I am a new forum user and own a 2004 EX 5-door AWD CRV. This is my second CRV. My daughter inherited my 1999 CRV that now has 230,000 miles.

The issue I am having is with the Rear strut bolts. It appears that the metal sleeve inside of the rubber bushing has fused itself to the strut bolts on both the right and left sides. I have tried heat and impact wrenches to no avail.

I can turn the bolts. However, the only result is that the mounting flanges spread apart. This is because the receivng nut is welded to the LCA and the fused metal sleeve is pushing against the other mounting flange.

The flanges are welded to the LCA and I do not want to have to replace that also.

If any one has any ideas on how to remove the bolt, I am all ears.

Thanks and regards,

 

The only way you have now is to cut the bolt head of and cut the welded nut off as well, and then nut a bolt it back on. That has been a problem on many honda's for many many years now. You are not the only person to have this problem before.

I've had this happen to many times on my own vehicles and customers of mine.

 

yeah need to cut it. i get stuck doing this on almost every car i have honda or not. you need to use grease on the vertical grooved part of the bolts thats sits in there so it doesnt seize, why no one seems to do this is still a mystery to me.

 

Thanks so much for your quick responses. It is unfortunate that Honda did not have the forsight to use a different combination of metal compounds or at least put some form of anti-seize compound on the bolt.

I can assure you, once I get it off, I will reinstall it with anti-seize compound.

 

inside of the service manual for the 1st gen crv just about every single bolt is instructed to have oil on it before inserting and torquing down. probably won't help much in suspension. i'd just use the same grease you'd use for balljoints.

 

yeah i use grease, not oil. or we have this weird gold industrial antiseize at work i might start trying but so far the grease has worked. usually the ones that come off easily look like they have been greased at some point. it does help.

 

I cut out the rear struts bottom bolts with my sawzall. I did not have to cut off the nut welded to the strut mount. I simply cut the bolt leaving enough of a nub to get pliers on. Once the bolt was cut and the shock was removed, I simply backed the remaining part of the bolt out with the pliers. Installation was straight-forward after that.

Now that the shocks are installed, that is a nasty rattle coming from the rear. I double and triple checked all the bolts to make sure they were tight. And they are.

The rattle sounds like it may be the rear sway bar links or the sway bar bushings. There was a very minor rattle before I started. Now it is a major one.

I would appreciate any ideas on what the cause may be and how to isolate the source of the noise.

Thanks in advance

 

I have a rattle in my rear only at 1500 rpm and it's from my exhaust getting rusty and falling apart. sure it's not exhaust? how often is the rattle?

 

I guess it is possible that it might be the exhaust. I will have to crawl back under the car and take a look.

The rattle occurs very frequently, especially after I go over bumps. Generally no rattling on smoother roads.