Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 23:01:00 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: stuck lower control arm bolt
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not sure which bolt you mean.
at the inner end of the lower control arm ?
in any case, to answer your grinder question.
A hand held disc grinder with a thin flat grinding wheel is meant for
grinding with the flat face only.
Trying to use the thin edge as a cutter can be very dangerous.
It will have a bad tendency to grab on the piece you're working on and jump
violently.
I have used a small one as a cutter, with the edge this way .....but it's
unpredictable and it's easy to get hurt.
in a few cases it seems like it's the only tool small enough to get in there
and cut off the bolt.
I know for sure, on my really big disc grinder, if the edge of it grabbed in
the work piece, by trying to use it as a cutting wheel, it could take my leg
off, no kidding. I just won't do that with a big hand held disc grinder -
use the edge as a cutter. . I consider it my single most dangerous tool, of
about 20 power tools I own.
If you are going to use it as a cutter, just be darn careful. It will really
want to bite and jump unpredictably.
And NEVER do that with aluminum !
aluminum really grabs badly, with violent results. Welder friend of mine
almost lost a tip of a finger that way, and he grinds 10 hours a week at
least, so he's not inexperienced with grinding. And that was on a bench
grinder too, normally a pretty safe tool to use.
I'm thinking the bolt might be rusted badly in the bushing possibly.
but you need the arm off the rig in the first place anyway.
please be careful . Vanagonauts be precious people ( not that all aren't )
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Florian Speier" <groups.florian@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 8:25 PM
Subject: stuck lower control arm bolt
> after a long time of persuading the nut on the lower control arm bolt to
> come off, I was somewhat dismayed that the job does not seem to be over -
> I
> cannot get the bolt out at all! This is in a syncro, but I believe its the
> same in 2WD. Any tips?
>
> I was close to employing my recently bought angle grinder, a small 4.5"
> black and decker, to cut througt the bushing and bolt when I read the
> direction telling me that I am not allowed to use cutting, only grinding
> wheels with it - does it say that with all angle grinders? Any other way
> to
> get it out?
>
> thanks
> Florian
