CGaud

Lowering my 03 Vic has been troublesome. Seized bolts on both rear struts made me resort to an auto shop to have them muscle them out. Tried PB Blaster and heating it up with a propane torch but only ended up failing miserably and some what stripping a bolt.
Weather here in UT can get harsh and I think that's where the problem stems from. I keep the car relatively clean and in good maintainence. The auto shop has had it all day and just called to say they need it Monday also. I was curious if anyone else ran into problems like this.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i had the same issue and took it to the shop without even trying. as i was thinking, they had to cut everything off to change em. it was all rusted and messed, and i wouldve been screwed had i tried myself.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

Its all part of the game. I had to remove a rusted bolt on my dads truck.. probably took over 2 hours. Whole job should have taken me 2 hours.

Its just what happens..

Dont feel bad, happens even to the professional mechanics. Have the proper tools and right knowledge is what makes it easy or not.

Btw, sometimes propane is not hot enough.

Sometimes even mapp gas is not enough.

Must use oxy acetylene.

krudmuphin

iTrader: (1)

I don't have the same problem, luckily...
But on a general note, I agree with you that lowering is a lot of trouble. So far I've had to readjust several parts like the coilover top lock nuts and strut bar endlinks which are constantly coming loose for some reason, I've got several loud clunks and popping noises, and of course the most obligatory problem... tire rubbing...

My car isn't even very low. I wish I could go lower, but there's already too many problems to even consider such a thing right now

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

its mostly that lowering the car puts stress on all the weak oem parts so you have to keep replacing with upgraded bushings and links to keep it going. otherwise you will just tear everything apart in the suspension. i still think its worth having at least 1 inch drop for the looks and handling. no need to be slammed.

CGaud

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has had issues. I've been stockpiling parts (bushings, sway bar, front lcas, etc) so I could do a complete suspension overhaul and prevent certain parts from failing due to the extra stress from the drop. I planned for some things just not the seized bolts (I've already made numerous trips to the dealer to replace broken and stripped bolts). I sure hope my suspension doesn't pop and squeak once my coilovers are on. On install I made sure to put anti seize on all the bolts I was putting back in and I also picked up some MOOG sway links bc my old ones were damaged on removal. Think I read in a thread that they were pretty strong.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah the moogs should work nicely and are very quiet (internally greased already). the only squeaks i get are from poly lca bushings but only in winter when turning sharply or going over driveway humps or speed bumps. they have almost no noise in summer and never any noise during normal driving.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

ahhh, frozen bolts and rusted nuts... how we love then, to the point of finding out that we did not know how many swearing words we knew. very satisfying when you finish the job, though.

CGaud

I picked up some poly lcas and slapped them on. Got MOOG links front and back also. Got around to installing a Nuespeed rear sway w/ energy bushings. When I get those bolts off I just need to dial in my ride height and get an alignment. Can't wait to feel the difference! So frustrating getting to this point

MindBomber

These bolts seizing are probably the most common and difficult to remove when they do on the entire car, because they often seize to the metal collar inside the bushing making cutting them out the only option. I prefer bearing grease to anti-seize on suspension bolts, cheaper and more effective.

CGaud

great advice.... maybe i'll pull them out and grease them up now while I still have a chance. Would u recommend applying the grease to your sway bar links as well?

Also, would u recommend cutting and grinding them yourself... what tool would u recommend (air tools a non option)? I know most people would probably say a Dremel but I've seen how thick that bushing collar is and it just might be too much metal to cut through. Just asking for future reference.

MindBomber

I have bearing grease on my endlinks, so yes, I'd recommend it.
I reserve anti-seize for all things engine related now and use bearing grease for everything else, but it's important to keep in mind using either can make over torquing bolts easy and that's probably more true for bearing grease.

If a person were to attempt to cut it out with a dremel, they would be there for a very long time and go through a great many tiny cutting blades if they even managed to get deep enough. On a tight budget, a hack saw would be my suggestion. You're cutting through a very thick grade 8 suspension bolt however, so be patience will be necessary. I use a reciprocating saw and usually the blade has a lot of life taken off cutting through the bolt, but it's the easiest way in terms of effort and getting the blade at the bolt since it's a narrow gap. Other people use a grinder with a cutting disk, but given angle and tightness of the space I would advice serious caution using one. A reciprocating saw is a very useful power tool to have around the house, and you can get corded home owner grade versions pretty inexpensively, if that eases the pain of buying one to cut through bolts.

Aetoc

iTrader: (1)

I had those same bolts seize up on me and we managed to get it to a point where we tore the bushing apart and it was rotating with the bolt. Ended up cutting the whole thing apart with an oxy acetylene torch and replacing the bolts and struts...but it worked lol

CGaud

Recipricating saw never crossed my mind... Are we talking jigsaw or saw zaw? I agree that the space is a little cramped and I'm guessing you'd come across issues with a hacksaw, atleast for the the front LCA bolts.

My bushing was torn like you said but even vice grips couldn't grip the collar enough to break it loose. They used a disc grinder to cut and remove the bolt on the LCA. Still no word if they were able to remove the lower rear strut bolts.

mr22508

I had both rear lower strut mount bushings seize up on me and couldnt get them off. So I bought a bigger jack to get the vehicle higher 80 bucks, bought a adjustable head Ratchet to get into the tight spot and alot of cussing and using all my 225 to break it free... and they popped loose!