David_viny

Do I really need to drop the K-member to get the rear bolt out? Right now it seems the bolt head is hitting the frame and im not seeing a way to get that out. Working on garage floor so cant see much...

Also is there some trick to getting a bolt that's rusted solid to a bushing sleeve out? BFH is not working, put the whole weight of the front end on it with a jack and beat on it, still stuck. Might try fire but really I can only heat up the last 5 threads of bolt so idk if that's going to do much. Tried drilling through the middle of bushing, must be hardened material cause I'm getting nowhere with that.

duh

iTrader: (16)

When I did mine, I cut the bolts and what was left of the bushings with a torch. I was able to remove what was left of the bolts after that, then I just put new one's in with the new control arms. It took quite a bit of time since I was on a shop floor as well. It really wasn't fun, but since I was able to get new bolts in without dropping the kmember, I would only assume they can come out as well.

billscamaros

iTrader: (1)

I have the same problem ..... LCA bolts and bushings are rusted together. I'm just getting all the parts together now, but my plan is to Sawzall the old bolts out as much as possible. Guess that I need to watch your thread to see how it all works out.

David_viny

Well I bought some sawzall blades, new torch bottle, and an air hammer. Will tackle this tomorrow. Judging by how my drilling efforts went today, idk how good the sawzall is going to do.

RJDio

If you have a friend or know a shop that works for cash, and can put it on a lift and amazing how much easier those bolts come off in the air. I have a friend with a 1 stall shop close to me and for a few bucks he helps me out of binds like this. It will save you from buying tools and cutting and burning. I've tried to put weight of car on bolts like that and they don't budge.

billscamaros

iTrader: (1)

So what is the difference? I get the part about having some space under the car to work. But is your point that, by getting the car higher, you can swing a bigger sledge hammer?

David_viny

Today was more fail, not sure what to do now. Sawzall only got like 1/2 way and just wont go farther, just burning up blades. Only thing i can think of is torching it off but I dont have a torch...

Spartan7

iTrader: (7)

I know when I did mine, I was able to get the bolts in and out with the k-member bolted to the body. But my engine bay was also empty, making it much easier.

lees02WS6

iTrader: (5)

No you do not need to drop the k-member. How much PB have you soaked it in, and how long have you let it sit?

Mischief007

The key for me was heat. Yes you can only heat the last few threads but trust me you will see the smoke coming from the bolt because it is warming up the bushing. Once hot I tightened the bolt back up and loosened it. Took a hammer to it a few times and it started moving slightly. Back to heat, tighten, loosen, hammer. Rinse and repeat. Mine is a 95 and it finally came out. First side about an hour, second side about 20 minutes once I knew the process. I used a small propane torch to heat it up but it worked.

Rodinator1234

I think the center of the bushing is hardened I tried just what you did with the exact same result. I tried everything you have and what was sugested already, I have everything at my disposal torch, lift, but in the end I dropped the k member. It took less time to do that and I just simply ran put of options. I heated the bolt until the busing started to burn still no luck. I think it depends on how stuck they are. I also had to deal with the headers in the way. Dropping the k member is not as bad as it seems I had it out in a couple hours just taking my time. Once it's out you can get to the top bolt and grind off the head and cut off the bottom of the bolt and take a couple pry bars and work it out. One thing you have to keep in mind is if you beat the hell out of the threads and flair the end of the bolt it won't go through the bushing anyway.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

Every time I look at that bushing I can't help but wonder who thought that design was a good idea.

RJDio

something like that. Just sayin I've been stuck prying bolts off and just seems so much easier once I get it up on my buddy's lift. And I don't have a large assortment of tools, torch, sawsall, etc. but my buddy does! Obviously You can invest in all that and still end up needing a lift.

David_Viny, noble effort man. I'd make some calls to a suspension shop, they've seen it all.

David_viny

Finally got that damn bolt off. 10 sawzall blades later...

David_viny

also the main reason I'm doing this:

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

whoa! that's far worse than mine

I did mine last week, I bought new bolts and the Lennox titanium coated sawzall blades in preparation of cutting that bolt. I guess because I bought them and opened them ahead of time the bolts decided it would **** me off more if they came out with almost no struggle.

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

A dollar conscious engineer, who doesn't worry about such things as rust, beyond the warranty period of the car. Keep in mind, guys, we're talking cars that could be as old as 20 years...

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

I was thinking more of the rotation angle more than anything. It should rotate along the axis, not against the axis you would think. I don't see any cost benefit to putting the bushing in this way

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

I believe I read somewhere that it somehow improves ride quality vs a horizontal bushing

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

True, but what I was getting at, was all the trouble people have had, when trying to get that bolt out. I replaced the bushings in my car twice, a number of years ago. The first time was when the car was about 2 or 3 years old, when I put poly bushings in. The second time was the following year, when I took the poly bushings out, because they were too stiff, for the roads around where I live.

However, when I first took the car apart, I made sure I greased everything up, so future removal wouldn't be a problem. The factory doesn't do this.