Thanks Scott and Mark, that is exactly what I needed to know.  Yes, they are
stuck.  I'll probably try to get the two broken ones out but I'm gonna leave
the other two.  I don't really need to get them off just replacing ball
joints, and wanted to replace small stuff I saw.  Now, any advice before I
take the spindles to a machine shop for pressing?  upper BJ's are off,
lowers I cant get a loaner press from Autozone to fit.

Alan

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 4:33 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> Those things sure get rusted together all right.
> I ran into the exact same thing on a vanagon from the east coast.
> Interestingly it was rusted more on the left side than the right side. More
> salt in the middle of the road I imagine.
>
> it didn't matter what I did to the really rusted left  side - those three
> bolts with nuts on the bottom were totally seized in place.
> No amount of oxygen-acetylene torch heating helped........I put on gallons
> of really good penetrating oil....
> there was no way all three of those bolts would come out of there.
> Even with a nut off........hammering with a punch wouldn't drive out the
> bolt, just super stuck.
> I finally had to use another good used left lower arm I had on another
> early vanagon.
>
> I was able to get the other side apart.......and still it was hard to get
> apart. Things are under load or a bind some .......If the spring is not
> installed there might be less tension and binding on the lower suspension
> parts.........but, .bottom line, it's not something that unbolts cleanly and
> simply .... even if things are not badly rusted.
>
> the 3 bolts are not threaded into any parts........they are simple
> through-bolts with nuts on the bottom, they just get desperately stuck.
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Felder" <dieseldoofus@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 1:04 PM
> Subject: Front Suspension - Screws
>
>
>
> I am working on the front suspension of my 82 Diesel Westy, and have a
>> question about some of the parts which I may not want to disassemble (to
>> find out about).
>>
>> At the lower arm 251 407 153 B, there are three M10x80 Hex Head Screws N
>> 010
>> 480 2 on each side, which hold together the lower arm, the ball joint
>> retainer 251 407 177 and the radius rod 251 407 059.  It is obvious that
>> the
>> lower arm is not threaded for these bolts but are the other parts?  Or,
>> once
>> the self-locking nuts are off and lots of penetrating oil later, will they
>> slide (or punch) out the top or do they have to be un-screwed?
>>
>> So far, I have broken off the head off of one on the right side and the
>> threaded extension with the nut on the other.
>>
>> --
>> Not all those who wander are lost
>>
>
>

--
Not all those who wander are lost