I am trying to remove my rear suspension, but i ran into a strange problem. As i remove the bolt that holds the strut onto the lower arm, instead of the bolt coming out... it stays in place while it turns, bending the fork on the strut which then bends the bolt. I have H&R coilovers waiting to go on but I am afraid to go any further until I have insight on what i should do. I searched and didnt find this. Any help is appreciated.

 

I ran accross that problem, my friend that happens to be a mechanic just pulled the strut down and installed the coilovers from the top of the strut. It was tought but he did it. Now I went with rear disc brakes so I got rid of that suspension.

 

Thats not an option for me... I have the full coilover setup, not sleeves.

 

If you can unbolt the LCAs from the trailing arm and from the body, get a new LCA and take the old LCA with the whole strut.

 

I'd prefer to get these bolts out... replacing those arms ($65 each) would be more money then i want to spend for this... replacing those bolts however is not. I have the ES bushing kit so I want to use the arms if I can since i will be replacing those nasty rubber bushings anyway.

Would it be possible to cut the struts off at the fork... or would I still not be able to get the bolts out? I dont need the struts, they are shot. What i am afraid of is having my car stuck on jack stands for an unknown period of time... I need my car. I just need to get these bolts out.

 

So it sounds like the bolt is just seized after all these years. Have you tried all the usual techniques to loosen it (soak it with PB-Blaster or WD-40, maybe heat it up, etc.)? Sometimes it takes soaking it awhile, but it might come undone eventually.

If that doesn't work, I guess cutting is an option. Since that bolt threads only to the nut that is welded on the one shock fork leg, it would be easier to take a cutting wheel to that area. Cutting the fork off is going to require more areas of cutting. Try to shave off the nut with the threaded portion of the bolt, then put a punch on the newly cut end of the bolt and knock it out. There may still be some rust in the LCA bushing sleeve, but it shouldn't be as bad as fighting whats in the threads.

If you ever get it out, don't forget to put some anti-seize/assembly lube on the bolts. It will help the next time you have to get these parts dissassembled.

 

So i ended up cutting the strut... it came off easy. The bolt was seized to the bushing... it was beyond help. I had soaked it in pb for a few days and even my air tools couldnt get it to budge.

So today i turned the air pressure up above what i'm supposed to for my gun and it started moving which is where the bending of the fork came in. I realized it wasnt going to break the rust in their if my impact gun at 140 psi wouldnt do it.

now I have no other choice but to replace the bushing... as the metal part came right out with the bolt...

So... how do you get a bushing out... anyone, anyone??

 

I used a press (20 ton) and an appropriately sized socket. That got the whole bushing/shell out easily in one piece, but I've got a CRX that has spent its entire life in California and it's never seen a salted road.

I tried doing this to a newer Civic of a friends that was from the North-East and the bushing wouldn't budge, the LCA started to flex/bend. So we ended up cutting/drilling/melting the rubber out. This gets the rubber and the inner sleeve out (sounds like your halfway there). Then a combination of putting in a hacksaw blade and a little Dremel work and some chiseling got the outer bushing shell out of LCA. A little PITA cause it takes some time and care since you don't want to score the LCA itself...

 

Where does one go to find these sockets for hydraulic presses? I am thinking of buying one from Harbor Freight, but see nothing about sockets.

 

Sounds like you had a hell of a time.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EL Vap133 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sounds like you had a hell of a time. </TD></TR></TABLE>

for real...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sinneD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where does one go to find these sockets for hydraulic presses? I am thinking of buying one from Harbor Freight, but see nothing about sockets.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Hes talking about just regular sockets like the sockets you would use to remove a bolt with.

Another option you could do sicne you have the complete ES bushing kit (which is what I have and in the process of putting in) is just take in your rear LCA's and your front LCA's to a shop and then just have them all pressed out.

I went to King Motorsports by me cause I was getting the Mugen trailing arm bushings for my rear disc swap and for them to press out all 10 bushings on the LCA's (3 on each in the rear 2 on each in the front) and for them to press out my old TA bushings and press in the Mugen ones it only costed me $30 bucks for them to do all of that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EL Vap133 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sounds like you had a hell of a time. </TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crxgator &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">for real... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Heh, lots of cursing that day... I probably could have gotten them out eventually, but all the flexing of the LCA was freakin my friend out, couldn't blame him though...


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vinceg99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Hes talking about just regular sockets like the sockets you would use to remove a bolt with. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Vince is right, just regular sockets. Gotta do something with all those English ones Just find one the same size as the bushing shell and place it between the ram of the press and the bushing.

Coincidentally I got the Harbor Freight press. Originally was going to get the 10 or 12 ton, but the guys at the store pulled the wrong one (20 ton) from the back room and didn't feel like digging through there again for the right one, so the Manager told them to ring it up for almost the price of the cheaper press. to laziness.

It worked great on my car, but seeing how your suspension seems to be in a similar state as my friend's car, it may be easier to take it all to a shop and let them deal with it for a nominal fee like Vince suggested. My friend ended up doing this as we were coming across too many seized up bushings.