Seized rear strut bolt = Pain in the A**

[iDom]

Alright, so I have my 3 out of my 4 a-spec struts installed, but the last one just is being stubborn. I've used almost an entire can of penetrating oil trying to get it off (kroil/pb blaster) with no luck at all.

I've used an impact gun for about an hour, nothing.. The problem is, the rubber bushing where the bolt goes through on the strut, robs all the torque i'm trying to use to break it free. The bolt is moving on, I can see it spin, so it's not seized to that fixed nut, but it springs back because of the rubber bushing.

I know what the problem is, but.. I was wondering if there were any 'tricks of the trade' or maybe a technique someone else used to take care of this?

When I say I've tried, I mean:
I've gone as far as put a jack under a breaker bar while the breaker bar was attached to the bolt, and jacked it up to the under side of the car, at least 1/2 or 3/4 of a full turn on the bolt and it still just sprung back. I get off work in 4 hours, I'd like to try it again today but I'd like to try something different this time.

I'm supposed to go tomorrow morning to get an alignment, I gotta get this done!

[POOPTOOTH]

Dude, I JUST had to deal with this literally last week when I was installing my BC Coils. And the same exact thing, the first 3 were a breeze, then...uh oh.

Let me tell you right now, no amount of PB blast or air will get that bolt out. I tried EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, some of the burliest air guns you'd ever find, and what happened was the bushing started to actually tear out. You may think your seeing the bolt turn, but its actually the bushing twisting giving the impression youre getting somewhere.

The problem is the sleeve going through the bushing, the bolt 'freezes' to it and you're f'd. This is a common Honda FUBAR. You are going to have to cut the bolt to get that sob out. It was a pain in the dick but it was the only option.

And please remember when installing the new shit, ANTI-SEIZE IS YOUR FRIEND!!!! lol..

[iDom]

Well I see the bolt spin but it just threads itself tight again, I know it's no progress :( but it is broken free from that fixed nut. Yes, the metal sleeve is really, really chapping my ass.. Every 5 minutes I would say, FUCK YOU HONDA, PUT ANTI-SEIZE ON THIS SHIT!!! It was like an episode of Jerry Springer out there in my driveway trying to get this bastard off.

Piss. So where do I cut the bolt at?

[iDom]

I was actually thinking about just cutting the strut at that ball shaped end where the bolt goes through and where the bushing is so it could just spin until it pushed up against the inside of where the strut mounts, then the bushing couldn't stop the spinning of the bolt and in hopes THAT will break it through all the bullshit stopping it from coming out.. But also, I don't have another one of them bolts :/

Probably doesn't help I have 158k on my car and it's a DD Ohio car.. Poor thing..

[POOPTOOTH]

Well we torqued the shit out of it to the point where the bolt was spinning out of the welded nut, it actually started to spread the area where you mount the bottom of the strut, eventually the welded on nut broke off. So basically you have to make sure you can get the bolt out of the threaded end once the bolt is cut. You said you were able to get the bolt out of that end?

I would make sure you'll be able to get the bolt out of the welded nut, otherwise you'll have to knock that welded nut off with a impact hammer or something to that effect, then proceed to cut the bolt on either side of the bottom of the strut with a whizzy wheel or a whatever else you can get in there.

Don't worry about knocking that nut off, just use a new 17mm bolt and nut and you'll be good to go. Good luck man, it is going to be an absolute bitch, but don't give up on it.

[iDom]

The bolt is only seized to that metal sleeve inside the bushing, If I could cut off the bolt on both side, inside the mounting area, then I could spin out the end of the bolt that's threaded, and just push out the bolt head. No problem. But, Idk how I could get in there and do that without messing up the inside of the mount.

[camber kokuo]

Had the same problem with mine I was lucky though I cut off the welded but with a grinder and then wiggled the structure put. After that I dipoles the smooth area and started to drill out the bolt I used 7 different sized drill bits starting from small to were th casing was just in their the rest of it kind just fell ou the. I just replace the bolt and nut with a grade A ones. Worked for me with out messing up the bushing.

[POOPTOOTH]

The bolt is only seized to that metal sleeve inside the bushing, If I could cut off the bolt on both side, inside the mounting area, then I could spin out the end of the bolt that's threaded, and just push out the bolt head. No problem. But, Idk how I could get in there and do that without messing up the inside of the mount.

Yeah, but how are you going to spin out a miniscule piece of a bolt when you have nothing to grab on to?

[iDom]

Hmm.. Interesting.. I have no problem absolutely massacring the entire strut though, because I have brand new a-spec ones I am going to replace them with. So, I would actually get a lot of enjoyment out of destroying the strut at this time.. If tactical C4 was optional, I'd cough up the dough for that. That's a fact.

[ImportCustomx]

heat the bolt up so it gets cherry red with map gas, use a cheater bar ..tighten it a qtr turn then loosen it. it will come right off.

mainley the salt and corrosion is whats killing it. i have the same problem out here when i work on cars. i usually use pb blast first..soak it a few times during the day.. put a socket on it..hit it with a hammer a few times, then try breaking it loose with a huge breaker bar, if that doesnt work, i resort to heating with map gas, if that doesnt work then if its a nut and bolt combo i just cut the head off the bolt and hammer it through. dont cut the head off tho if its a bolt that threads into the chassy or an important part lol.

good luck.

btw, i now have a bad ass craftsman air compressor so my airtools work well.
gl

[BeaterEP]

Man, I always feel bad for you Yanks when I see threads like this. Shit gets a little messy down here in TX, but nothing like road salt can do. For me, the most I ever have to do is soak whatever I'm working on in PB Blaster a day or two ahead of time, just to let it work in real good, then crank on it w/a breaker bar.

Can't imagine what a PITA it's gotta be to heat and/or cut bolts practically every time you need to work undercar.

Seriously, I feel for you guys.

[iDom]

I was thinking about heating it up, but I don't have access to anything but a regular old hand torch that you would start a grill or fire with.. Also, the brake lines concerned me.

[iDom]

Man, I always feel bad for you Yanks when I see threads like this. Shit gets a little messy down here in TX, but nothing like road salt can do. For me, the most I ever have to do is soak whatever I'm working on in PB Blaster a day or two ahead of time, just to let it work in real good, then crank on it w/a breaker bar.

Can't imagine what a PITA it's gotta be to heat and/or cut bolts practically every time you need to work undercar.

Seriously, I feel for you guys.

I'll personally send you some pictures of my exhaust bolts when I go to replace that in a bout a month and a half.. They look like brown tumors, unidentifiable really.. The Titanic is probably preserved better.. It's god awful..

[POOPTOOTH]

heat the bolt up so it gets cherry red with map gas, use a cheater bar ..tighten it a qtr turn then loosen it. it will come right off.

mainley the salt and corrosion is whats killing it. i have the same problem out here when i work on cars. i usually use pb blast first..soak it a few times during the day.. put a socket on it..hit it with a hammer a few times, then try breaking it loose with a huge breaker bar, if that doesnt work, i resort to heating with map gas, if that doesnt work then if its a nut and bolt combo i just cut the head off the bolt and hammer it through. dont cut the head off tho if its a bolt that threads into the chassy or an important part lol.

good luck.

btw, i now have a bad ass craftsman air compressor so my airtools work well.
gl

LOL..."It will come right off". That sounds good in theory..I should know, I tried ALL of these methods you just listed.

However a BIG CAUTION, you don't want to go nuts with hitting it with a torch. Remember you are working with a compressed gas cylinder here!!!!!! "Cherry Red Strut" = BOOM!

Not only that, its tough to get the flame DIRECTLY on the necessary area without hitting brake lines, etc... its a little tight in there so BE CAREFUL.

Also there comes a point when you phsically cant put any more tq on the bolt due to the bushing 'giving'. In my and many other cases you will end up ripping the bushing right out, and you will still be in the same prediciment, except now you've ruined your strut.

If you knew the setup here you would know that you cannot just 'cut the head off'. Theres is a tac'd on nut on the other side, even if that wasn't the case, you still would need to get the sleeve in the bushing out, which is a larger diameter of the hole for the bolt, so hammering it out would be a no go.

So...yeah...CUT THAT BITCH OUT!

[iDom]

LOL..."It will come right off". That sounds good in theory..I should know, I tried ALL of these methods you just listed.

However a BIG CAUTION, you don't want to go nuts with hitting it with a torch. Remember you are working with a compressed gas cylinder here!!!!!! "Cherry Red Strut" = BOOM!

Not only that, its tough to get the flame DIRECTLY on the necessary area without hitting brake lines, etc... its a little tight in there so BE CAREFUL.

Also there comes a point when you phsically cant put any more tq on the bolt due to the bushing 'giving'. In my and many other cases you will end up ripping the bushing right out, and you will still be in the same prediciment, except now you've ruined your strut.

If you knew the setup here you would know that you cannot just 'cut the head off'. Theres is a tac'd on nut on the other side, even if that wasn't the case, you still would need to get the sleeve in the bushing out, which is a larger diameter of the hole for the bolt, so hammering it out would be a no go.

So...yeah...CUT THAT BITCH OUT!

I want to leave the fixed nut in place, of course.

My strut is blown, there is no pressure at all inside the cylinder. I can compress the shocks by hand.

I am not concerned what so ever about keeping the strut that's currently stuck in there in good condition, the entire assembly is being replaced. So I do have some options that maybe some others don't.

Yes, the brake lines is what is worrying me about a torch as well.