Front lower control arm bolt is seized to the inner collar. Nut is off, and it spins freely but cannot pull it out because its seized to the collar inside the bushing. What's the goto method for solving this??? I know I can't be the first person to have this issue.

 

Penetrating oil and heat but be careful the old bushing WILL ignite or source a new bolt and cut the old out.

Good luck!!!

 

sawzall goitta try to get in there not easy, there was a thread a week or two ago w some sawzalled pics

 

this wasnt the thread but you get the idea

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-107385/page2/

 

I'd try a ball joint press. You should be able to get a press sleeve on one side & a flat piece of steel on the other side (of the press) placed on top of the bolt then wrench/ratchet it out from the metal bushing housing. It should easily break away from the metal bushing housing. If you begin to suspect the LCA metal is bending, insert a deep socket (1 1/4" - ?) between the two metal flanges of the LCA to maintain rigid support. We're talking about one of the lower bolts on one of the lower LCA's correct?

 

Yes sir, lower rear on the driver side.

 

Lower rear prolly doesn’t have enough clearance from the frame. It’s rather tight in there - as in too tight to even install the bolt with the nut towards the front. It’s worth a try, though.

 

A valid point depending on which bolt & type of press. Possibility of a long crow breaker bar wedged into the area with additional wood/metal blocks/pieces used as a fulcrum to gain pressure to push it out. Ingenuity when dealing w/ these issues.

 

Sawz-All between bushing and frame, both sides, been there done that

 

Im gonna try a large C-clamp with a large socket over the head of the bolt tonight. If not I gotta run to my parents house to grab the sawzall - UGH!

 

Big air hammer if there is any space. The bigger, the better.

 

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ or cutoff wheel on grinder. Cut the bushing in half and the center section will slide out both sides with the bolt halves.

 

One more vote for the sawzall. Been there done that.

 

I think the sawzall is probably a better suggestion. Good luck.

 

make sure you get good blades for a swasall the cheap blades quickly dull and get aggravating, even the good blades it make several to get thru i generally use dewalt or Milwaukee

 

Not sure which brand blades I grabbed, but i grabbed a few. I think 5? Hopefully gonna be able to cut it out tonight, all depends on the wifeys schedule. If shes home, I cant be in the garage! Lol

 

When the wife is home the garage is the best place to be
Just be careful when you start to cut that you don't get into the frame with the blade.
Good luck

 

We just bought our first house! Been there for a week and theres a lot to do, so if I get caught workin on the car instead of the house im up ***** creek lmao

 

Ok I understand
Give it 20-30 years

 

Success! My dad owns the worst sawzall ever but I got it done.

 

haha its a poor craftsman that blames his tools!

j/k. The blades make a huge difference, even some metal is to hard to be effectively cut w a sawzall, thats when the angle grinder comes out if theres room.

i hadto replace a trailer axle i figured just sawzall the HW remove axle replace w new. Even my best sawzall blades dulled quickly, the angle grinder is louder, messier and shoots crap everywhere but it cuts thru anything (good cutoff wheels are key here too).

glad you got it done. When i reinstall stuff like this i antiseize it....hopefully youll never have to to this again, but if you do youll be glad you did.

 

Good job
now you just need to get the old bushings out of the control arms.
easiest way is use a 1/4" drill bit, drill into the bushing between the rubber and the bushing housing, the bit will work its way around the circumference of the bushing and the rubber will work its way out. then just collapse the metal and it will just pop out

 

They arent going back on the car. Someone else can deal with that headache.