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Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

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Old Feb 2, 2011 | 06:57 PM
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Default Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

I was trying to replace my rear springs today and i was trying to open the screws up and the middle one broke (red circle). And the blue circle on turns but it comes back to the same place so any advice how to do this. And i will get an impact wrench and try the other one.

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Old Feb 3, 2011 | 06:40 AM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

any one?
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Old Feb 3, 2011 | 07:12 AM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

the red one you might have to drill out or break the welds on the nut thats on the other side of the shock. as far as the blue, its probably seized up to the LCA bushing. you might have to torch it out or drill it through. try soaking it in PB Blaster or WD40
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Old Feb 3, 2011 | 07:21 AM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Heat is your friend, Aluminum on steel when not coated with anti-seize likes to corrode and stick together. Heat the LCA to expand it more then the bolt, then slowly back out the bolt, if it wont budge then apply more heat. It might take time but at least you wont snap it. As for the broken one, you will have to drill it out.
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Old Feb 3, 2011 | 04:22 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

You can heat it all you want, but you will end up just torching your lower control arm bushings. Either get another set of lcas to have ready, or new bushings if you have the ability to install them. Good luck!
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Old Feb 3, 2011 | 05:03 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

last week i had the same problem i drilled through it then knocked off the nut on the end with a hammer
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Old Feb 3, 2011 | 05:52 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Pull your head out your *** guys this isn't brain surgery...

Use a sawzall to cut the bolt on both sides between the strut and lca. It will fall apart. Press the remaining bolt out of the bushing. Get a new bolt and use anti seize.
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Old Feb 4, 2011 | 04:09 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Originally Posted by N/A
Pull your head out your *** guys this isn't brain surgery...

Use a sawzall to cut the bolt on both sides between the strut and lca. It will fall apart. Press the remaining bolt out of the bushing. Get a new bolt and use anti seize.
Never knew you could put it in the first place. I got it out, with a little help from a torch. Oh yeah and i would not forget the antiseize. Thank HT
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Old Feb 5, 2011 | 05:42 AM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Your bushing must look real good
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Old Feb 5, 2011 | 05:20 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

ya u can torch it out or cut it out....either way ur gonna need a new bushing. find a shop with a press and put a new bushing in.
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 12:16 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Originally Posted by N/A
Pull your head out your *** guys this isn't brain surgery...

Use a sawzall to cut the bolt on both sides between the strut and lca. It will fall apart. Press the remaining bolt out of the bushing. Get a new bolt and use anti seize.

I've tried this method you speak of more than once with an endless supply of tools at my disposal, but more often then not, it just is not possible to get the rest of the bolt out without ruining the bushing. The bolt actually becomes fused to the inside of the bushing.
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 01:49 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Originally Posted by weavertime1
I've tried this method you speak of more than once with an endless supply of tools at my disposal, but more often then not, it just is not possible to get the rest of the bolt out without ruining the bushing. The bolt actually becomes fused to the inside of the bushing.
If you take another bushing that is broken and place it underneath you can punch the bolt right down into the other one

I've never seen a bushing and bolt "fuse" together and I've been dismantling cars parttime for a few yrs
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 05:39 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

theres so many threads and so many solutions to that bastard bolt... someone should make a video lol
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 05:45 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

If I had a seized bolt I would
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 06:10 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Originally Posted by N/A
If you take another bushing that is broken and place it underneath you can punch the bolt right down into the other one

I've never seen a bushing and bolt "fuse" together and I've been dismantling cars parttime for a few yrs
It all depends on where you live I suppose, but in all my years of doing this, I have almost never had a car not have a rear lower shock bolt "fused" into the bushing. I live just below the rust belt in NY, and a lot of the stuff I work on is rusted up pretty badly. I know RI isn't exactly a perfect haven for keeping cars clean, especially during the winter, but it has to be better than the salt covered roads of upstate NY. I would venture a guess to say out of the 100 or so civics and integras that I have pulled apart, less than 10 of them had rear lower shock bolts that came out normally. The majority of those were cars that I picked up from down south. The next one I will make a video of. I have 5 tegs sitting around right now to be stripped or turned into race cars.
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 06:27 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Yea origin has a lot to do with it but its usually cause by the car sitting around for a while at one point, if the car is driven and maintained (grease), then it usually won't happen

Torch is the worse thing u can do, unless the bushing is already toast

I've also used airhammers to remove bolt in tight places the sawzall won't fit
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 06:36 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

I has the same issue with my 98 teg, FL car but was in Michigan for 3 years of it's live.
All that the bolts heads snapped on the LCA and the where salt/rust fused to the bushings. It was crazy, I never have I had so many bolts break. Uses air compressor on low setting, bolts went back and forth and then used a breaker bar. Heated them up and used 2 cans PB blaster and even the small ABS bolts broke. My old LCA where in bad shape and the torch finished them.

Ordered new version BWR LCAs and all new bolts from Acura ($80.00).

We had to cut, torch and drill some the LCA bolts and even cut some the old shock to make it easier to get too. Finally installed new lowering spring, shocks and camber kits all around.

For the future mod plans I will be replacing old bolts with new ones, so if break one I'm not screwed again having to wait for them from Acura/Honda.
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Old Feb 7, 2011 | 06:39 PM
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Default Re: Replacing lower control arm screw broke need help

Better replace them bwr bushings while you're at it
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