Oh crap... need some help.

[JakeDrummer]

I went to start putting on my new shocks today and I got to the rear drivers side shock and I go to remove the lower bolt that holds the shock on to the lower arm. Anyhow all the rest of them on the car came right off and this one I broke, the bolt snapped off. I can't find a new one anywere. I believe they call them "axle bolts" its like a 14 mm head on the bolt end and a 19mm nut. its about 3 1/2 inches long. Think this is a dealer parts depart item or do you guys have so idea were i can get one? fyi I just ran to the store and got a hardend cap bolt and stuck in there so i can drive the car, but i think i that it should be fixed right. Any help will be apreciated!

[PhiberOptik]

The dealer would be able to get you one but I would try Kragen and / or Vic hubbard first, they might be able to order you one if they don't carry it.

[JakeDrummer]

ok i got bigger problems. I went out and soaked the other side down with juice last night and it still is frozen solid today... i found out whats going on. the bolt if frozed to the steel tube in the bushing of the joint.... now i have no idea what to do to get it apart..... and broke a 14mm craftsman socket in half in the process. so that side is just as bad. I've got an idea, but its going to be fairly distructive. What i plan on doing is taking the entire back suspension off the car and getting it up on the bench were i can work on it and then cutting the shock right off the suspension and driving out the old bushing. its gonna suck though because I need a bolt and bushing this way. Think this will work? I called the honda dealer in town... one bolt costs $12 bucks and will take two weeks to get in. am I really screwing up somehow here or what? anyone have any ideas what so ever??? Know the worst part... the rest of the bolts, except the drivers side bolt, on the car come apart just fine, and theres no rust anywere, these two are just frozen. i'm just out of ideas here guys. I've tryed hammering, pulling, soaking, WD-40, JB-80, brake fluid, some frozen thread stuff... nothing works. AHHHHH

i guess for now i'm gonna be driving around with my rear end in the air since the front it dropped.

[liquidflame8]

have you tried using a breaker bar or a pipe on the end of a ratchet? that's all i needed to get all of my bolts off.

[JakeDrummer]

yeah i broke my 14mm socket in half when i tryed that.

[BullShifter]

The bolts are frozen in the bushings, even He-Man can't break them loose - it's very common on Honda's. Try www.hondaautomotiveparts.com for cheaper prices, that bolt is dealer only & it's expensive because of it's strenght, think about what it's holding.

You need to get about a cutting wheel or torch & cut the bolt off, then press out the old bushing & press in a new one.

Don't feel bad, both my rear lower control arms had frozen bolts. I replaced LCA's instead of bushings.

WD40 is worthless for rusted/frozen bolts

[JakeDrummer]

Originally Posted by jackasssi

The bolts are frozen in the bushings, even He-Man can't break them loose - it's very common on Honda's. Try www.hondaautomotiveparts.com for cheaper prices, that bolt is dealer only & it's expensive because of it's strenght, think about what it's holding.

You need to get about a cutting wheel or torch & cut the bolt off, then press out the old bushing & press in a new one.

Don't feel bad, both my rear lower control arms had frozen bolts. I replaced LCA's instead of bushings.

WD40 is worthless for rusted/frozen bolts

thanks jackasssi, man i apreciate it. I ordered a urethane bushing kit last night for the car so i'm going to be replaceing all the bushings anyhow so it'll work out in the end. thanks for your help guys.

[BullShifter]

Make sure the LCA bushings come with the metal parts, because you bolt is STUCK inside the sleeves. I know some kits don't include the metal & stock parts must be reused.

[JakeDrummer]

Originally Posted by jackasssi

Make sure the LCA bushings come with the metal parts, because you bolt is STUCK inside the sleeves. I know some kits don't include the metal & stock parts must be reused.

yeah the kit i got came with new sleeves so i'm all set. man is there anyway to push the old bushings out at home. I've been able to do some of them, but I tryed doing the LCA bushing in my vice (6") and couldn't do it, i even stuck a big bar in and still couldn't press them out. I could use a bigger bar, but my he-man self will probably just end up breaking the vice. I'm thinking either i have to track down a shop to press them out (which would cost money ) or I have to getto rig a bottle jack into some sort of frame and make a hydraulic press... i just don't know what kinda frame i will have to built to take a few tons of presure.

[BullShifter]

Originally Posted by JakeDrummer

yeah the kit i got came with new sleeves so i'm all set. man is there anyway to push the old bushings out at home. I've been able to do some of them, but I tryed doing the LCA bushing in my vice (6") and couldn't do it, i even stuck a big bar in and still couldn't press them out. I could use a bigger bar, but my he-man self will probably just end up breaking the vice. I'm thinking either i have to track down a shop to press them out (which would cost money ) or I have to getto rig a bottle jack into some sort of frame and make a hydraulic press... i just don't know what kinda frame i will have to built to take a few tons of presure.

You could rent a press like tool from an auto parts store but they aren't the best thing to use. It's like a large c-clamp with an open end tighten by impact or breaker bar. Rigging up a press with bottle jack would be a good idea. Just like the bolts are frozen in the inner sleeves, the outer sleeves are also frozen to the LCA's, etc. We use an air chisel(LOUD) to cut through the outer sleeve then use a 20 ton hydro press to get them in/out.

If you let a shop do the entire job your looking +/- 10hrs of labor. Removing all the parts & bringing into a shop w/ press would save you some money

Bushing info - http://www.suspension.com/tips.htm

[boosted k20]

wassup dude. Im having the exact same problem as you on my 97 integra. as the story goes: the two front suspesnion went in without any problems then when u get at the back suspension the whole shit goes insane. I broke TWO wrenches try n to get these bolts off and then i finally broke the head off the bolt! i was driving my car around with no head on the bolts in the rear suspension for a week and a half. One of my boys owns a shop so i went by for him to fix it for me. he had to take the entire lower control arm out in order to get that bolt off. while he was take n the Lower Control Arm off, another bolt snapped on the LCA. so he had to push out two bushings on the lower control arm. He doesnt have a press in his shop cuz he just opened the shop up 2 weeks ago. so the way he got the bushings out was heating them up with a blow torch until the rubber inside the bushing melted. he removed all the rubber from inside the bushing and then used a saw zaw to cut the casings for the bushing. (So are you confused yet?? sorry im not too good at explaining things)


the bolts seize's up really bad inside the sleeve of the bushing from all the rust. this is what sucks about redoing the suspenisons on honda's

[JakeDrummer]

Originally Posted by boosted k20

wassup dude. Im having the exact same problem as you on my 97 integra. as the story goes: the two front suspesnion went in without any problems then when u get at the back suspension the whole shit goes insane. I broke TWO wrenches try n to get these bolts off and then i finally broke the head off the bolt! i was driving my car around with no head on the bolts in the rear suspension for a week and a half. One of my boys owns a shop so i went by for him to fix it for me. he had to take the entire lower control arm out in order to get that bolt off. while he was take n the Lower Control Arm off, another bolt snapped on the LCA. so he had to push out two bushings on the lower control arm. He doesnt have a press in his shop cuz he just opened the shop up 2 weeks ago. so the way he got the bushings out was heating them up with a blow torch until the rubber inside the bushing melted. he removed all the rubber from inside the bushing and then used a saw zaw to cut the casings for the bushing. (So are you confused yet?? sorry im not too good at explaining things)


the bolts seize's up really bad inside the sleeve of the bushing from all the rust. this is what sucks about redoing the suspenisons on honda's

yup i understand exactly what your doing... I had tryed heating up one of the bushings with a torch but I couldn't get it hot enough to burn the rubber and I was worryed about weakening the LCA also, so i gave up. I'm gonna try rigging up something with my bottle jack this afternoon if I get a chance so I'll post a reply if it works. And to renting a press, i don't think that will work, I've been trying to press them out with a couple large sockets in the vice.... a 6".... and i stuck a huge rod in it finally and guess what.... POP... i blow the vice. so yup, i need juice power now. I've been calling around and no place will even touch pressing them out with a hydraulic press... they said to much work or it will cost way to much.

know what the worst part of this is, i've got my new rear shocks and springs just sitting there calling me to put them in and I can't DAAAAAA!!

[boosted k20]

so were u able to get the bushing out?

if not do what i tell u. heat that sucker up and melt the rubber from the bushing. after u heat it up, just grip the edges of the bushing with a vice grip and twist the whole control arm until the ruber part of the bush comes off. onces the rubber part comes off, ur gonna have to use a saw zaw to cut the metal casing off the bushing. the casing will still be stuck in there so ur gonna have to cut it. once u made the cuts on the metal casing, use a chisel to get the casing out. thats what worked for me. and dont worry about warping the lower control arm with the torch. it could take the heat!

[JakeDrummer]

Originally Posted by boosted k20

so were u able to get the bushing out?

if not do what i tell u. heat that sucker up and melt the rubber from the bushing. after u heat it up, just grip the edges of the bushing with a vice grip and twist the whole control arm until the ruber part of the bush comes off. onces the rubber part comes off, ur gonna have to use a saw zaw to cut the metal casing off the bushing. the casing will still be stuck in there so ur gonna have to cut it. once u made the cuts on the metal casing, use a chisel to get the casing out. thats what worked for me. and dont worry about warping the lower control arm with the torch. it could take the heat!

hey I have changed the bushings in the back end now, and i'm super happy with myself and my arm is starting to get sore from patting myself on the back. LOL.

yah thats what i ended up doing, I stuck a torch on the metal sleave inside, got that hot enough and pulled it out. Then with my sawzaw I made a couple cuts in the metal casing of the bushing and they came out with a little chiseling, cursing, hammering.

....yeah I'm not that happy with the ride.... i mean it rides GREAT... but its not stiff enough for me and my driving style.