I am having a problem removing the trailing arm bolt on the left side. I used a Sawzall and cut on each side of the bushing and got the trailing arm pulled out. Someone had been into this before because the bolt was installed with the nut on the inside. To be clear the bolt was installed from the body side of the car with the bolt going through the T/A bushing in the frame pocket and the nut on the inside frame. (left inner side/exhaust pipe side) Once the bolt was cut the head of the bolt came out of the bolt hole without any problem. (Left outer frame)

The side of the cut bolt with the nut on it will not come out of the hole. I tried tapping the bolt out by using a smaller bolt. The problem is I do not have a lot of leverage because this is inside the wheel well and the body does not allow me to get a good direct hit on the stub of the bolt.

I did reach behind the frame and was able to feel around enough that I was able to get a prybar on the nut/bolt and got a few good whacks on the side of the bolt but it isn’t budging. As I said I cut the bolt on each side of the T/A bushing, so the bolt is cut almost flush with the bolt hole. With that said there cannot be much holding this bolt. Anyone have any ideas, I cannot be the only one that has experienced this.

I don't currently have any pictures but if my description isn't good enough I will try to get pictures later this evening.

 

If you have the arm out you could do one of a few things... first I'd try a good impact hammer from inside the frame pocket. We have an industrial one that seems to work great on removing any shock bolts. The other option would be to take a torch and heat the bolt then try to drive or pry it out... and lastly... plasma cutter and just blow it out. (our small plasma cutter will fit inside the frame pocket)

Good luck... I know it's a ruff spot to be in.

Willcox

 

There really isn't enough of the bolt on the inside of the from pocket for an impact hammer to do much good. I don't have a plasma cutter or oxy/acetylene but I do have a propane torch I can try. Not sure if that would get hot enough but it is worth a try. I am thinking if I can get the bolt heated up and I get in behind the frame with my small prybar maybe a few good hit would take it out.

 

Propane torch. I just took out my trailing arms a couple weeks ago (and am in the process of putting them back in). Those bolts are a pain. Hard to imagine how the PO got the bolt to fit in backwards as (at least on my car) it is too long to fit from the outside of the car.

But definitely try heating the cut bolt up for a couple minutes with the torch and then try to get a tap on it to knock it out. BE CAREFUL with the torch around all that fiberglass and the fuel tank!

 

I am not sure how it was done either but it is definitely in backwards and the bushing was completely trashed. The passengers side the bolt was the right way and the bushing was fine.

 

You can press it out using a bolt, washer and nut. Grind the head of the bolt down to a point.

Think about it...and what you are wanting to do...and what I just suggested will work.

I also would put a wrench on the nut that is still stuck on the bolt you have stuck in the frame and see if the bolt will spin or if the nut spins and the bolt stays put..

The the bolt that is stuck will move...then when you figure out how to use what I mentioned...it will come out.

DUB

 

Not sure I will be able to get a wrench on the nut but that is great idea I will start there if that doesn't work I will move on to the bolt ground to a point with the washer and nut. I assume I would put the washer and nut on before I grind anything so I don't bugger up the threads. The setup sounds so simple it just may work. Thanks Dub I like the idea.

 

I'd still heat it...

What Dub suggested is a great idea, but the heat will make the job easier. The issue is getting the bolt/nut in place after it's heated.

You said you have a small torch so you might want to give that a try then use Dubs method the heat will help free the rust and corrosion. Since the car is an 80 there is a reinforcement on the frame that pretty much stops you from moving the nut with a wrench, but a ratchet wrench might go a long way even if it's baby steps.

Willcox

 

I'm going thru this with the passenger side bolt- which was installed correctly 50 years ago on my 68 convert and is rusted/frozen fast to the trailing arm. (I got the driver side out to replace the old shims with stainless steel and a stainless steel bolt and nut.) I want to replace the bolt and shims on the passenger side also. The nut loosens up, but the bolt will not turn. I have soaked the crap out of it several times with all of the commonly used penetrating oils and rust removers and the bolt is still stuck. I have backed the nut off partly to allow a long drift pin to seat on the end of the bolt and have beat on it with a BFH while putting torque on the bolt with a six point socket. I am reluctant to use a torch, since the gas line runs right next to the trailing arm. If I cut the bolt with a saws-all, the center piece will still be stuck in the TA and then I will have to remove the entire TA. I have tried to get my impact wrench on the bolt, but there is not enough room. Any suggestions?

 

NO...you do not have to worry about the threads due to you are grinding the HEAD of the bolt down to a decent point.

Or you can simply use some threaded rod if you want and grind one end to a point.

Thread on the nut...then install the washer. Taking that end, slide it into the hole on the other side of this area. So now the washer is touching the inside of the frame on the opposite side of where the stubborn bolt is located.

Then pull the bolt with the point that was ground on it up against the bolt you are trying to get out and begin to thread the nut up against the INSIDE area and thus will begin to provide force to push the stubborn bolt out. SO getting the length of the bolt you need or threaded rod is important. It just has to be long enough so you know it can push out that stubborn bolt and still have thread coming out of the frame on the other side to keep it straight as possible.

AND obviously,,you might need some Vise grips to hold the bolt and keep it from turning when you begin to tighten up the nut.


If your trailing arm shims are the type that are NOT slotted and will not come out. And you can which type of shim you have due to they are longer and will not fit down in the pocket like the slotted ones can. Also SLOTTED Shims have an OVAL hole in one end....while the non slotted design has a round hole in the end.

Your choices are very limited. Either use a saws-all and cut through the shims and bolt and get it all out....or torch it out.

All of the penetrating oils in the world are not going to do jack squat due to the bolt has seized to the inner collar of the trailing arm bushing.

I can say that this can open up a huge can of worms for you...only because I have encountered this several times.

As for me...due to I charge people to do this stuff. I often times am left with giving the owner the option for me to cut everything out with a torch to save TIME and replace the parts that were cut out...such as the actual railing arm itself.

Because... for me to sit on my backside with a saws-all for a long time to try to cut through a shim pack that will not come out and save a rusted up trailing arm seems pointless.

And IF I do get it out..I can replace the trailing arm bushing using the correct staking fixture tool due to having it here are work.

DUB

 

This will work Use a quality sawzall blade(s). It took me about 15 minutes per side to cut through the shims/bolt. Once cut, the shims were removed and the bolts came out easily.
Forget about penetrating oil. Total waste of time for these bolts. I actually put the old bushing/bolt into a vise and tried to turn the bolt with a wrench. It didn't budge. Just because a product states that it penetrates bolts only means that it can penetrate a bolt if there is a passage for the oil to flow. Not so on these ta bushings. Seized solid with rust in most instances.

A wrench will fit in there. Just rotate the nut/bolt head and it will fall out.

 

DUB- thanks. I have the original style shims. If I could figure how position my saw to cut the shims out without cutting the bolt, there might be enough room to put a long pry bar in and pry against the frame pocket to free up the TA from the bolt. I have leaned on the bolt with a six point socket and breaker bar to the point of breaking the bolt and it will not budge. Note that all of this trouble is to change shims to correct the toe-out of the right wheel. This might end up being my winter project to bite the bullet and just cut the #$%^&* thing out and remove the TA.

 

Trying to cut out the shims and save the bolt is a task I would NOT do becasue the owner would not want to pay me to do that.

Like 'resdoggie' mentioned...getting GOOD saws-all blades is key. I think the 'firestorm' type are rather good.

DUB

 

Sorry to say you are going to be cutting through both the shims and the bolt. Yes you will be pulling the whole trailing arm and replacing the bushing. Honestly I would take this time and replace the other shim too. As far as you know the shim could be part of your alignment problem.

 

I just got a set of stainless shims, stainless cotter pins, and new bolts for $45-. That was a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost of the entire job. Don't hesitate to cut the bolts.

If you will be doing a complete rebuild anyway, I found that cutting the brake backing plate off of the trailing arms (rotors off, of course) gave me a bit extra room to cut the bolts. I went through several cheap metal cutting blades before finding one that worked: 9" Diablo Extreme Metal Cutting blade, Carbide tipped.

 

Your explanation of this is different than what I was thinking to use the bolt and washer. Due to work I have not been able to get back to this but I will be able to this weekend.

 

Are the T/A typically rusted or is it just the bolt and bushing that are rusted/seized up. I would think it would still be cheaper to pay you to cut trough the shims and bolt to save the trailing arms especially if rotors still have the original rivets intact.
If they were going to be completely rebuilding the trailing arms then it may be worth just cutting through everything with a torch.

 

The bolt typically gets seized in way of the bushing. Cut bolt/shims, remove ta and replace with a new bushing, poly or rubber and new shims and bolt. It's not a difficult task but its a pita!

 

'80-vette'

On car that has the slotted shims... I have yet had one that I could not pull out the shims and cut ONLY the bolt.

I agree with what 'resdoggie' wrote...typically the bolt seizes in the bushing sleeve and the arms are OK . But it does depend on how much salt an abuse the arms have had put on them also.

As for worrying about if the rotors are still riveted on. For me ...that is not a concern due to in most cases the parking brakes will need service and the rivets will need to be drilled out and they do not have to be put back in due to the wheel and lug nuts will hold the rotor in place.

The choices in what direction I have to take when I am faced with issues like this often times get commanded by the situation. Wasting time on saving rusted trailing arms that are worn out is pointless and I cut it all apart as fast as I can to save them money. If the person is one who just has to keep all original parts for whatever reason....then that pay for the added time to save what they feel is important. The choice and options are always presented to them and I let them decide UNLESS it has an issue with safety. THAT is when I put my foot down and they have to do it in the manner I choose due to I am LIABLE...or they can take the car to someone else. Simple as that.

DUB

 

I got the bolt out yesterday. I was able to get it out by heating up the bolt until it was red hot then I put my prybar on the back nut/bolt and gave it a few good hits and it fell to the floor. Now I will be putting the car back together and taking it to an alignment shop.