I really, really hate living in Arid Zona until I hear stories of this
nature.  I still think 103 degrees is a bit much for the last day of
September.

Karl Wolz

|-----Original Message-----
|From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
|On Behalf Of Kim Brennan
|Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 11:52 AM
|To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
|Subject: Re: Vile Lower Control Arm Bolt
|
|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
|-----
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