I went to put on my new OEM rear LCA's a few weeks ago and the LCA to trailing arm bolt is rusted in place. I let it sit with PB Blaster and also tried applying a little heat, but neither worked. My impact wrench is pretty strong, so I'm afraid of breaking the head off if I keep going at it.

Does anyone have any tips for getting that bolt out? I have spare bolts, but I don't think I have room to cut it out.

 

I had the same issue when I had to pull a rear trailing arm from the junkyard (someone sold me a disk swap with a bent trailing arm). i ended taking the lower control arm with it. got home and cut the bolt in two places. basically through the steel spacer in the lca so that i could get that out. then I believe I used some heat on the end of the bolt stuck in the nut, and then grabbed it with some hefty vice grips and it came out.

Good luck!

 

Thanks! I suppose if I get the rear of the car up high enough, I may be able to get the sawzall in there at an angle that won't hit on something else.

 

Me and my friend had to release the trailing arm down to get a hacksaw in that angle remember when you start cutting use some oil to help cool the blade and you can cut faster.

 

quick bursts with the impact.

If you do snap them they aren't too hard to fix.

 

just cut it out, especially if you already have replaenent parts.

 

Why ruin the bolts and nuts if you don't have to?

That's just stupid.

 

Because I tried the impact, penetrating oil and heat without success.

Thanks for all of the tips guys. I'll try to tackle it again as soon as my other projects are wrapped up.

 

cause they are pretty expensive.

 

Anyone try loctite freeze & release yet?

 

I've never even heard of it. Sounds interesting.

 

It's pretty new I believe. I saw it reviewed in a couple of car mags and in an engineering journal. Haven't used it but it seems like it might be the ticket for this. I've only ever experienced on of these bolts before, cars rust from the top down in Florida, not the bottom up like some of you northern guys.

 

Man, that would be so nice. Every time I do something, I have a seized bolt, or a broken bolt or... You get the idea. Current car is a '99 Civic HB, and this is one of the worst.

LCA to trailing arm: lots of heat on the bolt only, give it a hard hit with a hammer - it might shock it loose from the sleeve. Hot then let it cool numerous times.

Also, one of the best penetrating oils I have found is a Wurth product - Rost-off. I will set some of that Loctite product when I see it on the shelf.

The last one of these that I had to do, I had to burn the bolt/sleeve out from the end of the LCA. It still had the threads locked up, so I had to burn that "nut" off of the trailing arm, and use a nut and bolt to hold that together.

 

I am definetly going to look it up.

Fortunetly it's not too bad here. I haven't had to deal with any rusted bolts.


I feel bad for the north east and canada guys.

 

on my personal car i had to cut the nut off the trailing arm, then cut the head off the bolt and bend the trailing arm so it could slip off the arm.

then took an over night soaking in liquid wrench and a hydraulic press to push the center of the bolt out of the bushing.