Supruxes

iTrader: (2)

Replace your front lower control arms before this happens.

Driver side rear bushing fell out when i unbolted it.




The passenger side rear bushing has mated with the bolt, i worked on it for 4 hours trying to get it out with a bfh, prying on it, etc....didn't budge, i'll probably have to torch it out.






So what would have been a 2 hour job turned into the car sitting for at least a week on jackstands till i get the new cam bolt in and figure how to get this one out.

Maserati

iTrader: (1)

Holy crap man, that makes me want to do both with new bushings asap.

Supruxes

iTrader: (2)

I have only owned the car for about 3 months, i would have done this a loooong time ago if i was the previous owner.

Tabaka

iTrader: (8)

I'm just replacing each and every control arm this year. Hopefully the bolts come out a lot easier than those.

estomax

iTrader: (2)

i had to cut that front lower bushing with a sawzall. nothing worked, the bolt was seized into the insert.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

Yikes! I'm glad I replaced mine last year. Had to do that on my previous car too. At what point do our rear LCA's usually go out?

Supruxes

iTrader: (2)

Just bought me a sawzall today at work, going to tackle it tomorrow.


I suppose you'll get a vibration, noises, etc.

estomax

iTrader: (2)

yeah.. cam bolts are like 12-15$ from the local dealer, get those coming. i ended up losing one of my cam bolt nuts and had the car down for another 2 days waiting for that.

Are you installing poly bushings? You are going to have an issue with the center sleeve for the control arm now being cut up (that you have to reuse).

Supruxes

iTrader: (2)

I have a set of super low mileage control arms with poly's already pressed in, my old control arms are being trashed, and i already ordered the bolt/hardware from Sewell.

mattjk

iTrader: (1)

Do people loosen the bushing bolts and retighten them when they lower the car at ride height? Everyone should do this or else the bushing will twist too much from the factory setting.

estomax

iTrader: (2)

you need to only do this if you are using molded rubber bushings (ie. stock control arms). the poly bushings are free floating so it doesnt matter as they rotate to where they want to and won't bind.

mattjk

iTrader: (1)

yep, that's what I'm talking about, the stock molded bushings.

lilSCsteve

iTrader: (71)

All great comments guys, thx...I'll keep all this in mind when I began working on my suspension, etc.

steve

MDSC

iTrader: (3)

Yep been there done that, if your car is 15 years or older just start replacing all the bushings and mounts while you at it because all of them wear out and go bad.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

When the bolt seizes to the bushing, the only way to get it off without cutting with a sawzall or grinder is to get a torch and light the bushing up from the 2 sides until the bushing starts smoking pretty good (it may catch on fire a few times but you can just blow it out like a candle), so you shold have a fire extinguisher handy and keep flamable stuff away obviously. once its hot enough, it will still not seperate without putting alot of force on the bolt with a prybar, and when you get the right angle, the hot rubber will let the bolt slowly slip through it until you pry it out. an assortment of small and large prybars are helpfull, as well as a rubber mallet or hammer to help get the bolt moving initially, but realize if the rubber is not hot enough no amount of hammering will move the bolt even the tiniest amount.

If you heat the bushings enough, you should be ablet o get a good minute of prying in before you need to reheat them, cause when they cool down its impossible to get the bolt out if its siezed.

You may wonder why bother ill just cut it off, but then you have to wait for new parts and everything, if you use the heating method, it will take longer to get the bolt off, but then you don't get stuck waiting for new parts. good luck!