My buddy and I were installing my new springs and shocks the other day when we came to a problem. The bolt that holds the rear shock on the bottom is seized and won't budge. I felt like I was going to round the bolt off with the ratchet and the gun was turning anything. We didn't have anything to heat it up with so I don't know if that will work, but any suggestions would be great. Our option was to cut it off and get a new bolt and bushing. Tony from Riverside said there is no bushing separately so will I be able to reuse the bushing? Not sure if I would want to again but maybe some anti-seize goo will help. Thanks guys.

 

In for suggestions.

I had the same problem, my solution: leave that bish on there! I could get away with it (sedan sport shocks), but probably not forever. I have some penetrating oil and a long breaker bar that I'm gonna try if the weather ever improves enough.

 

Get some heat. A portable propane torch works great. Spray it and hit it with heat after it has soaked for a bit and the impact or a breaker bar should break it loose. Cutting the bolt off is fine but heat should do the trick and much easier.

 

I tried getting the bolt off again today and the rubber sleeve was just spinning with the bolt. I'll have to try something else when I have more time.

 

It happened with the rear driver's lower shock bushing bolt on my coupe when a Chicago area custom shop went to swap my shocks two weeks ago.

Apparently the inner metal sleeve is prone to corrosion which causes it to expand from it's seating in the bushing material. That's why the bolt is spinning. No amount of penetrating oil or heat (without damaging the bushing itself) is going to help.

Only solution:

They had to order the new bushing/ metal sleeve assembly which cost me $25.

They cut the shock mount with a torch and tore the bushing to get to the bolt.

 

put a box wrench on it and hit it with a hammer, the shock should break it free.

 

So I'm probably going to have to get a new bolt and bushing. Any ideas where I can get this at? Getting the bolt should be easy, just not sure about the bushing.

 

Absolutely.

I think my techs had to order the bushing/ sleeve assembly through an Infiniti or Nissan dealer. Took couple of days to get them.

 

Ok guys, I need a confirmation on the bolt and bushing.

Here is the bolt: #15

And I think this is the bushing: #2

 

I had the same problem. In my case, I was replacing the shocks and springs with the BilStein PSS10 kit. I actualy over tightened the shock bolt so that it broke the threaded end off the other side of the side. I then unspun the threaded part off the shock, and used my air hammer to hammer the bolt out. Worked like a charm. You could do the same thing, just replace the threaded part of the shock with a nut?

 

Finally got the bushing but still couldn't get the bolt off the damn thing! The metal on the inside of the bushing must have welded itself to the bolt. The rubber probably weakened and is now just spinning with the bolt. I tried beating it out with a hammer and it wasn't even budging. This made me worried about getting the entire bushing itself out since it wasn't moving either. If I can get an air hammer I'll just cut the bolt off and try popping the bushing out with the rest of the bolt in it. That's my next idea and if there's anything else you guys can help with, I'd be super grateful.

 

Can you post a pic of what you are talking about? Is the bolt still in the bushing and the bushing still in the control arm?

 

I don't have any pics but the bolt is still in the bushing and the bushing is actually in on the top of the knuckle. Whenever I "loosened" the bolt, the shock would slide over, stretching the rubber out to the left with the shock pressed up against the knuckle. Sorry, but I don't think I can get pics for a while, been busy.

 

I got it - I started by cutting into the "nut" in the back side of the shock so that when I tightened the bolt, it broke off. Once it broke off the shock, I could spin it off the bolt, and hit that bolt out with a hammer and it popped right out. The bolt is only threaded onto the nut through the shock. Once that nut is off, it should pop right out.

 

This wasn't the case with me. The nut on broke off and that's why it just keeps spinning freely with the bolt still attached to the inner metal. The rubber is grounded off one side, but that damn thing just does not want to move.