logictron2000

Today I broke the (seized) bolt that connects the rear shock to the lca. I have been reading through some archived topics, but am confused on what to do.

I would prefer not to remove the bushing, would drilling the bolt out work? What should I use to drill it out? Can I drill it out without removing the lca (the lca-subframe bolt is also seized)? How do it drill it out?

Is it safe to drive with the head broken off the bolt?

Also, what are the specs on the lca bolt (they weren't in my Chilton's manual)? hondaautomotiveparts.com, want $7 for it, I was wondering if I could pick one up cheaper at a hardware store.
TIA

sshaikh01

Its a regular 14mm bolt you shouldn't have any problems with the resplacement.

As for the lca.

Take the whole lca out with the shock attached, its not hard only one screw which connects to the frame, if you don't have sway bars and ****.

than drill the remaining of the bolt out, with small drill bit, thats it.
get a new bolt and you're set.

logictron2000

thanks

Isn't the metal tube in the center of the bushing threaded?

What about driving on the broken bolt?

How should I remove the other side of the bolt? Hacksaw?

ChiBoy

Personally, I would take it off the car too. But I would go at it with a sawz-all between the shock and the arm. The bolt is most likely siezed inside the bushing anyway so the bushing is probably ruined anyway. Of course you'll have to get a new bushing this way.

Also, it's probably not a good idea to drive with a broken bolt. Could make matters worse.

VRD^don

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ChiBoy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Also, it's probably not a good idea to drive with a broken bolt. Could make matters worse.</TD></TR></TABLE>

true believe i should know, my brother messed up his lca very bad driving on a broken bolt..costed $500 just to repair it..

logictron2000

thanks for all your help
I'm going to saw through the bolt tomorrow, and try and drill the screw out, if that doesn't work I'm going to get the bushing pressed out and replaced.

I think the bolt will be able to be drilled out though, I don't think the metal inner sleeve of th bushing is threaded.

Thanks

blackeg

same exact thing happend to me last weekend- took the head of the bolt right off. i also wasnt sure about driving on it, so i took it easy and only drove it home and to a shop w/no problems. and im pretty sure the inner bushing sleeve wasnt threaded, but its in my basement now and im at school so i cant check for sure

piscorpio

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by logictron2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I think the bolt will be able to be drilled out though, I don't think the metal inner sleeve of th bushing is threaded.

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

That bolt is pretty hard, better have some damn good drill bits, and be careful or you could just ruin the bushing anyway. The metal sleeve on the bushing is not threaded, nor is the bolt in the section that is in the sleeve.

I had this happen too, I just pressed out that pos bushing and put in new polyurethane ones. Voila, problem solved, and part upgraded, I love it when that happens.

wilsel

I have a set of rear LCA's for a 95 civic.

If yours is a 5th gen, I'll sell both for $10, plus shipping just to get them out of my garage.

EKhothatch

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by logictron2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thanks for all your help
I'm going to saw through the bolt tomorrow, and try and drill the screw out, if that doesn't work I'm going to get the bushing pressed out and replaced.

I think the bolt will be able to be drilled out though, I don't think the metal inner sleeve of th bushing is threaded.

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

You might as well just go ahead and get the bushing pressed out. It's alot of headache trying to drill it out. It's not threaded so your cool but still I would recommend getting a new bushing in there. I've tryed both and just went with gettin a new bushing or get another arm (expensive).

The tq spec on that bolt or most of the suspension bolts in the rear for that matter are around 30-40 ft-lbs.

A bolt at the hardware store may not be stainless, so make sure it is. If not, just go to honda and get one.

Matt B

The bolt is a grade 10 bolt so its pretty hard to drill through put some penetrating oil on it wack it a couple times with a hammer and try to use a eazy out.

Bumnah

i broke the bolt that connects my rear sway bar to the lca. i tried to drill it out and use a tap & dye set to remove the bolt. no luck. liittle 12 mm bolt stuck in there real good. just got anew lca. luckily my friend works at honda.

EKhothatch

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wilsel &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a set of rear LCA's for a 95 civic.

If yours is a 5th gen, I'll sell both for $10, plus shipping just to get them out of my garage.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I might have to take you up on that offer. E-mail or IM me, I couldn't get your email to work.

logictron2000

the problem I'm now having is that the bolts that connect the lca to the subframe and to the brake assembly are also very badly seized. I can't remove the lca.

Echo7847

I broke that bolt off yesterday installing my tokico's. I broke the drivers side one in half (luckily i was replacing the shock anyways ) and had to go to tire kingdom up her enad tipped one of the guys 10 bucks to break all the suspension bolts loose because I tried for hours and dam near stripped the head. He fixed em all, I woulda given him more because he saved me SO MUCH TROUBLE. Btw Honda wanted 9 for one bolt, its 10mmx84mm and its 10 bucks to overnite it (****** crazy). PB Blaster = the ****, use it.

Canuk_SiR

I had the same problem on a buddie's 96 coupe. I took the LCA out and put the arm in a vice, so the cylinder in the bushing was supported, and hammered the chunk of the bolt out. Easy fix, but took a while to realise that that was the best thing to do.
No replacement of any bushing, just 8 bucks for a new bolt from honda.