alfaaay

Okay I'm in a bind right now (no pun intended)

I'm trying to remove the front suspension assembly on my '99 Civic and the bolt that connects the lower fork to the LCA appears to be stuck (on the bushing?). I'm replacing the whole assembly with Skunk2 Pro-Series Coilovers, so I don't need the stock crap anymore. I don't have a torch, or replacement bushings, so I was thinking about just cutting the spring up and pushing the strut out of the fork. Anyone done this before? I know, it sounds madd sketchy, but I don't have many options. The car is waaay more rusty than I expected, and I think I'll just be snapping bolts left and right if I try to disassembly anymore of the lower control arm stuff. PB blaster is only doing so much. Someone give me some tips here. Think a Dremel will do it?

On a side note, I snapped my rear LCA bolt, and the upper trailing arm bolt. expletive midwest cars, I want to move back to the west coast

DCSportEJ1Civic

cutting it would not be a very good idea. it will probably break your hand if your close enough to it. go rent a spring compressor from autozone. dont hurt yourself trying to cut it. and the rear lower control arm bolt always seize in the bushing and break. just replace the whole arm with say a skunk2 or something. and youll wear out the motor in a dremel before you even dent the spring.

alfaaay

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DCSportEJ1Civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">cutting it would not be a very good idea. it will probably break your hand if your close enough to it. go rent a spring compressor from autozone. dont hurt yourself trying to cut it. and the rear lower control arm bolt always seize in the bushing and break. just replace the whole arm with say a skunk2 or something. and youll wear out the motor in a dremel before you even dent the spring.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The spring compressor I've got is far too bulky, but I'm going to try to find a better one to use. I tried gripping on the upper A-arm and part of the strut. It almost seemed to work so I'll see if I can get some better leverage on it.

As far as the rear, I'd replace the whole arm if I could, but I'm almost certain I'm going to end up just snapping more bolts. I think I can at least chop off the fork and try to hammer / tap the rest of the bolt's body out.

Thanks for the input... definitely do not want to break a hand.

z6hatchboy

All i can think of is this, while the car is on the ground (no jack at all) take the nut off the top of the strut (that will release the shock from the top hat). Then lift the car and maybe the will take enough the load off the spring to where you can cut it and use your method to get it out.

builthatch

in all honesty, some BG penetrating lube, the GOOD stuff, and a handheld propane torch should get pretty much anything loose w/o hacking, cutting, etc. You can get propane torches at any hardware store and the BG stuff....alot of garages order BG so you might get a can from them, or you can try PB blaster but you'll have to use more and wait longer.

DCSportEJ1Civic

lol, i suggest new control arms b/c they come with new bushings. where as replacement oem's run about $25 each and a set of new LCA's are around $100

v!taminb16

cutting springs is a big no nooo

JarvisW

Lol, its true, you could die and stuff...

alfaaay

-double post.

I'm going to keep hitting it with PB blaster I guess and/or trying the spring compressor method.

As for the rear, I don't know how I'd get the LCA off because the other bolts are rusted too... I think I'd just be snapping bolts and creating a bigger headache for myself.

fastrc2

if you are referring to where the strut connects to the lower control arm bolt, then try to push the arm down eve though it doesnt move much, you will counter the load of the bushings where the control arm mounts to the subframe. if it is all coming out loosen the bolts that attach the control arm to the subframe and youll unload all of the stress in the bushings becuase they are tightened at ride height

DCSportEJ1Civic

ive heard of people weighing the car down(like three fat people sitting on it) and compressing the spring with like 4 or 5 ratchet straps. still not a method i would use tho.

importdreamer

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by alfaaay &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
On a side note, I snapped my rear LCA bolt, and the upper trailing arm bolt. expletive midwest cars, I want to move back to the west coast </TD></TR></TABLE>

The LCA bolt problem isn't that bad. I actually drilled out the old one and bought a new bolt from honda, and It was fine. Honda recommended that i replace the entire arm which I think was about $125 or so. Don't bother with all that. As long as you dont destroy the bushing when you drill it out you can save some coin and it still works well.

JDM Lyfestyle

If the soaking it and heating it doesnt work try cutting the nut or the head off the bolt and just pounding it out with a punch or other piece of metal that will fit through without getting stuck and a big hammer..
then you can just replace the bolt with another one afterwards..

RYNO48

Just wrench on that ****. If it breaks=good, if it doesn't=good.

Honestly, how do you think cutting the spring would help you? If the bolt is stuck it has nothing to do with the pressure put on it from the spring and the shock. If you cut the spring off you still have a nut that is stuck.

And i hate to have to say it but I have to seeing as that you think cutting the spring will somehow help you with the bolt. But are you wrenching on the Nut or the Bolt?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DCSportEJ1Civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ive heard of people weighing the car down(like three fat people sitting on it) and compressing the spring with like 4 or 5 ratchet straps. still not a method i would use tho.</TD></TR></TABLE>

When I read this s*&( i just laugh. What in the hell could people honestly be thinking? Someone please tell me what this would help you do? Please?

I approve of doing everything for yourself, yet the post should have read "bolts are stuck what do i do now" vs "cutting springs while car"

And another funny thing is utter contempt people have here for cut springs. I just find it comical how people react to the concept. What do you think people did before aftermarket part industry took off? If you asked anyone thats been in the car game (any car game) thats over 30 yrs old, they've all cut springs for someone or for themselves. And if you asked them for the opinion there responses would a casual "well why man these days you can buy and bolt on anything you want so theres no need". NOT, some exaggerated "NO we never do that".

alfaaay

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RYNO48 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just wrench on that ****. If it breaks=good, if it doesn't=good.

Honestly, how do you think cutting the spring would help you? If the bolt is stuck it has nothing to do with the pressure put on it from the spring and the shock. If you cut the spring off you still have a nut that is stuck.

And i hate to have to say it but I have to seeing as that you think cutting the spring will somehow help you with the bolt. But are you wrenching on the Nut or the Bolt?

When I read this s*&( i just laugh. What in the hell could people honestly be thinking? Someone please tell me what this would help you do? Please?

I approve of doing everything for yourself, yet the post should have read "bolts are stuck what do i do now" vs "cutting springs while car"

And another funny thing is utter contempt people have here for cut springs. I just find it comical how people react to the concept. What do you think people did before aftermarket part industry took off? If you asked anyone thats been in the car game (any car game) thats over 30 yrs old, they've all cut springs for someone or for themselves. And if you asked them for the opinion there responses would a casual "well why man these days you can buy and bolt on anything you want so theres no need". NOT, some exaggerated "NO we never do that".

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn, a little bit of a stank attitude and no input. Thanks brah. Cutting the spring (possibly into multiple pieces) would unload the strut so I could pull the strut up out of the fork.

Trust me, I've been wrenching on it. So has an impact wrench. I've hammered it. I've doused it in PB blaster. If I can get the strut out and not touch the bolt then that's fine. The skunk2's should go in okay because they're shortened shaft and can be cranked all the way down.

Thanks for everyone's input. I think I'm gonna try to drill out the rear LCA bolt. I was gonna spring for some ES bushings, cut the rear strut up, and burn the **** out, but if I can get the bolt out with drilling I'd rather do that. It's my daily beater, not a race car.

As for the front, I think the rust siezed the LCA bolt in place. If I can compress the spring that's probably the best way to go... That ratchet strap thing sounds real sketchy.

overspooled

i have cut springs before while they were loaded and its not fun and very scay. if its your last option do it but be very careful man iam seriousdont hurt your self. i used a cut off wheel to do it because its smaller and very easy to handle and control. i have a spring compressor and have never had a problem compressing the springs on any honda. i have been doing it for 8 years now and use the spring compressor its your best bet and it will work. good luck

Be safe man you can mess stuff up quickly and definitly injure your self some bad thats alot of load and tension on those springs.

honvic21

i cut springs on cars all the time, just be careful. when you do it make your first cut in the middle of the spring it will take the pressure of all at once then all you have left is cutting coil by coil to get them off the strut

alfaaay

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by honvic21 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i cut springs on cars all the time, just be careful. when you do it make your first cut in the middle of the spring it will take the pressure of all at once then all you have left is cutting coil by coil to get them off the strut</TD></TR></TABLE>

What'd you use to cut the spring (how did you do it?). I really don't want to but I don't know how many options I have.

I tried clamping on what I could with a spring compressor today, no luck. Both spring compressors I've tried are too bulky to grab the spring itself I'm grabbing parts around it but the spring only compresses so much before one of the arms hits the strut/spring.

I suppose I could cut this bolt up and try drilling it out. The only problem is there are two arms (the fork and the LCA) to get through. Not sure how effectively I can drill on the bolt.