As some of you may know, for the last three months or so, I've had coilovers in the front and stock springs in the back due to lca bolt problems. Well, today I managed to get my hands on replacement rear strut bolts and began to install my rear coilovers. Unfortunately, I've run into a very, very frustrating problem. The nut that is supposed to be spot-welded to the shock broke off and the head of the strut bolt broke off, meaning I have a bolt shaft holding my rear strut in place. Any ideas on how to get the damned thing out? I've tried hammering it for the last half hour or so... would drilling it out work?

 

Air chisel? Slegehammer and a punch?

 

unfortunately, I don't have access to air tools... and I've been using a 3-lb mini sledge and a punch to hammer it... it hasn't really moved (maybe a few mm... not much at all)

 

You could try to drill it out but you might mess up the bushing. Can you take a picture of it as it is now?

 

I'll see what I can do, but the only camera I have access to right now is my phone, so I'm not promising great photo quality

EDIT: ok... here's an idea... would I be able to just cut the bottom of the shock off? Like where the bolts go through. Because I have KYB AGX shocks to throw on, so I don't need the stock shocks anymore.

 

Okay, got some pics:

 

you could cut through the bracket, don't cut the gas filled part obviously. But then you still have to get the bolt out of the control arm...

 

is that ur bushing(circled in red)?? i dunno any other way of getting that out other than strong air hammer or drill...cutting the shock fork wont do anything, the bolt is seized up in the bushing. theres a metal ring in the bushing that the bolt seizes too which is why this kinda thing always happens[&:]

[IMG]local://upfiles/4748/5CC5E83F06F84BF9BDAED376E21BA944.jpg[/IMG]

 

yeah it is... and civicex... have any advice for getting it out of the bushing? Because I pretty much need to have my car driveable by monday or else I have to find some other way to get to work.

edit: wait... so you think drilling it out will work? Because if that's the case, I can definitely do that... but with a 3" long or so bolt, it might take some time lol

 

OH.... AJ, you're right, that is the metal collar of the bushing. I couldn't tell what was going on in that picture

Your bushing is junk now... you will need a new bushing, or a whole new control arm. If the metal sleeve got pushed that far out, the rubber is totally shot