Well today while I was installing my new springs and shocks, I happened to snap the rear control arm bolt, one side looks attached the other is snapped, so I was unable to complete the work. My question is, where can I order this part from and am I able to have it taken out myself or will I have to bring it somewhere to get it done?

 

yea...the lca bolts always get seized up...

its hard to say without a pic...is the part of the bolt thats still in there just spinning with every turn?

 

Well there's two ways you can go:

1. get a bolt/screw extractor and remove it your self

or

2. pay a shop to get it removed.

 

damn that sucks. those damn LCA bolts are known to snap. search around and read on how other people got theirs out. its a pretty commmon problem. its gonna be a bitch to get that thing out. i'd suggest looking around fine someone who upgraded their LCA and buy their stock one cause the stock LCA's are pretty cheap. i've seen them go for like 20 bucks. just get that and run to the auto part store and buy a new LCA bolt, its like $1.29 each. and i'd suggest getting new LCA bolts while you're chaning the suspension incase you have to take your suspension apart later. or you can use this oportunity to upgrade to after market LCA.

 

i've snapped a few so dont feel bad. HEat is your friend. Heat and lube.

Or try a bolt out but I've never gotten one to work

 

Well I went to three different stores (today is Sunday no dealership open) No store was able to tell me the part. I know its a 14mm bolt but what is the thread pattern....here are some pics...sorry to be a pain I was just mad because I lowered the front of the car but now I have the back stock so obviously driving like this will cause uneven alignment




this is the back side

 

get some aftermarket lcas like omnipower or something..........

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kupras &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well I went to three different stores (today is Sunday no dealership open) No store was able to tell me the part. I know its a 14mm bolt but what is the thread pattern....here are some pics...sorry to be a pain I was just mad because I lowered the front of the car but now I have the back stock so obviously driving like this will cause uneven alignment
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thread: 10 x 1.25 mm torqued to 40 ft-lbs The whole area of the rear suspension is the same minus the rear toe link bolt and sway bar bushing mounting bolts to the frame.

 

you can either cut the bolt, or cut the shock mounting fork...

 

extractor kit

 

Take a hammer and a 1/4 extension to knock it out the other side. Then take it to a local hardware store and match it up.

 

Extractor kit or hammer will not work. This happenned to me twice already.

1. Go get an angle grinder at Home depot and cutoff wheels for steel cutting. Cut between the shock fork and the LCA bushings.

2. THen take out the other two end LCA bolt (better hope they don't seize up, torch them up if you have one before you open them).

3. Once you have your LCA off the car, buy some aftermarket bushing like energy suspension at jegs.com and bring them to a suspension shop ask if they are willing to press out the old bushing (with the broken bolt in them). You should be able to insert aftermarket bushings like energy suspension stuff by hand. If you choose to buy OEM bushing at dealer, then have them press it in also. Hopefully they'll do it for 20-30 bucks.

PM me if you have questions, I've been doing this for couple times with my civic and teg.

 

second day working on this car, i cut the shock and the bolt is STILL inside the bushing, this is the most annoying experience. Does anybody know if i could use a titanium drill bit or use something else to get the bolt out. If not I think im going to get a new control arm.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elpiar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Extractor kit or hammer will not work. This happenned to me twice already.

1. Go get an angle grinder at Home depot and cutoff wheels for steel cutting. Cut between the shock fork and the LCA bushings.

2. THen take out the other two end LCA bolt (better hope they don't seize up, torch them up if you have one before you open them).

3. Once you have your LCA off the car, buy some aftermarket bushing like energy suspension at jegs.com and bring them to a suspension shop ask if they are willing to press out the old bushing (with the broken bolt in them). You should be able to insert aftermarket bushings like energy suspension stuff by hand. If you choose to buy OEM bushing at dealer, then have them press it in also. Hopefully they'll do it for 20-30 bucks.

PM me if you have questions, I've been doing this for couple times with my civic and teg.

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trust me, a friend and have lowered a ton of civics/tegs over the last few years- this happens A LOT and elpiar's post is the best way out.

For some reason, the metal of the bolt and the metal in the collar of the bushing seize togeher, i think they bond because the types of metal, but they do not come apart. Just get a sawzall or an angle grinder and cut the bolt. Then, when you put it back to gether, use a little ant-seize on the shaft of the bolt so it doesnt happen again..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kupras &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">second day working on this car, i cut the shock and the bolt is STILL inside the bushing, this is the most annoying experience. Does anybody know if i could use a titanium drill bit or use something else to get the bolt out. If not I think im going to get a new control arm.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Read the thread. Those pictures don't tell me everything, but tapping the bolt out with a 1/4 extension and a hammer is the way to do it. Spray some WD40 if its hard to get out. After a few hard pounds it will pop out.

You gotta get a new bushing after that, though. As it was said earlier, either press it out yourself or take it to a suspension shop or friends shop and get it pressed. Get a new bolt, and you're set. Put some anti-sieze on it though so it won't happen again.

 

Same **** happen to me what a pain in the ***. I just brought it to Honda sinced I worked there at the time. They had it out in like 10min. Good Luck.

 

Same thing happened to me because of the bushing you can beat on it and beat on it and it never moves an inch because the bushing adsorbes all the shock... I think I ended up replacing the whole bushing after about 2 hours of frustration... man it felt good to hack that thing up! I got my replacement bolt from an acura dealer about 75 miles away I just wasn't 100% sure if the same bolt for a civic would work??????


Modified by ITRiWISH at 4:49 PM 7/7/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kupras &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">second day working on this car, i cut the shock and the bolt is STILL inside the bushing, this is the most annoying experience. Does anybody know if i could use a titanium drill bit or use something else to get the bolt out. If not I think im going to get a new control arm.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can try drilling it out if it was not seized so bad, but my guess is just replace the bushing. Last time I want to drill out the bushing, I had to press it out, put it on a lathe and drill it out. The material has fused together that you cannot tell it was two pieces (the bolt and the inner bushing hole). In some people's case maybe you can knock it out, who knows, give it 10 bangs with a hammer and punch, if it doesn't budge, take out the control arm and replace the bushing with a new one.

 

Now im afraid to do change my LCA's.

 

Just for future reference, I highly recommend using an impact wrench to remove LCA bolts if there is any possible way you can come by one. Even a 12V electric impact will work. That's what I used the first time I lowered my car w/ 105K miles on it and everything went along just fine. My car now has 207K miles and I've taken the suspension apart many many times. I've always used an impact wrench on the rear LCA bolts and have never had a problem. I can almost guarantee that the LCA bolts will come out and NOT break if you use an impact wrench. I'm still using the original factory bolts on mine.

High amounts of sustained torque is what breaks bolts, especially seized bolts (like when you use a huge extension on a breaker bar and stand on it).

Rapid short bursts of torque (impact wrench) will coax the bolts out without harming them. Even high amounts of torque won't harm the bolts, as long as they are quick bursts and not sustained loads on the bolt.

 

drill it out... thats what i did. start with a smaller bit. you can use a bolt from home depot temporarily til u get the stock one... dont forget to use anti seize when you install those bolts... its frustrating but dont give up

 

civic bolts/bushings are the same..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PatrickGSR94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just for future reference, I highly recommend using an impact wrench to remove LCA bolts if there is any possible way you can come by one. Even a 12V electric impact will work. That's what I used the first time I lowered my car w/ 105K miles on it and everything went along just fine. My car now has 207K miles and I've taken the suspension apart many many times. I've always used an impact wrench on the rear LCA bolts and have never had a problem. I can almost guarantee that the LCA bolts will come out and NOT break if you use an impact wrench. I'm still using the original factory bolts on mine.

High amounts of sustained torque is what breaks bolts, especially seized bolts (like when you use a huge extension on a breaker bar and stand on it).

Rapid short bursts of torque (impact wrench) will coax the bolts out without harming them. Even high amounts of torque won't harm the bolts, as long as they are quick bursts and not sustained loads on the bolt.</TD></TR></TABLE>

thats not exactly true. i have lowered a BUNCH of hondas and i always use an impact, but when i did my gsr i used all 5 of my impacts and it never budged. i finally turned my big impact up so hight it snapped it off. i have tried most on the tricks stated but the best for me was to sawsall the bolts off and drill all the bolts out w/the drill press. if you are carefull enough, and step up in bit size. you will remove enough material that you can use a center punch, and knock it out. but i promise if it is REALLY seized, you can definetly NOT drive it out w/a hammer before drilling.

honestly if i had it to do over again id just replace the lca, w/the time it took to drill out all 6 i could have worked at my real for enough money to just buy new lighter ones

 

let me know if anyone has an extra rear lower control arm they are willing to sell

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GrnTurtle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Now im afraid to do change my LCA's.</TD></TR></TABLE>

mike don't be scared foo. just do it. i bet you anything you wont run into the problem.