First off I did a search and came up up with nothing real conclusive. Okay my question is, How can I get this (strut/LCA)bolt out without destroying the stock strut which I am reusing for the time being. I started the process with the fronts finished them without a hitch. When I got to the rears, a diffferent story. So I would like to know what other members have done to get this off. I have used heat, peneatrating oil, and a 3/8s air impact. But I am getting a bigger 1/2 air impact. I want to finish this project. It looks a little stupid being lowerd 1.8 in the front and stock in the rear.
Thanks
-Josh
P.S. when lowering a vehicle do you have to trim the bumpstops?
Air removed mine for the first time. After that, I’ve been able to do it by normal ratchets/torque wrenches. After applying WD-40 or equivalent penetrating fluid, try that ¼" impact gun first. Make sure the air in the tank is full so you get maximum PSI - it does make a difference. Failing that, use a breaker bar to remove that bolt slowly. Do not jerk it fast, otherwise there is a chance that you may break the bolt head off if it is truly seized in there.
What kind of shape is the bushing in? I had that same problem with the same bolt on my car – nothing would turn it including 1/2" impact OR breaker bar. It was when I tried the breaker bar that I realized what was happening – i could loosen it a little, but then it would spring back. So it wasn’t the bolt being seized to the nut… it was the bolt being seized to the bushing.
So if you want to do it properly, cut the bolt, take off the control arm, and replace the bushing and bolt.
But if you don’t want your car to be out of service for a few days, You could try getting all of the other bolts on the control arm off and then take the control arm and damper assembly all off as one piece and change the spring like that. Then you could order the bushing and bolt for when you’re changing your shocks later on.
man i just had the same problem with mine last week
i got the front droped 2.5in and couldnt get the rear on
the lower control arm bolt (which ur talking about) well teh head of the bolt actually snapped off with a ratchet…it just all depends how ur bushings are…it might of rusted to the metal part on the inside.
however after i got that fixed the other side came off extreamly easily…wierd huh
all i can say is Try not to snap the head…haha as it is a pain to fix…but i dunno how u might be able to get it out w/o drilling or sumthing?
sorry man
Yeah, I’m another who had the same problem two weeks ago when I did my Eibach Pro-Kit/Koni Red install. The left rear damper bolt was completely seized and then we broke the head off the bolt next to it when we tried dropping the whole suspension assembly. When I got it into the shop, they had a heck of a time getting it out as well. They actually ended up cutting through the old shock and drilling out the bolt and bushing. Really sucks when that happens, even worse for Canadian cars since they’ve been through so many winters.
Looks like I am going to have to get midevil on this MOFO.
The bigger impact did the same thing my smaller one did, NOTHING. The one on the pass side turns a little and the one on the drivers side dosen’t turn at all. Looks like I am going to have to order up my bushings, because they appear to be shot. I am going to get the ES part. since it is my over all goal to have an all ES suspension. One more not so related question is to those of you who have lowered. did you reuse your coil spring isolater or did you relpace it? I am also interested in gettting the ES isolaters as well.
P.S. I don’t have the dough for the full hyper flex kit so if anyone happens to know the part numbers for the LCA/strut bushing and the best place to get them. your help would be appreciated.
on mine, the pass side came out ok. the driver’s side bolt was totally welded to the busing sleeve, though! i ended up snapping off the head, then drilling allllll the way through the sleeve. then i bought a new bolt and slid it through the hole! yeah! took like 4 hours to drill…
good luck,
jeff
ES sells them as kits for the control arm instead of individual bushings. I think I can get a kit # off my master parts sheet. I’ll get back to you shortly.
I had the same trouble with the bushing nut on the rear shocks. Air tool would not work. Used an impact 1/2" drive socket with a 17" breaker bar with a 30" steel pipe over the breaker bar. The nut was fused to the surface of the shock bracket. Used an impact hammer to drive out the bolt.
Originally posted by frostwhite92 on mine, the pass side came out ok. the driver’s side bolt was totally welded to the busing sleeve, though! i ended up snapping off the head, then drilling allllll the way through the sleeve. then i bought a new bolt and slid it through the hole! yeah! took like 4 hours to drill…
good luck,
jeff
Hmmm… can you provide more details for me? This sounds like the best way to do it since you don’t have to replace the bushing. Did you drill out the bolt while everything was attached to the car or did you take it all off? Aren’t there threads on the LCA? Please elaborate, I snapped that thing like a twig.
Is the car driveable with no head on the bolt? Should I just take it to a shop?
i drove it around for a few days…but its deffently not good…so if u dont 100% hafta drive i wouldnt.
since i didnt have ne of the right tools, i just took it to midas and the cut the threaded part offa the LCA and then was able to get the bolt out, saving the bushing. But now i have no threaded part on the LCA so i just gotta use a nut…
