Damper Fork Removal - Rubber Bushing / Bolt ; Seized , Rusted , Frozen , Stuck

[lilgreenhonda]

last week i started to do my coilovers. i got one on wit h no problem, but as i worked my was yaround the car, i found everything being all rusted. as i started on the right front, i found that the lower wishbone bolt is stuck in the lower C.A. bushing. WHAT DO I DO??? and i nteh rear i ripped the head off the bolt that holds the strut to teh rear C.A. I NEED TO KNOW ANY AND ALL SECRETS. thanks guys

[ACCORD EX]

WD40 , breaker bars , impact wrenches , air guns !


MIKE

[88 Accord DX]

some people arnt that rich, Mike. people like me.

anyway i would use a cutting torch or maybe a really big saw.j/k go around town and see if anyone will loosen them for free. you might find someone that will but everyone will want you to pay because they are greedy bastards.

[dj99]

On my first damper fork bolt, I was able to get the nut off without too much trouble. I then pounded on the threaded end with a 4 lb hammer without success. Then I got the bright idea to actually turn the bolt using the head to break it free in the bushing, which worked great. It then pounded free very easily. The other side came out easily too. Those bolts have ribs that rust a bit to the inside of the bushing.

Hope this helps somebody!

[markmdz89hatch]

I had the same trouble. I was able to get the nut off without any trouble, but could not even budge the bolt. I couldn't even spin it. This may sound kinda bad, but grab a big ass breaker bar, put it on that bolt head and try and spin it. If you get the bolt to spin, then cool, just pound it out like dj said. If not, then keep trying, something's gonna give, either the bolt will spin, or you'll snap the head off the bolt completely. Either way, it's progress. If you do end up snapping the head off the bolt, go and find a shit load of washers that will fit over the end of the bolt where the nut came off. Blast the shit out of the whole assembly with some lubricant/pennetrant. Not put a few washers on the end of the bolt, put the nut on it, make sure you get at least 90% of the nut threaded, if you can't, take off a washer, and put the nut back on. now just tighten the nut with the breaker bar. Tighten it until you have about the length of thread showing (past the nut) as width of all the washers you put on. Now take the nut off, add more washers, and continue to walk the bolt out. Now stop down at the Honda dealership, hand them $20 and get yourself 2 new bolts and nuts. When you put everything back together, make sure you use never/anti-seize (the silver stuff) on the fluted part of the bolt. This way that won't happen again.

Good luck.

[markmdz89hatch]

OK, hehehe, here's my little MS Paint handywork that I just whipped up.....

...just incase someone did not really get what I was trying to say when I described walking the bolt out, here you go.

1. What it looks like fully assembled
2. The nut was removed, and washers added.
3. Same as 2, but now the nut has been tightened to expose some thread at the other end of the nut. (notice the bolt is beginning to be pulled through the bushing)
4. Nut removed, more washers added, and nut tightened to further "walk" that bolt out.



*Hint: If you run out of washers, grab a big socket and slip that over the bolt to act as a huge friggin washer (once you have enough thread to grab)

**Walking this bolt out will not be any picnic either. You will most likely have to use the breaker bar in the beginning. As you walk more and more of this bolt out, you'll probably be able to use a regular 3/8 wrench. Also, you cannot just tighten the nut with the few spacers on and expect it to keep coming. If you try that, you're just making more work for yourself. That bolt only has a certain amount of thread on it. If you bring the nut right to the end of the threaded part, you may risk damaging the threads on the nut.

Good luck!

[ACCORD EX]

Originally posted by 88 Accord DX
some people arnt that rich, Mike. people like me.

who said i had these stuff !

i only have WD40 and a piece of pipe ( i use it as a breaker bar ! )



MIKE

[dj99]

I already had a compressor, so when I did a bunch of suspension work recently, I sprung $20 for a 1/2" impact wrench at our local Harbor Freight. I can't believe that I haven't had one of these babies all this time!

[Grant2k]

i broke the head off the bolt doing my springs too. i ended up tearing the rubber of the bushing apart with a drill and then sawing a slit in the outer metal of the bushing and then chiseling it out. it took a long time and was very annoying and the new bolt cost me $12. good luck.

[anchovies]

If you need those bushings, I'm selling those for cheap
https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13979

Good luck...you'll need it

[maxoutracer]

i would use shit load od wd-40 and my impact gun, i never had any problem with my impact gun, hehe....

[lilgreenhonda]

ok so i tried to turn the bolt...and it turns...but teh bushing just streches around so i cant even break the head off. and even if i did i phucked up the threads so i cant get a nut on there. so... and the rear...i broke the head off the lower strut bolt...??? i need to get it done in one day..is it possible to fix?
thanks you all

[anchovies]

Grinder time.
For the rear, it's easier to just get another knuckle from the yard. 10 bucks problem solved there. That's what I did.
Now get those bushings off my hands, I mean it. You really need it

[YK86]

If you are totally stuck, this is what I did. I took a grinder and cut right in between the fork and bushing on both sides. The bushing is screwed anyways so it doesn't matter if you cut it all up. Get a new bushing, using a grinder, make 6 cuts on the outer sleeve. This will make the outer metal fall right off and the rubber will be in perfect shape. You should now have just the rubber and the center collar. Pound that into the arm. Do the same for the rear. All you need to buy using this method is bushings and bolts saving you a lot of $. Make sure you use alot of anti-seizing stuff to make future work easier.

[YK86]

Here's a crappy pic of the cuts I was talking about that you need to make on the new bushing. Keep in mind a shop can press it in for you (the proper way) but that will cost about $15 a bushing and it's going to be a real b**ch getting the rear knuckle off to get a shop to press in a new bushing which is why I did it the above method.

[maxoutracer]

i love the grinder, hehe... help alot when it come rusty bolts on my exahust system, hehe....

[Grant2k]

haha my house might not even have a grinder in it yet if i hadn't fucked up doing my suspension.

[88accordlxi]

Originally posted by lilgreenhonda
last week i started to do my coilovers. i got one on wit h no problem, but as i worked my was yaround the car, i found everything being all rusted. as i started on the right front, i found that the lower wishbone bolt is stuck in the lower C.A. bushing. WHAT DO I DO??? and i nteh rear i ripped the head off the bolt that holds the strut to teh rear C.A. I NEED TO KNOW ANY AND ALL SECRETS. thanks guys

that is so crazy, that is the same exact thing im going through right now, i just ordered my new struts to go with my sprint springs. when i first attempted to lower my car with the stock struts, i only got the front right corner on no problem, and everything else wouldn't even budge, even using air tools. and of course just like what happened to you , one of my back bolt head tore right off, so since then i've been driving around with one corner lowered, driveable but theres defenitly some stuff that needs to be fixed.

[Whitehonda]

Hey guys,

I was taking off my front right strut when I broke the damper fork bolt off in the bushing, I pounded until I couldn't pound anymore and it would not budge, so I finally cut the S.O.B. off, but now I am stuck with the bushing and broken off bolt in my lower arm!!

Any suggestions on how to get it out? or does anyone know if it is possible to change that bushing in my garage, or if it has to be pressed into the arm with a machiene?

Pictured below is the bushing with the broken bolt in it.



Cameron

[mzabeefy]

I had the same problem, I had to replace my whole lower arm. I got one from the junkyard(if that helps any).

[BITESIZE]

Try using a drill.

[anchovies]

Drill it out and then buy my brand new bushings.
https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13979

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by anchovies
Drill it out and then buy my brand new bushings.
https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13979

THANK YOU! for stepping in with the link, I remembered that SOMEONE had this problem and resolved it in detail.

[carotman]

I don't want to bring you bad news but you're in deep trouble.

I doubt that the bolt will ever come off while it's on the car. Your best bet would be to put it on a table vise and pound that bolt out with a sledgehammer.... been there, done that.

The only big problem is, that in order to do this, you need to take the lower arm out of the car. The inner bushing (the one that holds the arm to the frame) will be seized in there too...

When I replaced both of my lower arns, the inner bolt head snapped out..... so I couldn't get that bitch out.

I litteraly had to CUT the lower arm with a big cutting wheel to get it out. When only the bolt and sleeve fas left, I cut that one in half too to be able to get it out with vise grips

You'll have to get new bolts from honda..... and use alot of penetrating oil.


Here's what the lower arm looks like after Ishowed it who's the boss :smokin:

[Vinny]

looks like it in your best interest to head to the salvage yard and look for a new one and let them pull one for ya so your not going through this mess again