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rear strut problems


david f

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Hi I'm a newbe here, My question is how to remove the lower bolts that go thru the strut and cast iron wheel assembly. I got the nuts off but the bolts are resisting all my efforts to push them out. Any advice would be appreciated. This is a home job with some what limited tool options. Thanks

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i've had this issue a few times. the bolts (especially in rustbelt cars) can get outright siezed in the knuckles. take the nut put it back on and put a socket over it and hit it with a hammer so you can drive it out without hurting the threads/nut.

 

my old 93' was VERY VERY siezed in and had to take both rear knuckles with the strut out of the car and hammer them out outside the car. but that is the only one i've seen that bad. most of the time a few good blows with a hammer knock them right out.

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My GP I had the same problem. I ended up heating them up and hitting them with a sledge hammer. They eventually came free. What Chris said about putting the nut at the end of the threads so as not to damage them when you knock it with a hammer.

 

Spray them in Bp blaster and let them sit over night.

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Thank you ,White93z34, and 94 olds vert for your replies. I finally got them to come out, heated them with a Mapp gas torch (very slow to get things hot) lots of PB and hammering. I gave up for an hour came back and smaked them good out of frustration and they poped out.

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As several have said above, you have to drive the two bolts out with a hammer. You want to taken precautions so you won't damage the threads of these bolts. Put the nuts at the end of the bolts, use a block of wood, or a socket and then tap it out. Use PB Blaster before you do that.The reason for this is the two bolts are knurdled. Here's a RichPin06A doing just that on a 97 Lumina sedan.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
It took me 2 hours this way, and the knuckle was toast after.

Not sure how the knuckle would have got messed up, took mine about 2 seconds of hammering to get my bolts out so idk. :think:

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one bolt was stuck, no amount of heating or pb helped. I was wrong when i said knuckle, i had to air hammer the strut mounts off, then grind/air hammer the bolt head off, and pound the shit out of what remained of the bolt. Knuckle stayed intact i think. It was such a gong show i barely remember the details correctly, or i am just full of shit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Both these guys are right, Imo. (I don't mean anyone else is wrong)

 

.... I gave up for an hour came back and smaked them good ......

 

Spray them in Bp blaster and let them sit over night.

 

This just happened to me, with my front control arm bolts. Very very stuck. As I began banging on them harder and harder, I remembered what happened with my swingarm bolt two years ago. I beat on that bolt until it looked like a mushroom, and it didn't move. I gave up, came back the next day, and it slid out on the third or fourth tap. Cost me twenty bucks to get the bolt fixed that time.

 

So I left the control arm bolts alone, did something else, came back the next day, and they both popped out easy as pie. To be honest, I had still screwed up the mounting hole on the frame by banging crooked on the bolt. Cost thirty bucks to have it fixed up this time.

 

But my point is, After you beat on it for a while, let it rest. It will come out in time.

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