At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Topic: At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :( (Read 5155 times) previous topic - next topic

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

September 13, 2007, 11:43:28 PM

I've been bashing, sawing, hammering, chiseling and otherwise killing myself trying to get this bolt loose. I've spent 10 hours easy on this so far. I just have to vent here as I'm dying - at 45 years old, this kind of work is brutal. Anyway, enjoy the pictures :hick:

Bash, bash, bash

Air hammer & chisel and I still can't even get the tube to open even a little. Lots of rust eater and PB Blaster taste good too when they drip down on you :(

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #1 – September 14, 2007, 12:08:31 AM

I would have unleashed the blue flamed wrench about 2 hours into the job. That S.O.B would be dead.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #2 – September 14, 2007, 12:09:58 AM

If the bolt will spin fairly freely you could put an air impact on it and spin it while holding a hacksaw blade against it. That might do the trick.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #3 – September 14, 2007, 12:34:23 AM

Would this not work?

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #4 – September 14, 2007, 12:36:27 AM

I am avoiding the flame-thrower so far as even sawing through the rubber with the sawz-all made a horrible stench - sucks when you're trapped in a pit with the smoke like I would be. The bolt is still somewhat difficult to turn, plus the other end of the bolt wants to oval out the hole as the threads dig in as it spins. I am considering possibly taking the die-grinder to it - so long as I can cut the old arm without cutting the mounting area :D

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #5 – September 14, 2007, 12:40:14 AM

Quote from: JeremyB;176176

Would this not work?

IF, and it's a big if, I could get to the bolt itself, I could cut it. The sleve is chromoly (or something similarly hard) and dulls as if it were butter the same sawz-all blades I used to cut my heavy duty wheel studs. I hit the sleeve with the air-chisel and it mushed the tip like it was butter. That is some seriously hard metal.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #6 – September 14, 2007, 08:46:24 AM

use a cut-off wheel to cut the bolt or nut off. then go to the hardware store for a grade 8 bolt and nut close to the original size.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #7 – September 14, 2007, 09:59:24 AM

I'm not sure I have enough life-force left for this. I can barely walk (sprained my knee last week fighting with this) and the tendonitis in my elbows is so bad I can barely hold the tools up. Getting the right diameter wheel up in there is proving to be quite a challenge. Even with welding gloves and goggles, I'm still getting burnt to by the flaming embers. This is the worst situation I've even been in working on cars for the past 29 years.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #8 – September 14, 2007, 10:51:46 AM

all you'll need to do is weaken the nut enough so it will break when you apply torque to it. i had to do the same thing on some rear control arms with a cross-threaded nut. i also had to do the same thing with nut on top of the strut at the camber plates.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #9 – September 14, 2007, 11:56:52 AM

I was able to grind the head of the bolt off, now I'm gonna sawz-all the bolt as I can get at it on the other end - assuming I can ever find another blade :( It's hard when your arms are all burnt up and you can't walk (I can hobble though - lol).

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #10 – September 14, 2007, 12:15:50 PM

Looks like you have a whole can of PB Blaster on there! I'm sticking to the torch idea. I do not play nice with bolts!!

Can you move the control arm all the way down so that you can chop the other side of that arm? Then you could have the control arm out of your way. Dig all the rubber off and grind the sleeve off.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #11 – September 14, 2007, 12:58:12 PM

Quote from: Cougar5.0;176246

It's hard when your arms are all burnt up and you can't walk (I can hobble though - lol).

you're preaching to the choir! i installed my 4r70w by myself 2 days ago, and i had to pull the 5-speed out of my '99 1/2 ton dodge(DD) by myself. and just now, i finally chesiled out the pilot bearing. im taking a ****ing break!

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #12 – September 14, 2007, 01:06:48 PM

I agree. Take a cut-off wheel and cut the LCA off to give yourself more space.

The brute force method would involve grinding it to bits. I'd wear a HEPA filtered mask for that.
Slightly less brute force is taking a carbide cutting bit to slice through the assembly.
If you can get good access to the sleeve, I'd give it another go with the sawzall. You need the correct blade! I'm not sure if a std. metal cutting blade or a tungsten carbide blade would be better. I'd lean towards the carbide. What kind of blade was used originally?

I try to out-tool the problem instead of out-muscle it. I'm too weak to do otherwise!

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #13 – September 14, 2007, 01:35:21 PM

Quote

You need the correct blade! I'm not sure if a std. metal cutting blade or a tungsten carbide blade would be better

Use a blade for black pipe: http://www.midwayrentalsandsales.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29_157&products_id=2079&zenid=b83ab5199fd7f03ec3bcab46b33fb0cd

Be careful with it though. The black pipe blades will break rather than bend like a bi-metal blade.

At wits end - A-Arm bolt will NOT budge :(

Reply #14 – September 14, 2007, 02:28:34 PM

OK, I ground off the head with my angle grinder and sawz-alled the bolt on the opposite side as I was able to separate it from the mount just a bit after slamming it with that sledge so many times. Old and new are on the ground. I am taking pictures so I will post those on the other post later. Thanks for all the suggestions people!!! Days like today is when I need some moral support - even if it is just the internet folks!!

:D

Time to go snag some new hardware. How come CHE & Chuck provide hardware, but Ford doesn't?? Oh, well - for $150 I shouldn't complain - they are $300+ today!!