Darn it, stuck bolt, lower front strut

Alright, got brave and decided to start replacing my front suspension tonight, and do the rear-tomorrow. I replaced the passenger side, a couple small issues, but that side is now done and looking good.

What I am now having a problem with is this:



The lower-bolt on this strut is completely seized, it won't even let the strut rotate in that knuckle.

I can get the Nut off just fine, I have been soaking the SOB with PB blaster for about a day. This is the driver's side. The passenger side came out just fine. I have tried beating this bolt as hard as I possibly can, and I may actually be bending it a hair. I started rounded out the head, so then I switched to hitting it with the nut on it. I've also tried squeezing a wrench in there, between the bolt-head and the axle, but that fucker will NOT twist out, either.

I'm stuck, guys. I can't fit anything in there to cut the head off. I can't heat it, or I'll blow my CV axle. Any suggestions? And I don't have a bigger hammer....trust me, it won't work anyways.

This is my daily driver, and I'm getting a bit desperate to get it back on the road, as I have an 882 OME setup on the passenger side, and I'm stuck with the stock suspension on the driver's side.

 

You're gonna have to try and cut as much of the head off as possible. You can use anything from a hack saw, recip saw, angle grinder, or a dremmel like tool. What has happened is the bolt is rust infuzed with the bushing hole. You can try and turn the bolt with a breaker bar, but I think the rubber bushing would tear before the rust separates. Get the hub and spindle assemblies out of the way to give you more working room. You may just need to unbolt the lower ball joint to do that. Or get a bigger hammer. Good luck

 

Thank god I don't live in a rust zone.
Take a torch to that sucker ,heat him up and bang the shit out of it.

 

I'd take a cutting wheel to that sucker, go grab one at Harbor Freight for like $20.

 

I have a cutting wheel, but I can't get it to the bolt head without fear of grinding down the CV Boot. I was thinking of taking my Sawzall with a thing, metal cutting blade and cutting the bolt off inside of the knuckle. Only issue is this is my only vehicle, and I do not have a spare bolt for this....grrrrr

 

yea just cut the bitch. i got new nuts/bolts at my local bolt shop for about $10 for 2 sets

 

I mean if you can't get into there to cut it then soak it in oil overnight, and try to beat that sucker out of there with a good 5lb+ hammer. It will come out, looks like from hitting it on the nut you will have a pretty good line of swing to use the hammer. If your afraid of the heat messing up your CV use some foil wrapped around it or something to shield it from a torch.

 

A grade 8 bolt will do just fine. Just pack it with anti sieze. Or you could go stainless, but be weary of regular hardware store stainless bolts, they don't have the shear strenth of a grade 8. Go to fastenal for your stainless fasteners.

 

The other issue:

If I cut it, I have no "other vehicle" to go to a shop to get a bolt!

Grrr!!! Debating taking my slumped-over Tacoma out for a leisurely jaunt to get one...no auto parts store within a half-hour drive, though.

 

Yea stainless steel is weaker than steel, but yes Lowes or something similar should have what you need, call your buddy and have em drive you there! Either that or put it all back together to go get one lousy bolt LOL.

 

IMO get a couple of spares first, soak it at least overnight, if it don't come off either cut it out or you could also drill it out. Small pilote 1/8 hole in the middle from each side, then 1/4 inch and finally1/2 or so. Worked for me before.

 

How would you get the drill into the CV Facing side?

 

Well, I've given up for the night. I have help (and more importantly, transportation to the hardware store) coming tomorrow morning. I broke off my sawzall blade trying to cut the damn thing out. And I lack spares. I have a motorcycle, but this is my weekend with my 5-year old son, and I don't have proper riding gear for him, so, for the moment, I am stranded and out of spare parts.

I managed to haggle for a 5lb hammer and tried hitting it again, all that managed to do was to start bending one of the brackets holding the bolt on! Wahoo! So, when I get all of this out, I'll have to tenderly realign that bracket now. Bigger hammer does not always work, it turns out.

Alright, we'll see what the morning brings...

 

BFH ?

 

Spray the bolt with compressed air (hold the can upside down). Freeze the bolt and then try the hammer. You can also try a tourch on the bracket holding the bolt.

Also make sure the coil pack and lower control arm are properly supported so as to not put weight on the bolt.

 

id be so pissed.

 

have you tried adjusting how you have it lifted? maybe there is too much pressure on the nut from the weight of the vehicle to allow it to move. just a thought, oh and also look into investing into some thing called a impact wrench or try a breaker bar idk man, maybe just have a bowl of Wheaties in the morning. j/k

 

Already did it, bent the bracket holding the strut in. Gonna hold off on any BFH plans for the foreseeable future.

Coil-pack is just hanging there, nice and loose. No real tension on the bolt. Already unbolted the top-plate from the hangar or whatever it's called.

And 2nd gens, GTFO. You guys go back to your heroin induced forums of arrogance!

 

Once again. The NUT moves freely. The BOLT is frozen inside. Also, a breaker-bar on my spanner wrench did not work, but I only have about 1.5 inches of wiggle room in there.

A socket is impossible to get on the bolt head, as it is directly underneath the CV axle, and about 2 inches behind it sits the bracket for the sway-bar linkage. NO WAY to get a socket on it. All that fits is a spanner wrench. I guess you can't really see that in the picture.

 

Try going to a shop and ask if a tec will hit the back side of that bolt with an impact and I'm sure it will break loose. If you find a cool shop they will probably do it for no charge.