Front LCA Bolt seized inside bushing. Best cutting tool
- Thread starter Morbid
- Start date
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Torch would be best in this case since you have to go through the rubber. The center part of the bushing is very hard and the saw won't even touch it. If you can get an angle grinder in you'll find when you hit the rubber the grinder will basically be useless.
Burn through the bushing and then use the torch to cut it. You're up against a total bitch on this one. If you had plenty of room under the car you might be able to use the torch to heat the sleeve and hit it with an impact at the same time to break it loose. There's no good way to do this, sorry.
chopped39
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2004
- Messages
- 4,260
Cut both sides of the bolt off and then use a pry bar and bend the frame tabs out a little and the arm will drop out. Be careful if spring is still in .Place a jack under arm. just get new bolts. Grainger had metric bolts for 14.00 for a pack of ten.
steve hughes
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2002
- Messages
- 1,021
Try an air hammer on the end of the bolt. If that doesn't work heat the head of the bolt cherry red then try to knock it thru with the air hammer. Sometimes it works.
I'm waiting on another set of LCA's from a fellow board member. Once I get them cleaned prepped and painted I'll be ready to tackle this again.
So no I haven't bothered to have another go. This issue is common on many cars of any age, if you do a search on the internet you get crazy hits like I did.
Here is a run down on the methods I've found which the person(s) stated were successful.
1) Cut the head off the bolt and flush on the other side of the mount. Bend the ears on the frame mounts out enough to allow the LCA to drop.
2) Cut the bolt right between the mount and the LCA on both sides then drop the LCA.
3) Heating up the bushing directly to melt the rubber off, then again apply heat to the sleeve. This should break the rust and allow the bolt to be extracted.
4) Using combinations of heat, penetrating oil, BFH, or a air chisel/hammer to get the bolt out with everything intact.
I'm going to go the route of number (2) and just cut the damn thing out. The bolts/nuts are replaceable (rear bolt only from GM) or both from Spohn Performance or GBodyparts to name a few. Any shop that does brakes, exhaust, suspension or any other underbody work does the same thing where permissible. Otherwise you spend more time fighting w/the seized fastener than the whole job takes.
Which method you go with, should you need to, will largely depend on your resources at hand. My Regal isn't a daily driver and I have another car to make runs if need be for tools and such. However up here the local parts stores have long since stopped stocking the right hardware for these cars and most parts.
So I didn't want to press my luck and snap something without having spare parts available.
Lube up the nuts a day or so before and use a 1/2" impact gun to take the nuts and bolts out. If they move your okay.
So no I haven't bothered to have another go. This issue is common on many cars of any age, if you do a search on the internet you get crazy hits like I did.
Here is a run down on the methods I've found which the person(s) stated were successful.
1) Cut the head off the bolt and flush on the other side of the mount. Bend the ears on the frame mounts out enough to allow the LCA to drop.
2) Cut the bolt right between the mount and the LCA on both sides then drop the LCA.
3) Heating up the bushing directly to melt the rubber off, then again apply heat to the sleeve. This should break the rust and allow the bolt to be extracted.
4) Using combinations of heat, penetrating oil, BFH, or a air chisel/hammer to get the bolt out with everything intact.
I'm going to go the route of number (2) and just cut the damn thing out. The bolts/nuts are replaceable (rear bolt only from GM) or both from Spohn Performance or GBodyparts to name a few. Any shop that does brakes, exhaust, suspension or any other underbody work does the same thing where permissible. Otherwise you spend more time fighting w/the seized fastener than the whole job takes.
Which method you go with, should you need to, will largely depend on your resources at hand. My Regal isn't a daily driver and I have another car to make runs if need be for tools and such. However up here the local parts stores have long since stopped stocking the right hardware for these cars and most parts.
So I didn't want to press my luck and snap something without having spare parts available.
Lube up the nuts a day or so before and use a 1/2" impact gun to take the nuts and bolts out. If they move your okay.
Thanks for the info, been soaking the bolts in PB Blaster all week. If I have to Ill cut them out, already have new nuts/bolts from GM to go in with the new arms. No impact, so hopefully my 30" breaker bar will do. Did the rear arms a few weeks ago and everything came out OK, hopefully the fronts do too. The main thing is time, Id rather not fight with a stuck bolt for longer than it takes to do the rest of the project as you said.
You hit the nail on the head, "time". I had soaked mine for weeks before with a product called Free All which usually serves me well.
Both nuts came off fine and I was able to spin out the back bolt, just the front was stuck.
How long ago did you buy the new nuts and bolts?
Both nuts came off fine and I was able to spin out the back bolt, just the front was stuck.
How long ago did you buy the new nuts and bolts?
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2003
- Messages
- 9,609
making a mountain out of it...use the ball joint c clamp tool to push the bolt out
Looking back, I was actually only able to get the rear bolts & nuts from GMPartsDirect, part number below (still available):
Front Bolts - 11500952 (Unavailable)
Rear Bolts - 11502603 (Available)
Nuts - 11516073 (Available)
Ended up just getting some phosphate coated grade 10.9 bolts from McMasterCarr for the fronts, M12x1.75x110 - Look just like the GM bolts, should work fine.
Front Bolts - 11500952 (Unavailable)
Rear Bolts - 11502603 (Available)
Nuts - 11516073 (Available)
Ended up just getting some phosphate coated grade 10.9 bolts from McMasterCarr for the fronts, M12x1.75x110 - Look just like the GM bolts, should work fine.
Thanks for the part #'s. I was just able to snag a bag of 9 GM NOS on the nuts for $14.95 w/free shipping. Works out to about $1.7 a nut.
For the front bolts which are discontinued, Fastnel has something that should work and they are right down the block from where I work.
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=11113089
Just gotta grab some rear bolts and I'll be all set, once the board member sends out those arms.
For the front bolts which are discontinued, Fastnel has something that should work and they are right down the block from where I work.
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=11113089
Just gotta grab some rear bolts and I'll be all set, once the board member sends out those arms.
yeah except I got it wrong, the M12 x 1.75 x 115 size bolt is the one I need a source for. Apparently it's a specialty fastener. Called two other fastener shops in my area and they carry either M12 x 1.75 x 110 or M12 x 1.75 x 120.
Good luck to you as well.
Good luck to you as well.
