1990IntegraLS

I'm removing the rear lower control arm...got one side, but the other, the outside busing in the trailing arm is stuck.

The bolt is loose, but stuck inside the bushing race, or inner sleeve. So the bolt turns a little, twisting the bushing, but not breaking loose. The impactor just seems to bounce against the bushing and hasn't broken it loose. A breaker bar cannot travel far enough to find the end of the twist in the bushing.

The only other thing I'm thinking of is to use my half inch ratchet, to hit the end of the twist in the bushing. What happens if I tear the bushing out without breaking the bolt loose from the inner sleeve.

Anybody that's seen this, I'd appreciate hearing how you got it loose.
Anybody with any idea, I like to hear that too.

Thanks!

Atomic1

Very common. Corrosion binds the bolt to the inner race of the bushing. Just google "seized LCA bolts civic" and you will see how many people have encountered this PITA job. When I replaced my rear suspension, I encountered it on seven bolts, including the two challenging compensator bolts.

You can try heating the bolt up with oxy/act torch and letting it cool to try to break the corrosion bond, but it didn't work for me. Copious amounts of PB blaster dont do jack squat because it's not going to get to the inside of the inner race of the bushing.

I had to cut out the bolts with a reciprocating saw and heavy duty metal cutting blades (I went through about a dozen). Made two cuts through the Bushing/bolt, one on each side of the LCA, hugging the LCA. Then vice grips on the remaining stub (why you need to hug LCA during cut) to thread out the bolt. Took forever because those bolts are hardened and the cuts will destroy the bushing in the process. Think it was best to make the first cut on the bolt head side so the bolt wouldn't wiggle around with the recip saw on the second cut.

1990IntegraLS

I think you are right. I don't want to use a torch anyway.

You're talking about....a sawzaw. I've got a couple of those. That would require removing the hub and backing plate...so I can cut horizontally.

I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to with the vise-gribs, but I expect you're talking about the other end of the bolt. I think though cutting the tail end first would make holding the bolt head easy. I don't know for certain.

Yes?

On another forum, everybody's telling me to burn the bushing out. Burning all the rubber is not going to release the sleeve from the bolt.....and this bushing is 1 foot away from the gas tank, and the rubber gas filler hose is about 5 inches above this bushing. I really don't want to use a torch anywhere near the gas tank or filler hose. . I don't have one anyway.


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Atomic1

Burning the bushing out does nothing but make it harder for you to cut out the bolt cleanly. You're right, it's not likely going to release the sleeve from the bolt shaft. My bolts were friggin welded to the sleeves with corrosion.

Yep, a sawzall. Removing the backer plate and other misc parts are the least of your worries. I wont lie that it took me up to 2-hours of cutting per bolt. I recommend a good set of metal cutting blades. The cheap ones burned up really quickly. Face shield isn't a bad idea either.

Once you make your cuts, you're left with a small threaded section of bolt in the threaded nut/hole....The vice grips are to remove that last part of the bolt.

You're gonna need two hands on the sawzall, so I dont think you'll want to worry about holding the bolt head.

1990IntegraLS

Thanks for this and posting the images. 2 hours isn't a problem, it might take me a week. My hands are a bit messed up from 40 years of doing things like this, in my job...and 25 years working on my air-cooled VWs. My biggest concern is marring the trailing arm, and trying it upside down. I'll get some bi-metal blades and take my time. The alternative is giving up or burning my house down. It's ok, I don't mind the time, and like I said, I've done lots of difficult things. This car is worth the effort.




You cut the LCA. That's a new one on me. Fortunately I've only got 1 bolt, and the other side is out.

Thanks!

Bye the way, where is the compensator? I haven't seen that on my '90 Integra. Is it way up inside somewhere, or do I need to break my neck to see it?





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Atomic1

Ha, yea, cutting the LCA out gave me a bit more room to operate, plus I was pissed off from dealing with seized bolts.

The compensator is at the front end of the trailing arm. Bolt is threaded into a captive slider nut in a channel in the frame; at least this is how its done on my 2000. On these, the bolt seizes to the compensator bushing but not the captive nut....so when people keep turning the bolt, it pushes the slider nut out of the captive channel....what a mess.

1990IntegraLS

Very good photos. I wondered if it was up there. Acura parts explosions aren't very good, as far as I'm concerned.

Eventually, I may have to do the rest, but for now all I need or want to do is the LCAs (skunk2 alphas), KYB struts, and stage 1 EBC rotors and pads. So far that's working out. I haven't though, even taken the front wheels off. The suspension up there seems to be tighter and vibration free. Just mostly dead struts.

I'm fortunate the one owner had this car out in the desert its whole life. It just had 125 dents from 2 hail storms, 70 on the hood.


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09chaplak

I had the same damn problem on my civic, was sort of a bitch but an angle grinder helped as well. Good luck.

1990IntegraLS

Is the bolt on the driverside rear hub reverse thread? Anybody know?

Thanks!

1990IntegraLS

Yea, no problem. It did take me about 4 hours to do this, mostly because I took a lot of breaks...no hurry on my part and I like to let my batteries cool down It took only two fully charged XRPs, but I rotated them because they get hot under continuous use.



...and no damage to my trailing arm or control arm, in case I don't like the new one I can reuse the original, with new bushings.



Thanks for the advice Atomic1.

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Atomic1

Glad it worked out. I used that same cordless saw. Antiseize and/or silicone on the new bolt shaft so it doesn't happen again!

1990IntegraLS

Yes, new bolts coming....and I decided I might as well get new hubs with bearings too. Mine were just ok, might've needed to replace in a couple years. So I got'em. Koyo hubs (oem).




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