stuck upper control arm bolt 1973 Dart SUCCESS !

[Tom Boehm]

I need to remove the upper control arm to change the bushing. The nut came off  without trouble. The bolt is rusted to the inside sleeve of the bushing and will not slide out. Not enough room to swing a hammer. These are special bolts of hardened steel with an eccentric washer on it to adjust the alignment. I know I can cut the bolt with a reciprocating saw or a cutting torch etc. Any method to cut the bolt seems like it would be very destructive to everything around it. I'm not sure heat or penetrating oil would get inside the bushing where it needs to be. Suggestions?

Edited April 7, 2022 by Tom Boehm (see edit history)

[NailheadBob]

I would use a mini-ductor venom hp , it is pistol grip handle and the heat coils are very bendable and must fit snugly on the head of the bolt,  and may only heat up for 1 minute or so, only heats up the bolt, wont get anything hot around it.

 

hope this helps

 

Bob

[Tom Boehm]

I did not know such a thing existed. I'm sure that would work. The problem is it is really expensive. $670! Can these be rented or borrowed? 

[Ronnie]

Have you got room to get an air chisel in there with a hammer bit in it? If so that might drive the bolt out.

 

 

[Dan Cluley]

It's been a decade since I had to fight with one of those so I don't remember what works for sure, but here's a few thoughts.

 

Short piece of pipe or something against the nut and angled out away from the inner fender so you can hit the other end with a hammer.

 

Can you get a chisel or other wedge in between the eccentric and the frame bracket on the bolt head end and drive that in to pry the bolt out.

 

 

I assume the rubber is shot so turning the bolt just spins the inner shell of the bushing?

 

Dremel tool and a bunch of cutoff wheels would probably go through the bushing without damaging the control arm.

 

[NailheadBob]

10 hours ago, Tom Boehm said:

I did not know such a thing existed. I'm sure that would work. The problem is it is really expensive. $670! Can these be rented or borrowed? 

Try a tool/equipment rental store or Home Depot tool/equipment rental.

 

also try using a air operated cut off tool with a flex head and on an angle cut a slot through the bushing and sleeve BUT not all the way through the sleeve so you do not damage the bolt and then use a air hammer and hit trigger on air hammer the slit you just cut with a quick trigger to pop the slit open, you may have to do this several times.

 

Bob 

[joe_padavano]

Applying enough heat to break the rust free will ignite the rubber bushing. Hilarity ensues.

 

The fact that the bolt is rusted to the sleeve means that the bolt is pitted and requires replacement anyway. Bite the bullet, cut the bolt, and find a replacement.

[Pete O]

Does the head of the bolt turn?   If you can get it to turn, it's not completely stuck.    Maybe get is spinning with an impact wrench, and tap the other end while it's spinning?

[dalef62]

Vibration is your friend.  Get a air hammer and hammer on the bolt head.

[Frank DuVal]

1 hour ago, Pete O said:

  If you can get it to turn, it's not completely stuck

It is stuck to the inner sleeve which is now turning. Sleeve will not slide out through the holes.

[joe_padavano]

8 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

It is stuck to the inner sleeve which is now turning. Sleeve will not slide out through the holes.

Beat me to it. On more that one occasion I've had exactly that situation. The joys of rust-belt cars. 😲

[avgwarhawk]

Torch. Fire extinguisher. Fan to blow away the burning rubber smoke.  Once that rubber is out of the way heat can be applied to the inner sleeve.  That is how I handled it many moons ago.

   

Edited April 6, 2022 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[Tom Boehm]

Thanks for all the responses. I got the bolt out!   I used a reciprocating saw with a carbide blade to carefully cut the outer shell of the bushing. I also used a Dremel tool with a carbide bit to cut and peel back the outer shell and expose the inner sleeve. I used a propane torch to get rid of the rubber. I grabbed the inner sleeve with a vise grip and turned the bolt with a socket wrench. This broke the rust free and I was able to tap out the bolt. I did not have to cut the bolt and this was a lot less destructive that other methods. The paint around the bracket got singed a little. I tried heat with a torch before opening up the outer shell and that did not work. I had to hold the inner sleeve from turning. 

[Andy J]

Good job Tom! I always hate it when things like this happen. When it does,I like the challenge of getting a bolt out,especially without creating more damage.I know a lot of tricks,but a lot of folks here know many different methods to get things apart.

[joe_padavano]

Congrats! One of the reasons I work on cars is the "instant" gratification. Well, compared to the 10 year programs I support in my day job, it's instant! 😁

[avgwarhawk]

When all else fails.. torch. Glad she is out!

[Oldtech]

Yea Yea!

[NailheadBob]

Nice job Tom, I always love the feeling of accomplishment after a project that was a challenge but in the end I completed it.

 

While I was working in a new car dealer, the owner of the dealership had a friend that had a 1974 Dodge Dart, 1 front tire was almost wore out, we replaced 2 tires and sent the car to the alignment shop and they called and said they could not get  the alignment in factory specs, we then sent car to a frame shop. The frame shop said the right front side unibody had a crack in it and would shift the control arm, and needed to be repaired and welded for the sum of $500.00 we ok'd it and they also did the alignment. Six months later the customer called and said right front tire was worn very bad. We took car back to the frame shop and they discovered the same problem on the left front side and would cost another $500.00 and we had it done and replaced another tire. Four months later the customer called and said right front tire was worn very bad? I called the frame shop and they said possibly may have similar problem in the rear of the car? The day before it was to go back to the frame shop the car was hit in the right rear ( put the right rear corner of car almost up to the back window) while parked in front of the customers house, the insurance company totaled the car, and we never did find out what was really wrong causing one tire to wear so bad.