I'm changing out the struts on my 96 DX Hatch, I was able to get the main rear suspension bolt off but the strut assembly still wouldn't come loose. In my Helms manual it said to take off the bolt that attatches the brake assembly first. I went to go take this bolt off and the head broke right off. I can't get a grinder into the area to knock of the stock nut, anyone have a plan of action I can take. Thanks

 

This is a fairly common problem..had this happen to my brother's car while we were working on it.

If i remember correctly you can take that piece that is getting in the way for the grinder. It is just a hard plastic piece that keep dust away from the bolt. Grind that nut off and you can get the LCA out from there.

 

Easy-Out can be your best friend.

http://www.toolprice.com/category/screwextractors/

 

How will an easy-out going to get it out if all the torque from the head couldn't even remove it?

 

Was it even necessary to remove that bolt? Would I be able to remove the strut assembly without taking it out?

 

No, you didn't need to take that bolt out. Try breaking the nut off with a breaker bar, it's just tacked on there. Then get a punch and a biiiiig hammer....

 

When we did the swap on my friend's EG hatch, I worked on the engine while my friend worked on getting in the new springs/shocks, and the same thing happened to him on the driver's side. All I remember hearing is a lot of drilling and a lot of cursing, but it came out eventually. The best tool I can suggest is plenty of 's.

 

basically your going to have to sawzall the bolt... cut it on both sides of the bushing and then take out your lca all together, take it to a shop have them press out the old bushing/broken bolt and get a new bushing and have it pressed in

you will never be able to "hit" that bolt out of there, its seized in the bushing and thats why you broke the head of the bolt

brian

 

Try heating the bolt with a torch and then grabbing the end you can get to with a vise grip and see if you can get it out that way before you try some of those more extreme solutions.

 

Are you saying try to thread it through the nut side?

 

When I did my rear disc swap, the rear trailing arm/ LCA bolt were seized from the donor car. Shop guy used 1000lb impact gun force and couldn't brake it loose. So he chopped off the bolts at the bushing part.

I suggest you do the same.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by coptzer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">basically your going to have to sawzall the bolt... cut it on both sides of the bushing and then take out your lca all together, take it to a shop have them press out the old bushing/broken bolt and get a new bushing and have it pressed in

you will never be able to "hit" that bolt out of there, its seized in the bushing and thats why you broke the head of the bolt

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

I'm with him. Cut it out and get a new bushing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by beta13 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you saying try to thread it through the nut side?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, that won't work. Only 1/3 of the length of that bolt has threads on it.