Can I remove a lower A arm bolt without completely disassembling the suspension ?

[CRAZY TRAIN 86]

Sorry if I over explain my situation.

I've been in the process of putting my front suspension back into the car.

I already fully installed the drivers side, except for fully threading on the lower A arm nuts.

I was doing the same on the passenger side and decided to start tightening the nuts.

I had obtained new Genuine GM short bolts, but after searching high & low, I could not find the long ones in Genuine GM. So I cleaned up the long ones from 1986 with a wire brush. I can't remember if I used a die to chase the threads too.

On the new short bolts the nuts started off tight and stayed that way till somewhat snug to frame. With the old long bolts and new nuts, there was only tightness for a few turns.

I removed passenger side long bolt and measured threads with a caliper. The 1st few threads measured 11.67mm and further in measured 11.47mm.
I think too much of the threads rusted away.

So is there a way to remove the drivers side long bolt WITHOUT undoing a ball joint nut & removing spring ?

Getting the spring in, even with the compressor tool was a pain in the *ss. I still have to deal with it on the passenger side, once I buy 2 new bolts that I located.

 

[403Olds]

I assume you are talking about the lower a-arms. Should be able to put a jack under the arm, and pull the bolt out, you might put a temporary bolt in from the other side as you are turning out bolt, just to hold the Arm in place. But yes, it should be doable.

The other option is to use the spring compressor to take the load off the spring, then pull the bolt out, but I'd rather pull the bolt and use another to hold the A-arm in place.

 

[Rt Jam]

I was going to reply, No. Too dangerous but 403's idea of compressing the spring will take the danger out of the equation.

As for using dies to chase threads. Dies cut and so do taps. I am a robot technician and see alot of threads cleaned up with taps and dies. Almost always you will see traces of metal in the dirt as you clean them. That is how you know too much is coming off and sometimes you can even see, the bolt can wiggle (before it's tightened) more than it used to. Use a thread chaser or just be satisfied on what you can do with a wire wheel.

 

[brrian]

I assume you are talking about the lower a-arms. Should be able to put a jack under the arm, and pull the bolt out, you might put a temporary bolt in from the other side as you are turning out bolt, just to hold the Arm in place. But yes, it should be doable.

I second this, especially the suggestion to use a temporary short bolt to hold the arm in place. Put it in as you back the other bolt out so it keeps everything aligned, then push it out with the new bolt.

I installed my springs from the back/inside, with a jack on the back of the A-arm: https://gbodyforum.com/threads/front-spring-install-methods-moog-5658.86039/post-917759

In addition to being WAY safer (in my opinion... spring just set in, no compressor needed), putting those bolts in was the one of the last steps. You'd just be doing this in reverse.

 

[CopperNick]

If you are considering cleaning those threads, the tool of choice is a thread chaser. It is a specially cut die nut that has its cutting edges undersized ever so slightly so that all it does is to "skim" the thread form and its surfaces to remove crud and rust and do some slight reshaping without doing any major cutting or material removal. They are available in metric pitch which is likely what you would be facing with the suspension. Also be aware that the matching nuts for those lower arm bolts are often what is called a "Stover Nut". In the parlance, that means the nut has been slightly deformed during the manufacturing process to alter the upper internal shape of its thread from a concentric circle to more of a triangle. This permits the nut to "lock" to the bolt without the need for lockwashers or threadlocker. While they can be re-used, their ability to relock a second time is affected because the deformation built into them gets pushed out of a triangle and back into a circle during the first use and never comes 100% back again.

As for Option B, new bolts and nuts and using temporary place markers when extracting the old ones to keep the arm aligned in position solid agreement here. You do not want either finger of that arm to drop out of position while you are doing your bolt snatch. Makes things unnecessarily complicated.



Nick

 

[64nailhead]

One bolt at a time will work. I use a good sized punch to put in the side that the bolt is being removed from that way you can move it around to get the bolt back in. And usually the taper on the end of the factory bolt will go right in with an impact.

Definitely a jack directly under the spring to support all of the weight.

 

[mikester]

You can buy the bolts you need from Belmetric. Thats where I bought all the suspension hardware for both of my cars. Grade 10.9 and they sell the correct 10.9 prevailing torque lock nuts. They even sell 10.9 washers if you need them. They sell 1 bolt or 100. They also ship quickly.

 

[69hurstolds]

M12-1.75 x 110mm. Last p/n was 11500952. Virtually unobtanium.

The "short" one is M12-1.75 x 95mm. p/n 11502603.

15556240 is the latest GM p/n for the nuts, btw.

 

[69hurstolds]

You can buy the bolts you need from Belmetric. Thats where I bought all the suspension hardware for both of my cars. Grade 10.9 and they sell the correct 10.9 prevailing torque lock nuts. They even sell 10.9 washers if you need them. They sell 1 bolt or 100. They also ship quickly.

While not a big deal, I noticed Belmetric does not sell a (black) phosphated bolt similar to OEM for this application. The size needed in this case is only available in yellow or bright zinc from Belmetric. If that matters to you, then you need to find somewhere else, or ask if they expect to get some phosphated ones in that size anytime soon. Typically, the OEMs have cone points on the ends of the bolt tips, where many of the aftermarket ones do not.

While it may not make much of a difference if the bolt is able to be torqued, reusing crimp, or locking nuts isn't all that bad providing it's still in good shape. For example, the brake master cylinder nuts to the booster. But in this case, where you really are smushing bushings across a "bridge" and the need for the bolt not to move during the A-arm movement, I'd never re-use a used crimp nut on the suspension components. That's just me, and my safety tip for the day.

Also, if you're just going to remove crud and dirt from the threads, use a brass wire wheel/brush. The brass won't eat any metal and should clean the threads well. You can always follow that up with a thread chase just to make sure. If in any doubt about a fastener's threads, strength, or ability to do it's job, replace it with new, just to be sure. Even if you have to pay 10 bucks per bolt, it is cheap insurance.

 

[mikester]

While not a big deal, I noticed Belmetric does not sell a (black) phosphated bolt similar to OEM for this application. The size needed in this case is only available in yellow or bright zinc from Belmetric. If that matters to you, then you need to find somewhere else, or ask if they expect to get some phosphated ones in that size anytime soon. Typically, the OEMs have cone points on the ends of the bolt tips, where many of the aftermarket ones do not.

While it may not make much of a difference if the bolt is able to be torqued, reusing crimp, or locking nuts isn't all that bad providing it's still in good shape. For example, the brake master cylinder nuts to the booster. But in this case, where you really are smushing bushings across a "bridge" and the need for the bolt not to move during the A-arm movement, I'd never re-use a used crimp nut on the suspension components. That's just me, and my safety tip for the day.

Also, if you're just going to remove crud and dirt from the threads, use a brass wire wheel/brush. The brass won't eat any metal and should clean the threads well. You can always follow that up with a thread chase just to make sure. If in any doubt about a fastener's threads, strength, or ability to do it's job, replace it with new, just to be sure. Even if you have to pay 10 bucks per bolt, it is cheap insurance.

I know the hardware isnt phosphated but since both of my cars are far from original for me it never made a difference. The originals on both cars were pretty rough. Youre right about reusing crimp nuts. For me theyre a one shot deal. Scary thing is Ive seen MANY street rods and quite a few drag cars put together with cheap hardware store grade 5 bolts and nylocks. Makes me cringe every time I see it. Its goes right along with the glass inline fuel filters. SMH