Thread: rear suspension
View Single Post
Old Apr 11, 2004 | 07:18 PM
  #3  
Andy's Avatar
Andy
Hybrid Forum Moderator
 
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,363
Likes: 0
From: Southwestern PA
Default

It's seized, welcome to the wonderful dark side of Honda bushing design. You have a metal bolt going through a metal bushing in the LCA. Sometimes the bolt will actually rust and seized against the sleeve that's part of the LCA's bushing. You can probably see the threaded part sticking out the other side move but it won't turn to come out.

Sometimes you can get lucky and a lot of penatrating oil, a lot of hammering, some impact gun time, maybe a torch and enough cursing to make a sailor blush will work, but probably not. If not, the head of the bolt is most likely snapped off at this point. The most successful method I found is try to remove the entire LCA/damper/spring assembly (if the LCA/training arm and LCA/body mount bolts aren't seized, it'll work with them on the car, just less comfortable) and find a sawzal. Cut the bushing and the bolt as close to the LCA as possible (on the side with the welded on nut) so after it's cut and the LCA is pulled away, you leave some of the bolt sticking out of the LCA into the center so you have something to grab with vice grips to turn the bolt out. At this point, your stock LCA's are ruined so you either need a another set of stockers or save up for some Energy Suspension urathane bushings to replace them. Honda sells new bolts and they're kinda pricey but I don't really know of any alternatives.

If you do manage to get those bolts off (or your reading this and have an newer car who's bolts haven't seized), stop down at your local parts store and buy a tube of anti-seize. Soak the shaft of the bolt in that stuff before you shove it back through the LCA each time you take them off and you shouldn't ever have a problem.
__________________
Andy - Reinstated Hybrid Forum Moderator

'06 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Stock, for now
'98 Civic EX - CTR headlights and grill, Kosei K1's, for sale
'90 240SX - SR20DET that will never get installed, project car.
Reply