wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

Im installing a new rear end and umi subframe connectors. I know those lca frame bolts are a pain in the ***. does anyone have any advice for removing them.... sawzall, grinder, torch, dynamite!!!! thanks

Apeiron

Penetrating oil, heat, and impact.

87zjeff

iTrader: (4)

i did mine without these things. i never knew bodyparts could be that sore.

DJP87Z28

Cut them off and buy new ones, waste of time trying to save them.

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

do ya think sawzall or cut off wheel... anyone know if those are hardened bolts ?

DJP87Z28

They should be grade "8" and hardened. anyone of those should do it.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

I imagine they're going to be seized in the metal sleeve in the bushing. If they aren't, then just hit it with penetrating oil and an impact gun. But if the bolt stays stuck in the housing, then you can pound on it all day long and it won't move, since the rubber bushing will take the impact.
Then use a sawzall or cutoff wheel (I like my angle grinder) and lop off the head/tail of the bolt, pry your brackets outwards a bit, and yank the control arm out. Then just drill out the rubber until the bushing falls out, and press in your new poly bushings. Or replace the arms altogether, if that's your flavor.

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

thanks everyone, Im getting a set of stock lcas ,boxing em and pressing in some poly bushings I got. Im not even going to try and pull the bolts, Ill just cut em off and not waste the time messin with em.. thanks again.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

A tip from a guy who's BTDT (been there, done that) ?
I removed my Lca's, cleaned them up, welded a strip in there to box them ($10 of material), painted them black ($5), bought the poly bushings ($55 IIRC), and pressed them in (got a shop to do that, $20).
Add that up, $90. Brand new powercoated square steel tube ones are ~$80 from lakewood, spohn, etc etc.
Think about it, it's a lot easier to just buy a real nice set then to break a sweat cleaning/ fixing them up. Now i'm kicking myself.

but hey, now mine are collecting dust in my garage, and I replaced them with home made rubber/rod end ones

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

Ive got plenty of spare carbon steal strips, lots of spray paint, a set of es poly lca bushings I bought new in box for $20 with matching panhard bar bushings, so minus the stock lcas Im going to buy for $5 and the $20 to press em in and out its free. Plus Ill take any excuse I can find to use my friends welding machine!!! . I definetly here where your coming from though Sonix

Apeiron

The bushing won't take the impact, there's no rubber between the sleeve and the frame.

slow_90firebird

When I did the UMI sfc's, I only had to remove the bolts at the body side. Not at the axle side.

They came right out with a 1/2" drive ratchet. I just had to yank on the wrench and they started backing out.

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

Wow your a lucky guy, maybe you should play the lottery.lol... Im dropping in a 10bolt with 3.45 gears and pbr brakes to replace my 2.73 aluminum drum 10 bolt so the control arms need to come off completely.

nape

iTrader: (1)

That's unlikely around Chicago. I was taking the PHB off a spare rearend last night and had to have a 3' cheater pipe on the 1/2" breaker bar for the 18mm nut and a 20mm wrench end to end with the 21mm wrench on the nut.

Even with that much leverage, I still had to fight it off after an hour soak with PB Blaster. My impact just made noise...

89transam*pearl

iTrader: (1)

I installed my SFC connectors last week (heat those suckers with a torch and hit them with the impact wrench and they come right off).

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ive never had that much trouble... The metal sleeve is bigger than the hole for the bolt. So when you hit the bolt, the rubber doesnt absorb all the impact....the control arm pocket keeps the metal sleeve from moving a whole lot. The most force I ever had to use was on a rusty IROC in a yard. I used a flat pry bar, and something behind it to pry against, and basically pushed the bolt out. Once you get the bolt moving alittle, you can get under the head of the bolt and pry out.

Just give it a try...what do you have to loose. The ones on my 86 literally just pulled out by hand. No sense in torching and cutting if you dont have to.

J.

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

hit it how.... its wedged between the frame... As far as a torch, thats not a good idea next to your fuel lines....

Apeiron

The LCA bolts are miles away from the fuel lines, there's no problem heating them up with a propane torch.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

?? The steel sleeve that the bolt is in, is inset in 1" of rubber, then it's in the frame mount, or LCA itself. When I hammer on the bolt tip, the bolt is stiffly 'rusted' to the sleeve, and the sleeve is holding the rubber bushing. The bushing is pressing up against the frame/rear end mounting ends, and just bounces.
I've been there- done that, and it sucks!

Apeiron

No it's not. If it was, the rubber would compress and the mounting ears on the frame would collapse when the bolt was tightened.

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

the rubber is not flush with the end of the metal sleeve, there is a little less than a 1/16 of an inch over hang on ech side. the sleeve still touches the ear on the frame but the vibration effect that helps to unseize metal on metal corrosion is almost totally absorbed by the bushing. Plus the bolt is so close to the frame you cant get a good swing on it... If the bolt is seized in the sleeve.... which Im sure it will be.... the easiest way to remove is cut the head and threads. I cant wait...

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

?
oh, no there isn't rubber on each side of the bolt sleeve. I mean around (circumferentially) the sleeve.
But there is some slack, such that when you hammer on the bolt the rubber takes the brunt of the hit, and you just get frustrated. I bounced a hammer on that baby for a while before cutting it off.

Apeiron

That's what a drift is for. It might be so badly rusted that you can't get it apart, but I'd exhaust my supply of brute force and ignorance before I started cutting.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Again...

Get yourself a drift or even a long screw driver.

But...another thing you can try, is wedge something under the head of the bolt. If you can get a screw driver or small pry bar under it, and get it popped loose alittle, then you can turn the bolt while prying a bit and it will come right out. Ide still try to muscle it out of there before I resorted to cutting or burning it apart...

J.

racing geek

iTrader: (5)

I'm glad to see I'm not alone! That thing really pissed me off. I was expecting it to only be an afternoon job to swap the LCA and PHB, but no, the da** thing wouldn't come loose. One came out really easy. Another I had to break off the head of the bolt and then I just used a punch to pound the rest of it out with a BFH. The third one I had to cut a little section of the pinch weld away to use the impact because the notch that was cut in it from the factory didn't line up, and the last one was a real pain. I ended up breaking the head off and using a punch. When the punch didnt work, I took a grinder to it and after much persuasion, it came out. I went through a ton of penetrant while doing this too. I just hope the new bolts I used won't ever require that much work to get out.