Lower control arm removal help!

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Feb 19, 2012 | 07:11 PM

harveyhalabookie

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 161

Likes: 1

From: Edison NJ

Lower control arm removal help!

Ok, my brother came over today so we could begin removing all brakes and suspension for my rebuild. We came to a sticking point though, with the lower control arms. We removed the two forward bolts and threaded plate that hold the lower control arm shaft to the frame. We also removed the large nut at the rear of the shaft that is secured to a bolt that passes down through the frame. The arm will not come off. It is stuck to the rear bolt. We tried using pry bars, but befoe we break anything I wante dto ask the forum! Does the bolt thread through the hole at the back of the control arm shaft or is it just stuck? Anyone know the best way to get it off? Thanks in advance!

Feb 19, 2012 | 07:21 PM

TimAT

Le Mans Master

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 7,123

Likes: 433

From: Gladstone MO

C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019

It's just stuck. Most likely the bolt is rusty where it passes thru the shaft. soak it with your favorite stuff.

Feb 19, 2012 | 07:24 PM

Frankenvette

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 1999

Posts: 3,030

Likes: 17

From: White Pine / Dandridge TN

I just re-installed my a-arms. The large bolt that mounts the lower a-arm, opposite the two bolts on the other end, is bolted to a lock nut. Other than that it does not thread into the a-arm itself. I had a bitch of a time getting this nut loosened. I understand you already have the nut off. Bolt should drop right. A trick I used for freeing up stuck stuff was to heat up a bolt with a propane torch and then hold a cheap candle to it. The parafin wicked up the bolt thread and acted as a lubricant. I did this after soaking bolts in PB Blaster and using copious amounts of heat. Nothing would free some of the stuck stuff except the wax.

Feb 19, 2012 | 07:33 PM

harveyhalabookie

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 161

Likes: 1

From: Edison NJ

Thanks for the fast responses! I will douse it in some PB Blaster now and tackle it again tomorrow.

Feb 19, 2012 | 10:31 PM

wheatpj

Racer

Joined: Jun 2009

Posts: 409

Likes: 3

From: St. James, NC

I ran into the same problem too during the disassembly of my front suspension. The last bolt that attaches the lower A-arm shank wouldn’t come off for anything (both sides of the car). I worked on them for something like a week, pounding away with an impact wrench, air hammer, and quarts of PB Blaster. After I finally got them off, I figured out that I wasn’t helping my cause any by letting the weight of the A-arm hang on the bolt I was trying to remove. Support the A-arm so that the load if any is vertical, straight up and down. If the A-arm is hanging there with one bolt through the shank, it will throw horizontal load on the bolt making it more difficult to remove. Also, if the bolts are like the ones on my 71, they thread through the shank. I have seen videos where the mechanic removes the large nut and pushes the bolt up through the shank. However, that just wasn’t the case with my car…it was threaded through the shank. You will need a BF impact wrench, extension, universal drive, and maybe removal of some engine accessories to get a clean shot at the bolt.

Good luck. I have some posts on the subject on the forum. I share your pain.

Feb 20, 2012 | 06:49 AM

JimT

Burning Brakes

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 893

Likes: 7

From: Orange Park Florida

Mine was the same way. The rear bolt was rusted tight in the shaft. I used a little penetrating oil, then a long socket extension with a cheater bar and twisted it back and forth until it broke loose. You can't break the bolt, just give it a lot of torque.

Feb 20, 2012 | 10:38 AM

luerja

Melting Slicks

Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 2,101

Likes: 3

From: Cruising somewhere in St. Louis, Missouri

I just did this last night, i used a inexpensive breaker br from harbor frieght.
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-driv...bar-67933.html

Feb 20, 2012 | 08:49 PM

harveyhalabookie

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 161

Likes: 1

From: Edison NJ

Thanks for all the advice! I got it off after about an hour and a half this morning. Started with breaker bar, then impact wrench, alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise. Then I used a pry bar for a while in between the frame and control arm shaft, then an impact hammer on bottom of bolt, then back to breaker bar and eventually she broke loose! The other side came off in about 5 minutes with just a bit of elbow grease.