Date:         Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:51:36 -0400
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vile Lower Control Arm Bolt
Comments: To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <4E85F018.3010605@comcast.net>
Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII

Just had those bushings and ball joints done on the front of my Westy Syncro. Let's say I dreaded (rightfully) what the bill would be. 2 months in the shop while they battled one issue after another.


On Sep 30, 2011, at 12:36 PM, Ken Wilford wrote:

> Just finished a multi-day fight with a front lower control arm bolt on a
> Syncro.  It was seized into the metal center of the control arm bushing
> and the nut was also seized on the end of the bolt.  Major pain because
> you can't get to the nut with anything but a box end wrench (not enough
> space between the nut and the Syncro frame).  I used a wrench, an air
> gun, two break bars, two pieces of pipe, a grinder, a small air grinder,
> a sawzall (three Sawzall brand "Torch" blades), a heavy duty pry bar, a
> ball peen hammer, a mini sledge, an air chisel, and pure brute force.
> Finally got the nut off (squeeking all the way) with vice grips.  Then I
> had to grind the head off of the bolt, cut the bolt on the back side of
> the head end and the threaded end with the sawzall before it would
> finally break and allow the lower control arm to come off.  The other
> side came off in about a minute with the air wrench :-)
>
> Anyone have any helpful hints on doing this in the future?  I am getting
> ready to tackle the rear control arms next and I am really dreading
> that.  I bought all of the hardware before I started just in case I had
> to cut and grind stuff off.  Control are bushing is out and now it is
> getting washed in the parts washer, bead blasted and repainted.  Then it
> gets a new bushing and put back in.  The fun of living in the rust belt!
>
> Ken Wilford
> John 3:16
> www.vanagain.com