Rear lower control arm bolt is seized

[BJM]

I am trying to get the right rear lower control arm out. I have the front end out so the arm is hanging down. The inner sleeve is seized onto the bolt and the sleeve is spinning around in the bushing. The nut is off, I am just down to the bolt.

I thought maybe I could drill a hole in the backing plate to let me get the air hammer to drive it out, or try to chisel under the bolt head to get some purchase on it.

I am pretty well stuck here, I hate to cut the pristine arm off.

 

[sumnerw]

Can you cut/grind/drill the bolt head off? And maybe drive the bolt loose with a punch (or just pry the darn thing out of the bracket at that point)? WD40 and heat might help, too, although burning bushings tend to stink!

Buzz White in Houston, TX (sumnerw@flash.net)

 

[BJM]

I could cut off the bolt head relatively easily. Maybe that's the way to go, pushing it out toward the backing plate. I would have to cut the bolt as it came out since there isn't enough of a gap between the plate and the axle bracket.

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[GN ERGY]

Take the torch and cut off the head and the rest of the bolt sticking out of the other side and slide the arm out and then just push out the old bushing. You'll have to get a new bolt from the dealer.
Tarey D.

Anti seize everything you put back together.

 

[b4black]

I had that problem. Cutting the head didn't help. Then I drilled hole down the bolt and pounded a punch in the hole- broke the punch. Finally got out Mr Sawzall and cut thru the bolt on each side of the bushing. Not easy.

 

[d0n_3d]

i just had the SAME EXACT problem yesterday! wow what a coincidence...what i did was went out and bought a ratchet breaker bar about 16" in length...on the head side of the bolt i just kept loosening it with the ratchet until it tore through the rubber bushing inside and finally after some struggling i got it out...what a PITA! now i get to do the other side later today!

 

[BJM]

I have a breaker bar and I can turn the bolt, but the sleeve is turning too.

GN ERGY, did you actually get an arm out that way? I can get the bolt cut and the head cut off but I figure the arm would stay hung up on the nubs left in the axle bracket.

What a pain, the other arms came right out and a year ago I did the front suspension and all the bolts came out without a fight.

 

[BJM]

The bolt is out!

I got the bugger out without trashing anything! I put the air chisel under the edge of the head and it crept outward slowly as it hammered. Then I put vicegrips under the head and used a pickle fork between the vicegrips and the axle bracket to force it out.

Just glad I managed to save the arm. Why are the lower arms painted black but the uppers are not coated at all?