[wht-zx3]

Me and two fellow TNE jetters were trying to upgrade my rear suspension today. We got the swaybar off & replaced the bushings & endlinks, We got the shocks replaced. No major issues!!

When we tried to remove the lower control arm bolt, IT WOULDN'T BUDGE!!!! We were using hand tools (save it) we ended up bending one ratchet, stripping another one out. Then we got our grimy, bleeding hands on an impact wrench, slapped it on, ba-da-ta, ba-da-ta, ba-da-ta..nothing, turn up the pressure...YEAH, it moved...an 1/2 an inch

. Now it is just flexing!!

I was visiting another Jetters dad to buy a bumper & he (and his 23 years of rally car driving/building) asked to look at it. I was like, "sure, no problem"!!

He tried & tried and he couldn't get wither to budge. The bolts were just flexing, like they were on springs or something! Apparently that rubber bushing in the control arm has seized to the bolt and it just sort of sitting there twisting a little!!

Now, the question: Is there anyone that has any suggestion on how I can get this to break free WITHOUT breaking or cutting the bolt.

We tried heating the bolt with a torch, we tried the impact wrench, we tried brute force strength!!

 

[my2002svt]

Im assuming that you put a jack under the control arm to relieve the pressure? Chris and I did the rear springs on his SVT today, and they were tight, but they came off fairly easy. But it was important to relieve some of the pressure from the springs.

Terry

 

[PhocusZX3]

Definately jack that control arm up. When we did my spring install, we found it much easier to remove and replace the bolt with the control arm in a position parallel to the ground.

 

[wht-zx3]

We did jack up the control arm to relieve the pressure. What I need to know is if there is a way that I can get the bolts & rubber bushings to release their death grip on each other. You know, WD-40, some kind of penatrating fluid???
Any suggestions??

 

[Focus Rally Sport]

I take it you are talking about the outer lower control arm bolts.
First you need to remove the spring. Take a long bar and have someone pry down on the control arm to relieve the pressure while you pop the spring out. Second, You may need to squeeze the bushing outwards with a LARGE channel locks. This will release enough pressure to slide the bolt out. It may need a slight tap with a hammer but this will work. We have done them so many times we have it down to a science.
Ray

 

[DoughBoy]

I know quaverous was attempting something like this about a month ago when he was swapping his springs. He ended up breaking the bolts on both sides and has to run all over the Twin Cities gobbling up replacement suspension parts.

I'll shoot him a message and direct him to this thread. He might be able to help you out.

 

[quaverous]

ed, this sounds like the hell i went through as well. I had to cut the rear control arm bolts out, which in turn, had to replace the whole rear control arm. be careful not to ruin the bushing, or you will be buying new control arms. they are $65 a piece!

I picked up some ford penetrating oil intially, but that didn't seem to help. there are better oils out there then that though, make a trip to checker and scope it out.

drilling the bolt is pretty much out of the question. that bolt is a hardened bolt (10.9 or approx 50 rockwell) and will eat most drill bits you can buy at home depot or lowes for lunch.

my question is have you ripped the bushing yet? meaning, does the bolt seem to spin a full 360 but not able to be turned out? I ended up buying a 24" breaking bar to try to get them out and ended up ripping the rubber out (don't know my own strength).

try reversing the impact gun as well. tighten it, then switch directions and hit it again. kinda like rocking a car out of a ditch idea. that may help as well.

[ 10-07-2002, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: quaverous ]

 

[wht-zx3]

Originally posted by Focus Rally Sport:
I take it you are talking about the outer lower control arm bolts.
First you need to remove the spring. Take a long bar and have someone pry down on the control arm to relieve the pressure while you pop the spring out. Second, You may need to squeeze the bushing outwards with a LARGE channel locks. This will release enough pressure to slide the bolt out. It may need a slight tap with a hammer but this will work. We have done them so many times we have it down to a science.
Ray

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hi Ray, thanks for the input, but, IF I could get the spring out, I wouldn't be too worried about getting the control arm bolt out! Thats why I need it out, I want to change the springs.

Originally posted by quaverous:
my question is have you ripped the bushing yet? meaning, does the bolt seem to spin a full 360 but not able to be turned out? I ended up buying a 24" breaking bar to try to get them out and ended up ripping the rubber out (don't know my own strength).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Nope, I haven't ripped it, it just flexes back and forth. I will have another go at it this weekend.
Thanks for the info and suggestions.

Ed.

 

[PGZX3]

hmmmm....I've removed these 7 times now on 4 different cars, and I've never had any problems, always removed them with a ratchet. Am I missing something

 

[fruitport_focus]

I replaced my rear springs by removing the lower shock bolt. No need to remove the control arm bolts. Are you putting poly bushes in the rear lower arm?

 

[Carizme]

bump

Im also having a problem with these bolts. We broke one ratchet using a 4 foot breaker bar.

I took it to a local shop the next day, they got the passenger side loose, but the drivers side bushing has the "death grip" on the bolt, so the bolt spins and as it spins, it spins the bushing at the same time.

The guy said I should probably replace the bushings on both sides, so I called Ford and they said the bushing only comes when you buy the WHOLE lower control arm

$55 each side.

Does anyone make aftermarket bushings for this?

Or is there any way to take the spring out without taking off this bolt? (ie with a spring compressor?)

 

[focusonme00]

here guys look at this tread maybe this will help.
Lowering your FOCUS

F.Y.I
Use a wrench on top and a socket underneath to remove the sway bar bushing. Otherwise everything else is a peice of cake. Took me like 2 hours to do my car.

 

[familyman]

I've had this happen on other cars. The bolt rusts to the metal sleeve in the bushing. They effectively become one piece, not much you can do but cut them out and start over. It's one of those northern climate salt things. Always makes me wish I had a plasma cutter, Then I could at least cut the bolts easier.
All you people reporting from southern climates just wouldn't understand how salt complicates suspension changes on cars. It's a nasty nasty thing. It really is.

 

[PGZX3]

yeah, guess I wouldnt understand.....wanna talk about bumpers falling off, though and I'm all over that

 

[FastFocusZX3]

Carizme and I finished it without taking those bolts out... It involved one person standing on the rear drum with shock out bar links out and bar pushed out of the way. After pulling the eibach's out we were still able to slip the H&R's in, but we couldn't slip the Eibach's right into my car using the same method. Luckily, my bolts still came out.

 

[Hokeypoke]

We did jack up the control arm to relieve the pressure. What I need to know is if there is a way that I can get the bolts & rubber bushings to release their death grip on each other. You know, WD-40, some kind of penatrating fluid???
Any suggestions??

That bushing has an inner and outer sleeve. The bolt grows fast to the inner sleeve. Get it apart any way you can, but when you put it back together, use anti-sieze.