maybe some advice.
Vehicle is a '68 Cutlass Convertible. Front suspension is all done and I have moved on to the rear and am battling the control arms in the removal process. Rounded bolts etc. I managed to get one of the bolt heads cut off and smooth with the mount in hopes of being able to pound the bolt out. But ( always a but!!!) what I have run in to is the bolt, courtesy of 44 years of rust and corrioson, and the metal sleeve inside the old bushing have become one making it impossible to push the bolt out, let alone get a bolt or nut to break loose. Today I will try removing the brake backing plate and see if that will give me enough room to smack on the other end of the bolt in hopes of knocking it out.This is a body on chassis rebuild so there is not much room under there to work. I am dreading the upper arms....any input is appreciated!!!!

 

Do you own a air hammer? If you do it will work great in this situation.

 

no air hammer.....please tell me more, maybe I could rent one.....

 

Think of a hand held jack hammer.

In a tight spot you don't have to swing to use it. It would be like takeing a drill and pushing the bit one what you want moved and pull the trigger. Rapid hammering it concentrated right where you want it.

 

If you alreay have a compressor or can borrow one, Harbor Freight has lots of cheap air tools for those "one-time" jobs. Just don't expect Snap-on (or even Craftsman) quality...
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-too...els-47868.html

 

Most of the time I would agree on that but not on an air hammer. Does not have to be Snap On (I have a IR thats lasted years) but the HF one I had broke in 1/2 when only a few days old. Junk Junk Junk

 

So is the idea to use this to push the bolt through ( ie: from one side to the other and then "out") the frame bracket and control arm? Does it also mean I would need to be able to cut all the bolt heads off? No compressor but am going to go check some out at Menards.....

 

Yes you will have to get the nuts off some way when push the bolts through.

 

You can't take a sawzall with a metal cutting blade and cut the bolt between the arm and bracket on each side of the control arm?

 

I had this problem on a Nissan Pathfinder. I bought a Harbor Freight air hammer, and it broke within a few minutes! In the end I used a sawzall to cut through the bolts. It took all day, and several blades.

 

Yeah, when I did this thirty years ago, I spent the better part of a day under the car with the air hammer pounding those eight bolts out. They were all fused to the sleeves.
I would recommend frequent application of Kroil (or a similar top-quality penetrating oil) while hammering, as this should speed the breakage of the rust bonds.

I agree, though, that a SawzAll is probably the best idea - just buy a lot of blades and settle in for a long day.

- Eric

 

That's how I did mine with a hand held hacksaw...it does take some time...I now own a sawzall but don't need it the problem with an air hammer is if the bolt is seized into the sleeve, the rubber of the bushing absorbs the force of the hammer...

 

So I went and bought a compressor, hammer etc......pretty much in-effective. Looks like I will need a sawzall too. Sure was easier on my other Cutlass with the body off the frame!

 

Trouble with the swazall is you need to cut in between the arm and bushing and usually end up trying to cut thru the hardened metal sleeve..... takes forever but works.