Ok so here’s what’s up, I’m in the process of fitting my new suspension onto my 07 type S. 3 corners went smoothly, but the final corner, the driver’s front, I’m having a BIG problem. The bolt that connects the bottom of the strut to the lower arm is completely seized in the bushing. No amount of hammering, wrenching, or prying (or PB) will get this bolt to do anything but twist the rubber of the bushing.

So here’s what I need to know:

Is there a trick to removing this bolt?

If I can get my hands on an air impact gun will that be able to losen the bolt without tearing the bushing? My sissy electric impact wont budge the damn thing.

If neither of those options will work, is it semi-safe to drive a car that’s been lowered in 3 corners to a near by shop to have them remove it? And what shop would you guys recommend that I go to (for those of you in the NW suburbs of Chicago) to do this. Would a midas be able to do this?

Thanks in advance for any help!!

 

Tried a 6 foot breaker bar - no dice.

Tried a sledge hammer - didn't move.

Anyone?

 

so the nut that connects the bolt is off right?
if you cant seem to get the bolt to budge, seek professional help. ive seen these bolts break off inside the bushing. which means new bushings need to be installed.
soak and soak that pb solvent in/on/near where ever you can squirt it in. wait then soak it again. wait. use that breaker bar and attatch a cheater pipe or anything to give you more lverage. but be advise move up and down up and down up and down. if you just try to lossen it you'll snap it right off.
please note doing this might break the bolt, which means you'll be grounded to your driveway till a new bushing is pressed in.
so be careful if you decided to do this. or save your headache and take it to the dealer.

 

Lets get the stupid stuff out of the way first..

Do you have the corner in the air or on the ground and did your release / loosen the securing self locking nut?

Are you sure you have the torque orientation correct? Because you'll be torqueing the opposite of the direction as you did on the passenger side. So if you were leveraging down to release the bolt on the passenger side you'd be leveraging up to release the driver's side. Righty tighty lefty loosey.. Sounds stupid but everyone has brain farts.

Now assuming all that is squared away, I would drench more PB in there and let it sit and then come back to it. I cant imagine you used a 6 foot breaker bar and it didn't move.. that means it's more seized than the crank pulley and that sucker typically needs at least a 3/4 drive 1000 lb gun to remove.. which sounds like an anomaly to me.

I think if all else fails.. you might have to grab new hardware and grind the nut off and hammer out the remaining part of the bolt. Keep us updated.

 

grind what nut off? i must have been thinking of a different bolt in my previous posts

...oh wait i got it. that is to say the nut itself is coming undone!

 

Took the car to Pep boys, their air tools wouldnt even move that damn bolt! So im grabbing a new bolt and bushing from acura tomorrow and pep boys is gonna cut the old one out and press the new one in. Hopefully that works and doesnt cost me an arm and a leg!

On a side note, cars with 3 lowered corners do NOT like being driven haha