I'm trying to remove the rear shocks, but can't loosen the 14mm bolt that connects the shock to the lca. The bolt threads from the back of the car to the front, and there's a welded nut on the front side. I already snapped the bolt on the driver's rear side (time to buy a broken bolt extractor). The passenger side bolt will loosen about 1/8 turn, but then stops. Is there a secret to relieving pressure from this joint to make the job easier to remove the bolt, or am I destined to snap the passenger-rear bolt as well. I've already soaked the bolt/nut with liquid wrench (no PB in my toolbox). Any suggestions?

 

my friend had the same problem. he used some air tools to get it off.

 

I don't have any suggestions, but I am going to be doinga coilover install this week and hope I don't run into the same issues...

Good luck...

 

Hmmm, I wonder if Budman can sneak away from the house tomorrow and bring his airtools... Damn if my 3/4" breaker bar didn't snap that first bolt! The fronts removed/installed easily, it's these rear lca bolts that are giving me fits.

 

what are your replacing?
lowdowns?

 

Pull it while you're unscrewing it? Maybe even try tapping it w/ a hammer? I've never really had problems w/ that bolt. Good luck meng.

 

Yep, I'm installing lowdowns. I've been whaling on the ratchet handle with the BFH, but no luck.

 

new lowdowns? you didn't wait for the rest of us

 

?? Is there a groupbuy forming?? I ordered mine looong ago, and they just took a while to ship from Japan. Just in time for next weekend's HPDE...assuming I get the car put back together in time. Well, I'm off to borrow Budman's air tools. More to come later..

 

I think your bushings have seized to the bolt.
There might not be any hope.

 

have u tried wd40??? when i couldnt crack mine i sprayed just about a whole can of it in there did the trick, if u ever do get it off, u might run into the same problem i had of puttin it back on...i had to take the whole LCA off and put it back on in reverse order, u might wanna try that to relieve some of the stress off the bolt and give you some play, good luck

 

Seized bushing sounds bad. I've hit the shock/lca joint with some PB blaster with a little success. The bolt started to turn when I applied some serious torque to it. I think I turned the bolt enough that it's clear of the nut, or very very close to clearing the nut threads. But, it's still REAL hard to turn, and the bolt head is starting to round pretty bad. I'm about ready to give up and have a professional garage remove the bolt for me. That is, after I extract the remnants of the driver's side bolt that I broke off. I'm hoping Acura has some extra bolts in stock.

Steve, can you expand on the seized bushing problem? Is it possible that the bolt threads are digging into the rubber bushing of the shock?

 

its common to have the bolts seize up in there or any where parts are moving constantly.
just use some WD-40 and let it soak for 30mins. should relieve the problem and use a breaker bar.
if not use a hammer and tap your ratchet or wrench couterclock wise.
if not get an air compressor and air gun and take that sucker off.

always using wd-40! its your buddy when working on cars. apply it to mostly every bolt! i stripped one to many when i didnt use wd-40 !!!!

 

make sure when you extract the bolt, do it really slow with WD-40!!!!
it might strip, then u will have a even bigger problem on your hands then just a little broken bolt.

 

Not digging in, but they will just be permamently stuck to the bolt. Symptoms are
the bolt will barely turn and have a rubbery feel, like they spring back after you
turn a little. Only way to fix is to cut the bolt out. It happens to older cars.
pretty much any 92-95 civic or 94-96 integra will be like that.

 

damn that sucks. the same thing happend to me on my del Sol. I ended up snapping both bolts off. If I remember right the bushing was totally seized up to the bolt, and when i was pullin on the bolt I also ripped the bushing right out of the LCA. Had to get new bolts, and new LCA bushings installed

good luck

 

mine came off w/ a pipe fitted over a breaker bar, but would it be a good idea to apply some antiseize to the bolts?

 

When I changed the calipers I used a torch to heat up the mounting bolts. They came off pretty easily.

Can you do the same for that suspension bolt?

 

here in minnesota, this is almost a for sure thing everytime you do the rear suspension on an older car. Luckily my car is stored in the winters. However, I did run into this same problem. The bolt is siezed via corrosion between the inner metal sleeve of the bushing to the bolt surface. THis wouldnt come off with anything but an acetylene-oxygen torch. However I didnt have this, so I used PB, WD, MAP gas torch, everything. It was fuxored. So I removed the inner LCA bolt to the chassis, removed the hub to LCA bolt, and pull the LCA and Shock assembly out as one unit. Cut the bolt with a "wiz wheel", and then you could press out the old bushing and get a new bolt and bushing. Or, like me, just buy a new LCA, $42 from Hparts.com and bolt and just use those. Either way, youll be cutting that bolt out and working with the bushing.

 

My bolt turns a bit, but bounces back, kind of a rubbery feeling like Steve described. I'm going to try to extract the bolt with my handy craftsman extractor bit set, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Replacing the lca assembly entirely sounds pretty attractive at this point, but I'm running out of time, b/c I need to fix the car before the HPDE next weekend.

 

easiest and quickest way to deal with this:

1. take a reciprocating saw, and cut the bolt on both sides of the shock
2. remove the shock
3. remove the remaining piece of bolt from the nut, or cut off nut as well

Luckily you have new shocks right?

 

Ok, after a monumental battle and some pretty mean bolt extracting tools, I got everything disassembled. Just like Steve predicted, the bushing of both rear shocks had seized on the flange bolts. The key to breaking it apart (on both sides) proved to be breaking the welds on the nut that's attached to the front of each lca, and spinning the nut off, which then let me pound the bolt through the bushing.

Now, I have only 1 more hitch. Like I said, I broke the spot welds that hold the nut onto the rear lca where the shock attaches. Is that weld really necessary, or can I re-use the nut (with new flange bolts) without welding the nut back in place? If there's no need to weld the nut back to the lca, I can put the car back together this afternoon. What an ordeal! Thanks for everyone's help on this!

 

If the nut is not welded, I'm afraid that the bolt would back itself out as the LCA moves up and down.

 

use loctite or go replace the nuts with ones that use teflon to self lock

 

Loctite it is.