lower control arm bolt seems tough to get out....any help???

kbobob · Post by **kbobob** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:38 pm

hey guys, i am just wondering how hard should the 24mm bolt that goes through the back part of the lower control arm.....so far we have had to use a ratchet with a pipe on it...and after fighting to get the bolt out about an inch its still tough to turn......this normal???......

00element10 · Post by **00element10** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:31 am

i would say it's pretty normal, you have to remember, everything down there is exposed to water and dirt so it makes it a little tough to get off...my only advice is keep wrenching! or possibly go at it with an impact gun. they make everything easier

Post by **Diablo0** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:12 pm

It's normal if it's the first time coming off. The factor used Thread Locker on it so thats the reason why it's so hard. The bolt is also long as hell so you'll be turning for awhile lol. Once it's loosened though if you can get an impact gun down there it'll save you a lot of time turning a wrench.

kbobob · Post by **kbobob** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:13 pm

yeah we got the one out and my sisters bf brought his gun over..mine couldn't do it......but his did....so.....that side is now done....we did break my impact socket though....now the other bolt is soaked with lubricant....hopefully that helps us

ewetho · Post by **ewetho** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:09 pm

Whose socket did you break. Not seen many that big break????

But yeah get a BF impact gun and zip zip zip. No problems.

Mine gun is a Matco labled Ingersol Rand Ti model. That full blast on a craftsman 24mm socket and no movement and it has done that many times????

Post by **Diablo0** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:24 pm

Especially impact sockets lol

I've snapped a few Craftsman sockets and bent a few breaker bars under my own power but never broken an impact socket yet with an impact gun lol

Wisher2 · Post by **Wisher2** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:13 pm

Use some PB Blaster before you try to get it out it will loosen it up for you

kbobob · Post by **kbobob** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:28 pm

ah..they are out and done and back in and the car is in the driveway now..minus the rear sway bar.....dont break those bolts....pain in the butt to do anything about them....its a bracket up there welded in the subframe...this has given us nothing but problems...and lets just say i need to see a guy about a welder to fix the new hole in my floor..haha..... took the car for a quick spin and it feels sooo much better even without the swaybar in....tommorow it gets an alignment and hopefully it gets the bar back really soon

sullygully · Post by **sullygully** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:34 pm

You guys are missing the obvious: Heat.

Take a propane torch and heat up the bolt for a minute. Then give it a try. That last thing you want to do is put the impact wrench on it and break the bolt in two, with the one half still threaded in there.

Although, if this does happen, talk to me, cuz theres a trick to getting it out without the use of an extractor tool.

fixitmattman · Post by **fixitmattman** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:12 pm

I would have loved to get some heat on there when I did mine instead of snapping it off in the frame. Here's the kicker, there's no where to get any heat on the nut because of how it's recessed in the frame channel and heating the head won't to fuck all. The penetrating fluid approach is spray a crap load in a small hole and hope you get some on the nut.

SlvrACR · Post by **SlvrACR** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:33 am

Ya the front is hard ass hell to get heat to. We were lucky since I did mine and a co-workers at work. Mine came out like butter. Im hoping now the tension struts dont give me a prob like his did.

kbobob · Post by **kbobob** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:51 pm

well....the first trailing arm/tension strut gave me probs so when i did the other one i soaked the crap out of the bolts and went super super slow and backed them out some...put them back in some...and just slowly worked them down......and it worked on that side.

like they all said up above...getting heat on a lot of these bolts is hard to do cause all you can see is the head..you cant even see the nuts so all you can do is shoot some stuff up in those holes and hope.

using the vice to get bushings was fun...shot one bushing up in the air....it hit the roof..haha...

oh well....its all done....the hole in my floor is all nicely welded up and painted over and everything is done, had it aligned cause i had done the bushings and all the struts and now its on the road again....feels more solid...used to have a clunk in the front which is now gone. the roads up here are crap because of how cold its gotten and our city is cheap on repairing them and they go salt happy, so I have been hitting a lot of bumps. you do feel the small bumps a little bit more but the car feels way more solid then it did, so i am happy that at least the bushings are working.......oh well......next project.....i think will possibly be the water pump....knock on wood that shouldnt be too bad, cause i already did the timing belt and camshaft swap so i know how to get the big metal plate out of the way.