Seized bushing bolt: tools/methods recommendation please

[dogdog]

you have to had owned a Honda to know, these seized bolts I have tried just for fun beating it with a 3lb hammer trying to drive it out, no dice... that is even after it is cut and on a vise... You can ask op to try ) just for fun, my old Civic is long gone...it was the rear axle bushing for me.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Try heating it up with a torch and then spin it with an impact. If that doesn't work and the bolt can be replaced, then air hammer it if you have one. If not, then just cut it and get the bushing pressed out.

 

[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 .

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.

Good man, job jobbed .
absolute waste of time using torch as bush got be renewed and it quicker/cleaner cutting with blade or disc .
I do a lot of hondas and subarus and in scenarios like this where saves massive time dismantling and new parts give proper quality end result and not stupid money it best way ...

 

[ollie76]

How did that blade do on the bolt? Did it cut it easily or was it a struggle? I've heard good things about those Diablo blades

 

[visionguru]

The Diablo carbide is superb for cutting this class 10.9 bolt. My first cut was the bushing tube with the bolt, basically a 1" metal rod. The blade cut through in 10min. The 2nd cut was just the bolt, 5min. The blade still has lenty of cutting left.

I started with Milwaukee Torch metal cutting blade, which is supposed to be good bi-metal blade. It struggles with hard metal. 1 hour with little progress.

Though I'm only a DIYer, I think professional mechanics should really consider adding Milwaukee Hackzall and carbide blade in their tool boxes. Compact, precise, and clean when cutting a bolt.

In my case, a torch/grinder/Sawzall would have caused collateral damage because there is barely enough space to fit in a saw blade.

 

[MoonRise]

How did that blade do on the bolt? Did it cut it easily or was it a struggle? I've heard good things about those Diablo blades

Although I'm generally a fan of Diablo carbide blades in their various forms (circular saw for wood AND metal cutting, as well as the 'new' carbide tipped recip blades), the 'recent' carbide-tipped recip blades from three 'big' brands (starting with D, M, and L ) came out in this order in a recent test cutting some 5/8" rebar:

Lenox
Milwaukee
Diablo

The Lenox blade was report to make about 3x as many cuts as the Diablo, with the Milwaukee blade in between.

Another test, the Lenox was 2x faster by hand cutting metal embedded 2x and lasted 5x longer in a mechanized test rig.

Or lasted longer cutting nail embedded 2x lumber (Lenox test/ad video)

YMMV and all that.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Here is a video from south main auto that shows how he handles this with an oxy acetylene Torch.

 

[Mr_B]

^
Yeh he trying save parts so can bolt back together and use car .
If intend use new parts/got new parts already like OP or no issue with down time until get parts cutting them off is clean, quick and easy .
I don't mess too long with stuff like this unless parts issue as generally labour messing is same or more than new bushes/bolts ...

 

[Gew]

Thanks for all advice, I was about to replace the rear radius rod on my 4x4 Toyota Harrier earlier today. Bolt and nut free'd up well on the subframe side, but not on the hub carrier, sigh. Ended up sawing both sides with a angle grinder. However, it still won't come out. I bashed the ¼ inch that was left out the bolt with a big sledge hammer, but it's really stuck in there. Tomorrow I will continue my other. Many of you have recommended using a torch. Problem here is that this rubber bushing is a part of the hub assembly, and I'd really love to not being forced to replace this. Really hoping I can get the damn bolt (well, now after having snapped it's head with a breaker bar and sawing the nut side after having rounded it with a wrench plus cheater bar it's really more of a 10 mm thick pin) to free up from the hub.

 

[Skin]

Thanks for all advice, I was about to replace the rear radius rod on my 4x4 Toyota Harrier earlier today. Bolt and nut free'd up well on the subframe side, but not on the hub carrier, sigh. Ended up sawing both sides with a angle grinder. However, it still won't come out. I bashed the ¼ inch that was left out the bolt with a big sledge hammer, but it's really stuck in there. Tomorrow I will continue my other. Many of you have recommended using a torch. Problem here is that this rubber bushing is a part of the hub assembly, and I'd really love to not being forced to replace this. Really hoping I can get the damn bolt (well, now after having snapped it's head with a breaker bar and sawing the nut side after having rounded it with a wrench plus cheater bar it's really more of a 10 mm thick pin) to free up from the hub.

Without a bolt or nut left you have limited options. You can use an air hammer. You'll need a strong one though since the rubber is going to absorb a lot of the energy. You'd be far better off pulling the entire knuckle/bearing assembly off the vehicle and supporting the center metal sleeve on something solid for this. If you go to this extent a shop press would be even better.

Alternately since you have nothing left but the central portion of the bolt just drill it. If you go off center keep going as big as you can to relieve the pressure and collapse whats left away from the bushing sleeve and punch it out.

Last and easiest would be BJ press, proper cups, and just replacing the bushing.

 

[dimichele]

I had something similiar and was able to press the seized bolt and inner sleeve out of the bushing using a puller.