OUPS!... need MEGA help for MEGA problem...

[morgie]

I'm changing some bushing here and there in the car... tonight was the time to do the -I will call that the "Trailing arms" (i dont know the name) -bushing....

First, let's look at a picture.


This part is located in the rear suspension, in front of the wheel, under the rear door....

First we tried to un-bolt the bolt that goes trough the bushing, but there is just enougth place to use a key (no ratchet, no impac drivers.. etc) and the bolt was jammed into rust.

We looked around, and decided to unbolt the bracket that holds the trailing arm ... We attacked the first bolt with an "air-driven Impact driver"... seemed to be very hard but we continued... and that was the bad decision... after 10-15 seconds, the bolt became very loose ... but was not "unbolted" ... in fact, that bolt seems to be bolted into a "bolt", welded _INTO_ the frame. And in my situation, the "weld" have broken, so now, the bolt is loose IN the frame .... and there is _NO_ way i can reach to that bolt !!!!!!!!!!


MAJOR D'OH !! hehe


The only solution i See, is to drill a 1-2" hole into the metal under the back-set ,just over the location of that bolt, into the frame, and that way we could reach to the bolt with a box and an extention.

see any other solution ?

there is a cross-member bolted just in front of that braket... maybe there is a hole under that and so we could reach to our bolt by there.. but that's not certain ...


help please.. hehe

thanx

[vrg3]

Maybe you should give another try at getting the through-bushing bolt out first, if only to give you more room to work.

Get some PB Blaster. Liquid Wrench or even WD-40 will probably do, but PB Blaster is the best I've used:
http://www.pbblaster.com/store/moreinfo ... oduct_ID=1

I've bought it from auto parts stores, hardware stores, and even my local supermarket.

Don't spray it on yet, though. First, use a propane torch and heat up the whole area around the bolt. Be careful not to burn the bushing and especially not to let it catch fire. After it's all warmed up, spray the heck out of it with PB Blaster. Let it sit for a minute or so, and then try to undo the bolt with an offset box wrench:
http://www.sears.com/data/product_image ... 000-dv.jpg

You can use a mallet or hammer on the box wrench.

I have used this technique to remove a lot of rusted-on fasteners and it always amazes me.

But that still won't solve your problem... Maybe you will have to cut a hole elsewhere to get to the other side. Are you sure there's a nut on the other side whose weld has come loose?

[morgie]

Thanks for the infos, i'll sure get more equipped now ... to avoid that kind of problem :\

I'm sure about the nut cuz on the other side of the bracket (the side with 2 nuts) , there is a hole in the frame, about 2" away from the bracket, with a rubber cap. we removed it and was able to "feel" the 2 bolts with our fingers... :\

[morgie]

Ok, i got infos on that from my beloved dealership

1 - there should be an acces to the frame near that bolt (probably the cross-member)

2 - Cut the old bolt/nut as close to the frame as i can

3 - Remove the part still in the frame

4 - Buy new bolt + nut. weld a metal wire (une broche) to the bolt, and slip it into the frame via the acces hole. the wire should be strong enougth to hold the bolt in place while i screw the nut in...

5 - Screw the nut into place.

6 - Cut the metal wire where i can.. and close the acces to the inside of the frame.

7 - Sit back and relax.

[morgie]

I talked to a guy in Mtrl who rebuilts smashed subarus, and he had the same problem has i have..

he used the solution i tought in the first post.

drill a 1-2" hole into the metal under the back-seat ,just over the location of that bolt, into the frame, and that way we could reach to the bolt with a box and an extention.

So if you ever experience that problem, you'll now have to solutions ! hehe

[morgie]

Finally, "Another job well done"


HiRes : http://images3.fotki.com/v29/free/b857d ... img-or.jpg