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Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge! 

 

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 Post subject: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:56 pm 
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I am putting new front shocks and springs in my EF. All was going fine untill I went to remove the lower left front shock mounting bolt that connects through the lower control arm. The nut comes off easy, but the bolt wont slide out. I have tried a breaker bar and it only twists one end meaning if I keep going it will shear the end off the bolt. I would have thought the bolt would easily come out with a tap of the hammer at most. Has anyone else had this crisis and how did you get the bolt out!

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:09 pm 
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You might need the help of a jack, put a little pressure on the control arm, then the bolt should come out.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:13 pm 
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thanks mate, ill give it a go.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:03 pm 
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ha no luck. the thing is stuck there & just won't budge. I don't want to have to get the grinder out if I can avoid it.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:47 pm 
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Have you compressed the spring?

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:25 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
Have you compressed the spring?

Compressing the spring won't help one bit, as toranaguy said use a jack to slightly jack up the lower control arm to take pressure of the bolt then tap the bolt out with a hammer, if the bolt won't budge spray it with some wd40 and come back and attack it later.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:26 pm 
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Spray a crap load of WD40 etc up into where the bolt goes through the bush in the control arm.
If you can snap the head of that bolt turning it with a breaker bar remind me to never upset you as you are the Hulk.
Put the nut back on a couple of threads to protect the bolt once the WD has soaked and start flogging it with a hammer.
Belt it a few times and then turn it. Repeat.
Eventually it will come out , it sounds like it is bound in the bush with corrosion and mud.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:41 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
Have you compressed the spring?

Compressing the spring won't help one bit, as toranaguy said use a jack to slightly jack up the lower control arm to take pressure of the bolt then tap the bolt out with a hammer, if the bolt won't budge spray it with some wd40 and come back and attack it later.
Well this method is compressing the spring as well ??? I think you'll find the lower suspension unit bracket is loading on the bolt - from memory the bolt has a step near the hex head. The new units I've got always had new bolts with them. I think from memory I undid the upper wishbone bolts, pulled them out, loosened the swaybar upper link and loosened the radius rod bolt, with a jack under the lower arm, just lowered it to take tension off. With the upper wishbone free it can fall forward giving you room to swap suspension units.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:52 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
Have you compressed the spring?

Compressing the spring won't help one bit, as toranaguy said use a jack to slightly jack up the lower control arm to take pressure of the bolt then tap the bolt out with a hammer, if the bolt won't budge spray it with some wd40 and come back and attack it later.
Well this method is compressing the spring as well ??? I think you'll find the lower suspension unit bracket is loading on the bolt - from memory the bolt has a step near the hex head. The new units I've got always had new bolts with them. I think from memory I undid the upper wishbone bolts, pulled them out, loosened the swaybar upper link and loosened the radius rod bolt, with a jack under the lower arm, just lowered it to take tension off. With the upper wishbone free it can fall forward giving you room to swap suspension units.

correction snap, doing it the way i said does not compress the spring in pushes the conrol arm up into the u shape mounting braket ever so slightly so the bolt is centered between the holes in the mount and will allow the bolt to come out easily if it is not clogged with dirt and rust, and that is the reason i grease the bolt so it will help avoid rust and causing the bolt to stick later on.

compressing the springs is an absolute pain with the strut still mounted and i have never seen a mechanic compress a spring to allow easy removal of the lower mount bolt.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:01 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
{USERNAME} wrote:
Have you compressed the spring?

Compressing the spring won't help one bit, as toranaguy said use a jack to slightly jack up the lower control arm to take pressure of the bolt then tap the bolt out with a hammer, if the bolt won't budge spray it with some wd40 and come back and attack it later.
Well this method is compressing the spring as well ??? I think you'll find the lower suspension unit bracket is loading on the bolt - from memory the bolt has a step near the hex head. The new units I've got always had new bolts with them. I think from memory I undid the upper wishbone bolts, pulled them out, loosened the swaybar upper link and loosened the radius rod bolt, with a jack under the lower arm, just lowered it to take tension off. With the upper wishbone free it can fall forward giving you room to swap suspension units.

correction snap, doing it the way i said does not compress the spring in pushes the conrol arm up into the u shape mounting braket ever so slightly so the bolt is centered between the holes in the mount and will allow the bolt to come out easily if it is not clogged with dirt and rust, and that is the reason i grease the bolt so it will help avoid rust and causing the bolt to stick later on.

compressing the springs is an absolute pain with the strut still mounted and i have never seen a mechanic compress a spring to allow easy removal of the lower mount bolt.



100% correct.
Doing it this way takes all the loading off the bolt from all angles.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:14 pm 
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Thing is though, all this works if the suspension unit is fully extended already - I think you'll find with the swaybar and radius rod done up normally, this doesn't happen, so if you raise the lower arm, you are in effect compressing the spring.
The OP doesn't mention what state of dismantle his suspension is at, but as we are all pointing to, take the tension off the bolt, and it will come out.
I can't say I've had major problems or seizing with that bolt, but sometimes you do need to tap them out with reasonable force - the head is tapered, so thread damage from mushrooming shouldn't really be an issue, but of course if you butcher it that bad . . . . .

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:13 pm 
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thanks for all the help guys. I have wasted a day of my life trying to get the bolt out and it still won't move. I have jut re-assembled it all - I need the car for work tomorrow. I was using a sledge hammer in the end & still wouldn't move. The car looks demented as I have done the rear shocks/springs and the front it sky high stsndard shocks/springs.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Front suspension lower skock bolt wont budge!
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:12 pm 
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