So today I was going to replace my rear driverside shock, because it is blown. So I get out my electric impact gun and the bolt wont come out at all, it wont even budge. I sprayed the hell out of it with wd40 and other stuff...still nothing

So i decided to just completely take my lca out and cut the ******* thing off, and I cant get my front lca bolts out either.

What can i use to help get the bolts out? I dont have access to a lot of tools, seeing as how it is parked at my friends house, and a torch is out of the question.
Is there anything I can do? or just take it to a shop and have them do it?

I though the impact gun would have been strong enough to work

Thanks in advance

BTW if i cut the shock mount bolt, right after the spindles( inside between the lca and the shock fork), would it come out? (ie: because it isnt actually threaded into anything except the nut at the back of the spindle/fork)

 

my suggestion is that you use a breaker bar. take your wrench and stick a pipe at the end to make it longer so it gives you a lot more leverage and then just push with all your strength and it should come out. if not then just drill it out. its a pain but nothing else you can really do, unless you wanna pay the money and have someone else just drill it out for u. best bet, try a breaker bar

 

I would assume that my impact gun would be stronger that me w/ a breaker bar, no?

Alright I'm going to try to get my breaker bar and give it a try....

Anyone else have any other opinions/suggestions?

 

you gotta take off the LCA completely and bring it to a suspension shop to have them press it out. Then buy some replacement bushing like energy suspension, they are cheap and slip right in (not press fit)

 

I cant take the lca off completely, thats the problem, cant unbolt the lca or the shock mount..

 

use a torch, even if you melt the bushing you can still replace it with energy. thats the only way it will come out.

 

How much are the bushings?

 

i believe it's about $40 for a set. Look it up at jegs.com
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sooo_slow &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How much are the bushings?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

torch the nut side of the bolt. Is this the inner one or the outside one?

 

to take out the shock you want him to take off the LCA?

lol, mine just unbolts, I used a breaker bar, Maybe not even that.

just wondering why he needs to take off the LCA?

 

All i really need is to take the shock bolt out, i can deal with a seized front lca bolt, but i can still remove the rear lca bolt (thus dropping the lca to take the shock out).

I'm going to try heating it with a mini propane torch, and using a breaker bar.

 

And if that doesnt work, i'm going to cut off the shock mounts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sooo_slow &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">All i really need is to take the shock bolt out, i can deal with a seized front lca bolt, but i can still remove the rear lca bolt (thus dropping the lca to take the shock out).

I'm going to try heating it with a mini propane torch, and using a breaker bar.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I cannot understand what you mean by front lca bolt and rear lca bolt. In the rear LCA there is only inner bolt, outer bolt, and the one on the shock mount.

Are you referring to nut and bolt?
arrrggh just give us pics

 

lol, im not where my car is so no pics, by front i mean the bolt thats closest to the brake setup, and obviously the rear would be the other.

 

electric impact not as good...put ur 3/8 or 1/2 on there and use a long bar, if that doesnt work soak it with wd 40 and then put some penetrating lubercate on it and try again. if that doesnt work then u might have to just cut it or replace whole arm.

 

im just using this pic as an example, the screw that you cant take out is the bottom of the shock screw right? thats the one in the middle right?

 

Ok I guess I was assuming you already cut your shock lower mounting bolt, it turns out you have not done that.

There are two bolts that are PITA to take off, one is the shock mounting bolt, the other is the outer lca bolt (which you refer as the "front" bolt)

But since you have not even tried to break-off the bolt by opening it, then try it first until the bolthead break. Torch the nut side of the bolt, which is welded to the strut "fork", this will expand it. Most likely your bolt is seized not to the nut, but to the inner plate of the bushing. Mine was seized to the point that it's fused together due to rust.

Try this in order:
1. Use you rachet, put a pipe (thin one like fence pole) to extend it 2', then open it will all your strength. you will feel that it is kinda "spring loaded" along the twisting motion, this is because your bolt is turning with the inner steel sleeve of the bushing and the rubber is what's deflecting as you force it. This is a bad sign, but just go ahead and twist it until the head broke, then go to #2

2. Get an angel grinder at home depot with a steel cutoff wheel. Cut between the strut and the LCA on both sides of the bolt. At least now you can take off your strut. Now you can attempt to take off the LCA to bring it to a shop and have them press it out, but you risk to encounter the same thing at the outer bolt near the brakes. If the bolt also break (which in my case it did), then you need to cut on both side of the LCA as well which is a pain due to the little space you have and risking to cut the brake lines or ABS sensor wire.

Your alternative is this. Torch the rubber inside the bushing to the point that it melted and you can push the inner steel hub (which is seized with the broken bolt) away. Clean the rest of the rubber, now you see another steel plate on the outer diameter of the bushing. Get an electric resiprocating saw or a regular steel saw, get it through the hole (with the manual saw you need to take off the blade and get it through before you attach it to the handle). Saw the bigger diameter to break the circle, do it at 12 o clock and 6 a clock if necessary. Once you break it off you can use a punch set and hammer it out.

3. Clean up the lca hole without the bushing, get energy suspension bushings and put them in. You are set for your new strut, get a new bolt that has the same thread and length to replace it.

Hopefully this helps. If you do search you will get a lot of info as well.

 

Wow, that really helps ....thanks for everyone who replied. Now I just have to wait till it warms up on monday to do it. I'll try a breaker bar 1st and if that doesnt work, then i'll just cut it off.