Lowering bolt frozen. Tried everything
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 295
Likes: 11
From: Charlotte NC
Lowering bolt frozen. Tried everything
I wanted to raise height just grinding too many driveway’s
The top 10mm is stripped off I have jack underneath leaf and a good 1/8” clearance. PJ Blaster for 2 days now. Tried heat on bolt then hit it with PJ. I have 2 M14x2 bolts on there locked as tight as I can won’t budge. Other side took 15 minutes. Don’t want to mess up the leaf either.
The top 10mm is stripped off I have jack underneath leaf and a good 1/8” clearance. PJ Blaster for 2 days now. Tried heat on bolt then hit it with PJ. I have 2 M14x2 bolts on there locked as tight as I can won’t budge. Other side took 15 minutes. Don’t want to mess up the leaf either.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,696
Likes: 493
From: Potomac MD
When I did mine the rubber end parts were done and I had new ride bolt/bushings that I was installing so I was not worried about the old rubber end. I think I used some plyers on the rubber end which was gone and was just a metal "T". I know why they use the 10mm to get out the 14mm hole when replacing the units but certainly I could see it stripping easy. The area is very dirty and the threads get a lot of gunk in them. I think on mine ended up putting a rubber cap on threads to help keep them clean. Can you grab a vice grip on the bottom just above the rubber as the threads you are not using as you are raising the car up.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,439
Likes: 920
From: CONCORD NC
It sounds like you have done all of the right things. Ive seen the heads stripped as you say, also seen the threads in the spring stripped. Might need to pull the LCA or the spring itself (big job if you haven't done it before).
I'm in Concord
I'm in Concord
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 94
Likes: 20
From: Colorado Springs CO
Enough heat to free it will melt the epoxy holding the insert in, good news though, just clean it up and epoxy it back in.
I had to weld a nut onto it to get enough heat to free it, then just pulled it out of the leaf spring and put it in the vise, turned out easy.
Removing the upper control arm on both sides gave me enough clearance, (I think, it was a while ago)
I had to weld a nut onto it to get enough heat to free it, then just pulled it out of the leaf spring and put it in the vise, turned out easy.
Removing the upper control arm on both sides gave me enough clearance, (I think, it was a while ago)
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,439
Likes: 920
From: CONCORD NC
some large channel locks on the body of the adjuster might help. Again, might require dropping the control arm or the spring for access.
You could always shim the adjuster for height instea of turning it.....a piece of hard rubber or aluminum/delrin between the adjuster and control arm on that side
You could always shim the adjuster for height instea of turning it.....a piece of hard rubber or aluminum/delrin between the adjuster and control arm on that side
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 295
Likes: 11
From: Charlotte NC
I have also thought of this: "You could always shim the adjuster for height instead of turning it.....a piece of hard rubber or aluminum/Delrin between the adjuster and control arm on that side."
I'm just taking it slow. If it doesn't budge, I spray some more PB Blaster and let it soak for another day. This is a good excuse for getting a TIG welder and welding a nut on the top. This is my 5th vette, and I've adjusted these, and it shouldn't be so hard.
I'm just taking it slow. If it doesn't budge, I spray some more PB Blaster and let it soak for another day. This is a good excuse for getting a TIG welder and welding a nut on the top. This is my 5th vette, and I've adjusted these, and it shouldn't be so hard.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 295
Likes: 11
From: Charlotte NC
Well, of course, I went out after posting, and it finally moved! Once it moved, it moved quickly.
My method;
My method;
- Car on Race Ramps
- Driver's side: The passenger tire is on the ramp, the driver's side jack stand is under the frame, the tire is off, and the jack and a block of wood to raise the front leaf, not the control arm.
- PB Blaster soak
- Use a 10mm 6pt wrench on ride height bolts, which raises the ride. This takes maybe 10 min.'
- Passenger side: The driver's tire is on the ramp, the passenger side jack stand is under the frame, the tire is off, and the jack and a block of wood raise the front leaf, not the control arm.
- PB Blaster soak
- Use a 10mm 6pt wrench on ride height bolts, which raises the ride. The head was pretty bad to start with and eventually stripped
- Remove shock bolts
- I tried vise grips, anything to get in there
- PB Blaster soak
- 2x m14-20 jam nuts locked against each other on the ride height bolt. Tractor Supply had the nuts. Lowes, Home Depot, and auto parts won't carry them
- PB Blaster soak
- Re-do the jam nuts using Red loctite on jam nuts
- After an hour, Loctite didn't hold
- 1 day didn't hold
- 2nd day(today), it started moving miraculously.
- Torch to heat the Jam nut to loosen the Loctite
- Mentioned to the CFO that we needed a welder so I could weld a nut on.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,270
Likes: 561
From: Macedonia Ohio
My car also rubs every time I back out of my driveway. So, this post is very interesting to me.
A couple of questions:
1) what is the final ride height?
2) Do you need an alignment after adjusting the rh.
A couple of questions:
1) what is the final ride height?
2) Do you need an alignment after adjusting the rh.
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Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,229
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
My passenger side air dam dragged every time I backed out of my driveway, but not going in, I adjusted my, new to me, '09 vert to stock height. A previous owner had lowered it about 1" in the front. Or, maybe it just settled. It still dragged, so I cut about a 1/2" off from the bottom with tin snips. Works well and is hard to tell from just looking at it.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,439
Likes: 920
From: CONCORD NC
you should re-set the toe after this type of adjustment. It's easy to do yourself with a little practice.
Glad you got it to move. I would have removed it before welding in that confined space.
Glad you got it to move. I would have removed it before welding in that confined space.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 723
Likes: 71
From: Kannapolis NC
@davidfarmer I’m in the same boat. I’m in Kannapolis. In order to get the bolt out, you spin the bolt clockwise looking down at it, correct? I’ve stripped one and can’t get the other to break loose. I had the thought, am I spinning this the right way?
Mine was already adjusted as low as possible. So I have a good amount of bolt sticking up. I was thinking about trying to jam 2 nuts together to try and get the bolt to spin. Is it a m14-2.0 bolt? I think it is, but not sure.
Any help is appreciated.
Mine was already adjusted as low as possible. So I have a good amount of bolt sticking up. I was thinking about trying to jam 2 nuts together to try and get the bolt to spin. Is it a m14-2.0 bolt? I think it is, but not sure.
Any help is appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,439
Likes: 920
From: CONCORD NC
Yes it’s normal thread direction. I assume you’ve soaked it in PB Blaster etc, and unloaded the arm while trying to turn it?
let me know if you want to come by sometime and look at it together
let me know if you want to come by sometime and look at it together
Pro
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 723
Likes: 71
From: Kannapolis NC
Yesterday was day 1 soaking. Going to try to get to Fastenal to get some m14 hardware today. Hoping the PB will soak in. I did put a jack under it and took the pressure off. It doesn't look like there will be enough room to get the bolt out, but we will see after I get it to break free (if I get it to break free).
