Front Lower Control Arm Bolt..... Seized to inner part of bushing

[70z4fun]

So, doing my struts on my series 1  car, and figured I would replace the lower control arm bushings, ball joints, etc.......

Everything seem to be going well until I tried to take off the passenger side control arm bolt. The nut came right off, but the bolt is seized to the inner part of the bushing. I have pounded on it with the nut on it, soaked it, air impact wrench forward and backward, for the past couple of days. Thinking I might need to get the sawmill out..... 

Any  other suggestions? I have replacement bolts, not sure I want to use a torch  on it.  

I can move the control arm up and down, and the head of the bolt moves with the control arm.

Anyone else had this problem?  Any advice is appreciated

[EuroDat]

Sounds like the bolt has rusted solid to the inner sleeve. They generally do, but your case is extreme.

Reading your post, sounds like you have tried most things possible. Heat could help release it, but you can't get enough heat into the sleeve section. It will just dissipate into the control arm and burn the rubber in the process. I think your bolt is a gonna.

You have a new bolt and rubber bush. I think your best option is cut through the bolt and sleeve on both sides of the control arm with a saw.

Once it is out, heat the control arm and remove the rubber section with the remaing inner sleeve and bolt.

Tip: I see a lot of people litterally burn out the rubber section. This creates a lot of toxic fumes and smoke. I heat the outside section until the heat penetrates through to the rubber and the rubber release. Grab the bushing with a pair of pliers or vice grips and keep trying to turn the bush while heating the outside. When it's hot enough it will release and slide out with a minimum of smoke and fumes. You can then push out or cut through the outer sleeve.

[grannyknot]

Have you tried using more leverage?  With the wheel off place a block of wood under the ball joint, get the socket on the bolt head and an extension pipe over the breaker bar, 4-5 ft. should be enough to crack it.

[Captain Obvious]

I don't think it's a leverage issue. The bolt head moves, it just turns the inner bushing sleeve along with it.

In other words, when you put the wrench on it and turn the bolt head, it'll move easy, but then spring back because you're rotating the inner bushing sleeve inside the control arm bushing. You're just torqueing up the rubber in the bushing.

I think if you put the breaker bar on it and just kept spinning and spinning it, all you would do is shear the vulcanized rubber joint and separate the inner tube from the outer tube. Still wouldn't help get the bolt out of the inner tube.

Ideas on solutions? If there is enough room to get in there with the recip saw (without hitting the frame member or the control arms) and cut it off at the sides.

Or if there isn't enough room, cut the head and threaded stub off and spread the frame member a little to give you clearance to pry the remainder out

Or if you can't spread the frame enough, drill shallow holes into the bolt shank until you have opened it up to the point where there's no metal left and it should fall out.

[Captain Obvious]

Failing all else.... Destroy the control arms to save the frame. Control arms are replaceable.

[Zed Head]

7 hours ago, EuroDat said:

You have a new bolt and rubber bush. I think your best option is cut through the bolt and sleeve on both sides of the control arm with a saw.

Once it is out, heat the control arm and remove the rubber section with the remaing inner sleeve and bolt.

Tip: I see a lot of people litterally burn out the rubber section. This creates a lot of toxic fumes and smoke. I heat the outside section until the heat penetrates through to the rubber and the rubber release. Grab the bushing with a pair of pliers or vice grips and keep trying to turn the bush while heating the outside. When it's hot enough it will release and slide out with a minimum of smoke and fumes. You can then push out or cut through the outer sleeve.

This should work.  A Sawzall with a metal blade should cut through the sleeves and bolt in a minute.  If you set the bushing up in a vice with some preload the heating method works really well.  It will move as soon as the bond breaks, so you get minimum smoky rubber vapors.

My spindle in was seized to the inner sleeve in the back.  Took a while to realize it.  It happens.

[70z4fun]

Ok,

Got one of those Diablo blades for the sawzal, and it was off in 10 minutes. I spent way to much time hammering and soaking..... Thanks for the advice. Now I can proceed.......