Seized bushing bolt: tools/methods recommendation please

[visionguru]

I needed to do the struts on my Honda Accord. The strut fork bushing bolt is seized solid inside the bushing metal sleeve. The nut was easily removed.



The bolt is supposed to slide out with a tap. I have tried a 3lb hammer, tried to spin it with impact gun, and even hooked a C-clamp ball joint press and cranked it with a 24in break bar. There is absolute no movement from the bolt.

Luckily, I was able to remove other bolts easily. Basically, I can take the whole assembly off, like in the following picture (from an ebay seller):

If I do this, I need to cut the bolt to free the fork, and then replace the bushing and bolt. There is at least 1/4" of space between the fort and the control arm, which seems a good candidate for some kind of saw.


What do you think is the best to cut the bolt? Sawzall or grinder? Can a manual hacksaw work? The bolt is 10mm in diameter.


Thanks for you help!

 

[Packard V8]

Is there a reason the hot wrench can't be used?

jack vines

 

[plinker]

Usually a torch will free up that kind of problem (along with a new bushing). It can be easier to futz with having the arm off.

A cut off wheel or sawzall will do it, just have to be careful not to cut into anything else.
A hacksaw would work, takes a while though, cutting oil helps.

 

[fasteddie]

If it's a replaceable rubber bushing, I would drill the rubber out and replace the destroyed parts. The bolt is going to be hardened steel, my choice would be a cutting wheel.

 

[visionguru]

A torch is great for releasing rust between threads. In this case, there is no thread. It's basically a bolt seized inside a metal tube. If I torched it red, the rubber has to be melted way before it reaches that temperature. After the rubber is all melted, there is still a problem to separate the bolt from the metal sleeve, because I can't rely on an impact to zip it off. Pounding on red hot metal probably will deform the bolt and make it impossible to remove.

Also, it's going to be a lot of smoke in my garage.

 

[ChevyEFI]

3lb, or 24 bb are entry level.

The strut bushing is replaceable, trash it and get it done.

 

[OHMS LAW]

Is that the bolt on the lower control arm? If it’s rust welded to the sleeve it’s trashed anyway. Either nut up and torch it or get a new lower control arm and new bolt. Be done with it

 

[kctyphoon]

Use a torch to burn the bushing out. It'll burn and melt away.

 

[visionguru]

Is that the bolt on the lower control arm? If it’s rust welded to the sleeve it’s trashed anyway. Either nut up and torch it or get a new lower control arm and new bolt. Be done with it

Yes, it's on the lower control arm, holding the strut fork.

The problem is not the rubber, which can be burned or drilled away. It's the metal tube inside the bushing that prevents the bolt from being removed, so that I can remove the fork.

I know the bushing and the bolt are trash. Here is the new bushing I already have. The bushing is two big/small metal tubes with rubber in between. The bolt was seized in there like the 2nd picture. I was thinking of cutting the stickied out part of the bushing, which is 3 layers:
rubber, metal tube, bolt.

From the sized of the gap and surrounding metal, the saw blade can't be too short. If it's a grinder, the wheel has be to thin enough and large enough to reach there, I want to at least save the fork.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

If you have good threads still, cut the head of the bolt off and stack washers under the nut. Use an impact and turn the nut in. Add more washers when needed. I've removed rust-welded bolts in spring bushings that way before.

 

[fasteddie]

Cut whatever you have to to get it apart. The real challenge is going to come when you tackle the outer metal sleeve after you dig the rubber out. You can cut some slots inside the tube with a sawzall or hacksaw but sharpen your chisels, you're gonna need them.

 

[visionguru]

The bushing is actually very easy to press out with C-clamp press. Because the bushing is pressed in, there is virtually no space for corrosion.

I already replaced the bushing on the other side: Put an appropriate sized socket at on end, C-clamp, then impact. It came out in 20 seconds.

 

[Shehzada]

You have me a bit worried.

I have a '92 Accord where I hear a clacking sound on the passenger side only when I go over small continuous potholes (like the surface before a road is repaved).

I believe the sound is the strut mount.

Sent from my mobile device

 

[johninct]

I had the same problem with a steering shock. I drilled a small hole down the center of the bolt and it came right out. In your case, drill a small hole through the bolt. If it is still stuck just keep drilling using a little bigger bit and then try to turn it with a socket.

 

[Mr_B]

quickest way is chop it off.
I tend use air saw if looks tight as follows gap joint better than a thin grinding disc, can wedge, pry or clamp it to increase cutting space each side of fork . If enough space the thin cutting discs have you done in seconds .
The idea of cutting head off bolt and try pulling it via nut can be useful trick in some situations .

 

[545_days]

I did this last weekend on a 1981 Fiat X1/9. I don't own a cutting torch, and it was seized up solid. The only way to get room to swing a hammer was to drop the gas tank, so we cut the bolt with a sawzall.

It would have been a ***** to do by hand with a hack saw. We had to cut both ends of the bolt to get it free. We cut through the ends of the rubber bushing just inside the brackets.

 

[kelpaso1]

If you have good threads still, cut the head of the bolt off and stack washers under the nut. Use an impact and turn the nut in. Add more washers when needed. I've removed rust-welded bolts in spring bushings that way before.

Good trick, I'll use that next time I come to that situation

 

[Bad Habit]

You still have to remove the outer shell, why bother with the rubber or internal sleeve. Just get a C-Clamp press and correct sized press sleeve. Most auto parts stores will loan them out

 

[kctyphoon]

Am I not understanding? Can't you just cut / grind the head or nut of the bolt off, remove the bushing by the most satisfying method you like, and just pull the thing out? You have the luxury of being able to destroy everything.

 

[Mr_B]

Absolute no need destroy bushing, just cut bolt both sides to remove the yoke then press bush out complete with seized bolt shaft, fit new bush and refit .
If can access for cuts easy and got new parts be done with it clean and quick.

 

[gatlibs]

From what I read and saw, I recommend the following. Leave it connected on the vehicle. Put a 6-point wrench on the head of the bolt. Use a jack to turn the wrench. Either the force breaks the bolt free from the fixed state in the inner metal tube of the bushing - which should allow withdrawal - or the head snaps off the bolt which should allow the control arm to be freed (which enables the outer metal tube of the bushing to be pressed out).

If the vehicle just lifts, then this method obviously won't work. I'd think that a longer wrench would work better for this, but a short one ought to do it, too. I'd be interested to know what resolved this for you.

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

Take a c clamp with a socket, or a ball joint press, put some pressure on the bolt and warm it up with whatever kind of torch you can get your hands on. Itll be a waiting game but itll pop free of the sleeve eventually.

 

[DGersic]

Looks like the rusty leaf shackle bolts I removed from my Dakota. I wasted several sawzall blades trying to cut the bolt. Switched to a air cutoff wheel and went right through it.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Mr_B]

From what I read and saw, I recommend the following. Leave it connected on the vehicle. Put a 6-point wrench on the head of the bolt. Use a jack to turn the wrench. Either the force breaks the bolt free from the fixed state in the inner metal tube of the bushing - which should allow withdrawal - or the head snaps off the bolt which should allow the control arm to be freed (which enables the outer metal tube of the bushing to be pressed out).

If the vehicle just lifts, then this method obviously won't work. I'd think that a longer wrench would work better for this, but a short one ought to do it, too. I'd be interested to know what resolved this for you.

If the bush inner sleeve still frozen to bolt you can not remove the yoke.
2 choices on these, quickest is cut bot both sides then once yoke off press out old bush, second option is chop head off if nut end unthreaded and pack few washers on it and wind nut on with impact and it may pull bolt shank through the sleeve .
If doing this for customer and based on fact have parts I cut bolts as quicker/cleaner than writing this reply .

 

[gatlibs]

If the bush inner sleeve still frozen to bolt you can not remove the yoke.
2 choices on these, quickest is cut bot both sides then once yoke off press out old bush, second option is chop head off if nut end unthreaded and pack few washers on it and wind nut on with impact and it may pull bolt shank through the sleeve .
If doing this for customer and based on fact have parts I cut bolts as quicker/cleaner than writing this reply .

Why would the yoke not be removable once the head of the bolt snapped?

Also, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned soaking in penetrant yet.

 

[Mr_B]

Why would the yoke not be removable once the head of the bolt snapped?

because shank and thread end still retaining it, at best head breaks low enough clear one side of yoke but other side still has thread end of bolt in the way .

 

[gatlibs]

because shank and thread end still retaining it, at best head breaks low enough clear one side of yoke but other side still has thread end of bolt in the way .

That does make sense. I'm not sure why I didn't think of the other side.

 

[plinker]

Why would the yoke not be removable once the head of the bolt snapped?

Also, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned soaking in penetrant yet.

In my experience, soaking with oil wont do much with this type of problem except add to the smoke when heating it. After heating it, if you can budge it with an air hammer, some spray oil can help removal. Sometimes nothing works and you have to cut or burn it out. It just depends on how bad it's rusted in place. Spraying a threaded item with oil will defiantly help removal, heat may still be required.

 

[ollie76]

Why would the yoke not be removable once the head of the bolt snapped?

Also, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned soaking in penetrant yet.

This is actually a great thread and I can see how it's become confusing. If you look at the second picture he originally posted you can see the whole assembly as if it's been removed from the vehicle. That big yoke thing is what he'd like to remove. However, his first picture......I believe the picture is taken from below so you can't see what he means. In the first picture, the nut has been removed. What you're seeing in that first pic is, from left to right: head of bolt.....horn of yoke.......bushing(bolt seized here).......horn of yoke........threads where nut was removed.

So, take that second picture and imagine it being over your head. The bolt is seized in the busing right so it can't be pulled out, so how are you going to removed the "horns" of that yoke? Even if you burned the rubber and everything out and snapped the head of the bolt off, it's still not going to come out.

Some good suggestions on here so far. Very interested on how this turns out.

 

[ollie76]

If you have good threads still, cut the head of the bolt off and stack washers under the nut. Use an impact and turn the nut in. Add more washers when needed. I've removed rust-welded bolts in spring bushings that way before.

Fantastic idea.....I will keep this one in mind!

 

[ChevyEFI]

Another way, tighten or loosen the nut and bolt and if the bolt head breaks off, use a nut splitter.

 

[454ragtop]

From what I read and saw, I recommend the following. Leave it connected on the vehicle. Put a 6-point wrench on the head of the bolt. Use a jack to turn the wrench. Either the force breaks the bolt free from the fixed state in the inner metal tube of the bushing - which should allow withdrawal - or the head snaps off the bolt which should allow the control arm to be freed (which enables the outer metal tube of the bushing to be pressed out).

If the vehicle just lifts, then this method obviously won't work. I'd think that a longer wrench would work better for this, but a short one ought to do it, too. I'd be interested to know what resolved this for you.

Apparently you haven't actually run into this problem. Using your method the most likely scenario is the sleeve stays frozen to the bolt and just spins in the rubber bushing. That's what happens when I use an impact wrench.

 

[gatlibs]

Apparently you haven't actually run into this problem. Using your method the most likely scenario is the sleeve stays frozen to the bolt and just spins in the rubber bushing. That's what happens when I use an impact wrench.

No, I have not. I'm pretty glad that I haven't.

 

[Skin]

If you have good threads still, cut the head of the bolt off and stack washers under the nut. Use an impact and turn the nut in. Add more washers when needed. I've removed rust-welded bolts in spring bushings that way before.

Until the rubber rips away then the whole thing spins. Fastest method is to torch the whole bushing if you're replacing both, otherwise impact, air hammer, your favorite spray lube, and patience.

 

[Mr_B]

wouldn't say torch fast as no need burn bush, just cut both sides of yoke, remove yoke and press bush out complete .

 

[visionguru]

wouldn't say torch fast as no need burn bush, just cut both sides of yoke, remove yoke and press bush out complete .

I just did exactly that, but I made the cuts on each side of the bushing, yoke and arm were not harmed. With the car only on jack stands, I had to remove a lots of parts in order to be able to cut it. Here is the offending bushing/bolt:



The tools used were:
Milwaukee 2719 Hackzall

Plus Diablo Carbide blade

Regular blades are no good for the grade 10.9 bolt.

 

[MarlynOC]

Air hammer

 

[dogdog]

I think all Hondas are notorious for seized bushing and bolts... I had to cut my Honda Civic ones out... no way to get around it, tried burning it but I don't have a hot enough torch.... only a grinder and disc... now they have more sawzall blades to use...

I think that Eric O guy have a video on these honda bushings recently... the South Main Auto guy...

 

[dogdog]

Air hammer

It won't work on these seized honda bushing bolts...

 

[MarlynOC]

Used air hammer to drive out trim motor lower bolts that were cast housings with stainless bolts below water line that had seized in salt water for 15 years. Wouldn't move at first but after about 3 minutes it drove it out.
It had worked for me in a hard to remove situation and hoped it might work for you.