bolt about a week ago. Take one for the team buddy, it's not going to budge (even in the miracle case that it does, like the others have said, the bolt will be ruined).

 

[Ludachris]

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.

Funny, I just went through this process yesterday and did exactly this - lots of PB Blaster, even let it sit overnight. It didn't work for me. I hammered on the bolt with the nut threaded on to protect the bolt. I ended up destroying the threads on both the nut and the bolt anyway, as the nut shaved off the threads from all the pounding - that bolt is seized to the insert and the rubber bushing has some give to it, which doesn't help. I gave up and ended up having to leave the bolt in there, with a different nut. The bolt is stripped now, even after I tried cutting the threads with a die, so the nut isn't very tight - the wishbone is not tightened to the control arm. I drove the car to work that way this morning... not too confidence inspiring on the freeway, even with no vibration or anything.

I was changing out the blown front shocks. So plan B was to unbolt the upper ball joint and allow the spindle to sag enough to where I could separate the shock from the lower fork. Thankfully it worked. But now I have to get that bolt taken care of this week since I have a 4 hour round trip drive planned for this upcoming weekend (which was why I changed the shocks). And I'm not making the drive with the bolt the way it is.

I'm going to go buy a new bolt today and see about getting another lower control arm and will replace both. I might just drop it off at a shop and let them deal with it. Even though it would probably be pretty easy to just grind off the bolt at this point... but the lower ball joint nut was being a pain in the ass when I tried it too - which is why I moved on to the upper ball joint.

So the point is, be ready to chop that bolt off and replace the control arm. Luckily, the passenger side came off okay, after a little bit of coaxing.

 

[greengoblin2011]

I did the clutch on my 95 almost 500 miles ago and when I had it in the air noticed my lower balljoint was bad so I replaced that arm. I had to cut the bolt off as it was seized to the sleeve. Went and bought a couple bolts and that was that. I fought it for quite a while before realizing it was seized so save the time and just cut it and get it over with. My .02

 

[WES_393]

Here's a picture to show you why penetrating fluids, heat, pressure, etc dont usually work when those bolts seize. This was one of my lateral control arms that had to be cut off. You can see how there is just a hair line between the bolt/sleeve, which is pure rust and pretty much bonding the two together. I couldn't get that bolt out with a 2-ton Arbor press.

 

[Ludachris]

Just picked up a lower control arm from the parts store... would have rather got one from a wrecking yard but didn't have the time to pull it myself or wait for shipping. Also picked up a new bolt. Looks like more fun one of the next few nights. Yay.

 

[Silver99OZ]

Just picked up a lower control arm from the parts store... would have rather got one from a wrecking yard but didn't have the time to pull it myself or wait for shipping. Also picked up a new bolt. Looks like more fun one of the next few nights. Yay.

Where did you get the bolt, and what are the specs for it?

 

[CrashGNX]

cut it, get a new bolt and bushing, press out or burn out the old bushing rubber with propane or mapp gas and replace it with poly bushing or rubber, reassemble with a new bolt and done. would be pretty easy with a good 12 ton press, mapp gas torch, and some PB blaster.

 

[Ludachris]

Where did you get the bolt, and what are the specs for it?

Went to Ace Hardware, picked up a 12mmx90mm bolt, 1.25 thread pitch, though the thread pitch doesn't matter so long as you get a matching nut.

 

[Purple_Demon]

Small tip, make sure to put the nut back on so it sits flush with the end of the bolt. This will keep the threads from being ruined and possibly preventing it from coming out. Next grab some Deep Creep(found at oreilly/kragens) and use that. It works a hell of a lot better than pb blaster or wd40. Let it sit for a hour or so(overnight is awesome) then hit it was a 24oz+ hammer. BGH FTW!




Edit....Just noticed Ludachris already posted this. Damn.

 

[psx]

Spray the he@@ out of it with some wd-40 or something and let it sit for a couple days, then get a big hammer. That worked for me

 

[luv2rallye]

Went to Ace Hardware, picked up a 12mmx90mm bolt, 1.25 thread pitch

Recommend using at least a metric 10.9 grade bolt (SAE 8) and lots of anti-sieze!

 

[Ludachris]

Recommend using at least a metric 10.9 grade bolt (SAE 8) and lots of anti-sieze!

Well mine says JDF 10.9 on it. Hopefully it's good.