[GTJIM (R.I.P.)]

Bolt from Hell!

Welcome to the "Bolt from Hell" Club!

There is a pic in my gallery of the remains of this bolt once I had removed it.
Took LOTS of heat, Rust Blaster (penetrating Oil), Nitic Acid and HEAPS of bashing.

1) cut off the bolt close to the inner ends of the rubber bushes being careful not to cut the tube that is welded into the crossmember.
2) Carefully centre dot the end of the bolt and drill a 10mm hole in about 20mm ( so that the bottom of it is inside the steel sleeve the the centre section of the blot is rusted into.
3) HEAT and penetrating oil in abundance
4) Use a 10mm allen head cap screww as a drift (ther only thing strong enough - long serries pin punches just wilt and bend!)
5) suport the othe rend of the tube with a steel bar with a 12.5mm hole in it so that ALL the "bashing" force is contained in the tube and not transfered to the weaker cross member. (using the thich castor spacer betweenthe tube and the bar is a god idea.
6)BASH, HEAT AND OIL - till remains of bolt comes out

BTW - much easier done if the suspensionis out of the car !!

 

[GTJIM (R.I.P.)]

New Bolt, Upper Control Arm

i would get new ones first just to be on the safe side
now if i could only remember where we got the replacement bolts
Davegt27

OGTS has them listed as Part #3018 -- $15.00 .. in November, 2002
Check to see if they have them and what the present price is.

When refitting the (expensive!) new ones coat them with 'Rescue Steel' or Anti-seize paste so that the next time they are repalce no one will be blaming the P O for not doing it.

 

[GTJIM (R.I.P.)]

Replacement Bolt

BTW: The bolt is M12 X 1.75mm pitch X 218mm long - Grade 10.9

Quinton-Hazel had a kit with a pair of them in it - LOTS made as it is the same as the ones for Kadetts.

I guess a 225mm long M12 bolt of the right grade would do the job - needs a nylock nut on the end too as the originals had a deformed nut for locking.