R-Lug

I'm doing hatch to SI front lower control arm with sway bar swap and in trying to remove the 19mm bolt for the front lca that goes into the subframe, it loosens then just starts to free spin. So now i cannot tighten it or loosen it. I've tried to pry it out while loosening, it didn't work. Has anyone had this happen before? I have no idea what to do. Taking it to the shop 2morrow. It looks bad....someone care to share what they know about this? I'm tired and pissed. Now I'm rolling with left stock hatch cx lca and SI right lca.


Modified by SeaLevel at 8:59 AM 1/30/2006

Syndacate

got a cutter? I don't know if it's stripped or the hole where it goes into is stripped, more likely the screw is stripped, if u have a cutter cut off the head of it, see if it'll slide out then (or hammer out)

Good Luck

R-Lug

^^ This is the subframe bolt, if i cut off the head i cannot hammer it thru because there's no opening on the other side. there's no way for me to get to the other end of this bolt that's the problem

CRXified

had this happen on my torque mounts on my eg. had to drill a hole in teh frame rail big enough to get a nut in, cut the old off and then put a bolt through and put a nut of the other side. not sure if there is room there to drill a hole with a hole cutter or not. probably what ur going to have to do

R-Lug

that's what i didn't want to hear. anyone else???

Luserkid

How far out is it? Could it be that the LCA is holding it down from moving anymore? Did you try adjusting the LCA and pulling the bolt? Can you get pics?

R-Lug

^^ it's not even out far enough for me to stick something behind the head of the bolt. I've tried moving the lca up and down while turning the bolt as well.

Luserkid

When you move the LCA does the bolt more? Like could it have snapped inside? I have never heard of something like this happening before so its mind boggling to me.

94hatchling

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SeaLevel &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">^^ it's not even out far enough for me to stick something behind the head of the bolt. I've tried moving the lca up and down while turning the bolt as well. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i might have missed it, but did you take a pry bar to put pressure against the head of the bolt, and then try to remove it? like putting the pry bar between the lca and the frame, and exerting pressure downward on the lca. i've had similar problems before, and that always did the trick. good luck.

order23

ive had an LCA bolt break on me but it was connected to the suspension strut....what i did was i took it off and pressed it off..but the bushing was bad so i got a new LCA...try to lube it up with lithuim grease..heat it up...and punch it out...try to get some pics up so i can see whats going on

suprmods

The nut that is welded on the inside of the subframe has snapped off (the welds broke). This happened to my car. I was able to get the bolt off, but when i put it back in, there was nothing to thread it in to. So I had to cut a hole in the subframe to stick a screwdriver in there to hold the nut in while i tighten it. You could do the same thing, cut a small hole, stick a flat head in there and then remove the bolt. The trouble will be when you have to pu the bolt back in because its a bitch to get the nut onto the bolt.

I would suggest having the shop cut a small hole in the subframe and re weld the nut to the inside of the subframe. then they can weld up the hole that was cut, so the structural integrity of the subframe is not a big issue.

CRXified

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by suprmods &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The nut that is welded on the inside of the subframe has snapped off (the welds broke). This happened to my car. I was able to get the bolt off, but when i put it back in, there was nothing to thread it in to. So I had to cut a hole in the subframe to stick a screwdriver in there to hold the nut in while i tighten it. You could do the same thing, cut a small hole, stick a flat head in there and then remove the bolt. The trouble will be when you have to pu the bolt back in because its a bitch to get the nut onto the bolt.

I would suggest having the shop cut a small hole in the subframe and re weld the nut to the inside of the subframe. then they can weld up the hole that was cut, so the structural integrity of the subframe is not a big issue.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah what he said or u can use a circle cutter and cut a hole big enough to put a new nut on the new bolt then if it ever happens again at least teh hold is there to get a wrench on the nut, thats what i had to do

R-Lug

i'll post pic later to show what's going on. I've never had this problem before with lca's.

here's what happened, i go to loosen the bolt and it starts to get loose, then after like 2-3 turns, it gets really loose then basically starts free spinning. Didn't even come out far enough for the bolt head to come out to give me space to even stick something behind the bolt head.

Now it doesn't tighten or loosen

suprmods

right, because if the nut is broken off inside the subframe, then it is just sitting on the bolt. when you turn the bolt clockwise, the nut turns with it. Same for counter clockwise.

you could turn it for days on end, but unless you find a way to secure that nut from rotating with the bolt, its not going to come off.

R-Lug

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by suprmods &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The nut that is welded on the inside of the subframe has snapped off (the welds broke). This happened to my car. I was able to get the bolt off, but when i put it back in, there was nothing to thread it in to. So I had to cut a hole in the subframe to stick a screwdriver in there to hold the nut in while i tighten it. You could do the same thing, cut a small hole, stick a flat head in there and then remove the bolt. The trouble will be when you have to pu the bolt back in because its a bitch to get the nut onto the bolt.

I would suggest having the shop cut a small hole in the subframe and re weld the nut to the inside of the subframe. then they can weld up the hole that was cut, so the structural integrity of the subframe is not a big issue.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah sounds like what happened. I do remember bottoming out on an uneven surface and perhaps i hit the subframe part of my car therefore (breaking) the weld for the nut inside.

But i thought the subrame hole where the bolt goes thru is threaded instead of a nut inside that is welded? Can someone confirm that there is indeed a "welded" nut inside the subframe? If so then that's the problem I'm looking at, which means I'll have to cut the subframe to get to that nut... fu*kkkkkkkk

R-Lug

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When you move the LCA does the bolt more? Like could it have snapped inside? I have never heard of something like this happening before so its mind boggling to me. </TD></TR></TABLE>

yes the bolt moves when i move the lca. all evidence is leading to the nut inside the subframe that is welded on and has broke the weld therefore spinning along with the bolt.

99CivicSiBrian

I had some wheel lug stems that weren't pressed in, so when they were loose, you couldn't tighten them or loosen them. . . unless you used an air gun. Try to jam something somewhere to basically 'pull' on the bolt while you air-gun it. The impact and that little bit of pull may get the nut (the one you're not seeing) to stay in place long enough to unthread.
Best of luck of course.
Brian

Tuesday Club

cut a hole into the subframe and hold the nut (that stripped it's weld) w/ vice grips.

its the only way i've found to wrk....get the nut re-welded inside and hammer the subframe closed

D50boy

suprmods has it right. I had this happen to me. I said F'k it and even swapped the X-member with an Si on my hatchback.

R-Lug

^^ hey, i emailed you

SpydiR

this same **** happened to me as well. I paid almost $200 to have it fixed and aligned at a shop I trust because I didn't have the tools to do it at the time. it's only been 2 months now and I'm afraid they have come loose again. I don't think I'll be comfortable in my car again untill I swap out the subframe. and no, I do not know what exactly they did as I haven't been under my car since they did the work. it is about time for an oil change though, so maybe I'll check it out for ya.

CRXified

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SeaLevel &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Can someone confirm that there is indeed a "welded" nut inside the subframe? If so then that's the problem I'm looking at, which means I'll have to cut the subframe to get to that nut... fu*kkkkkkkk</TD></TR></TABLE>

i can confirm that, its a nut spot welded in 3 spots. the spot welds broke and now its spinning freely with the bolt. just cut a hole, use vice grips or even a 19 or 17mm wrench and stick it in there to hold it steady, take it out and do what u gotta do. then put it back in and screw the bolt into the nut again and use anti seize and **** and tighten it up, u will be fine

dpkelly

Instead of cutting into the frame, can you get a decent sized drill bit to drill the bolt out of the free spinng nut while it's held on the other end? You'd have less damage to the subframe.

CRXified

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dpkelly &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Instead of cutting into the frame, can you get a decent sized drill bit to drill the bolt out of the free spinng nut while it's held on the other end? You'd have less damage to the subframe. </TD></TR></TABLE>

then how are u going to get a nut of the other end of the new bolt?

suprmods

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

then how are u going to get a nut of the other end of the new bolt?</TD></TR></TABLE>

or even get the new bolt onto some nut in the subframe...