So this morning I decided to install my D2's in the rear and if I had enough time I'd do the front. Should have been an easy enough job right? Well it turns out the previous owner may have been riding on the same shocks he got when he bought the car because no matter what I tried I couldnt get the bottom shock tower bolt loose. After about 20 mins of fucking with it...deep creep and heat I got another wrench for some added leverage and while pulling on it broke the head off the bolt that fastens the shock tower to the suspension parts. I now have the other side...which I think was welded in place on the shock tower and the bolt still in place. I've been thinking of drilling it out but not too sure because I dont have a lot of clearance in there. The way honda designed the rear suspension is fucking ***. Its SO much easier and so much more room in the rear suspension of my 6th gen. Anyway...what should I do? Is the 19mm nut usually welded in place on the OEM strut tower? The side I broke off is the 17mm side with the head on it. Should I just try to drill it out or should I try to get a cut off tool and go at it? Should I just say fuck it and take it into meineke? Help me out guys. thanks.
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drill or hammer it out... -
Cant hammer it out...atleast not from my position because the other side side 19mm is either welded on or heatwelded and seized from being on there so long and the rest of the bolt is threaded into it. I am going to try to drill it out...but again I cant get a really good angle because I am working on jack stands and cant get my car much higher than what its at.Comment
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Turning your wheel will give you more room if you havent done that yet and a pic would help a lot.
The New-ish Ride
My old Ride
Hear my Vtak!!!
MK3 Member #3
I piss off people for fun.
IA 08 Sunburn Victim #1Comment
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Its the rear wheel cant turn it. I will try to get a pic but my card reader is missing in action. I may have to buy another one.Comment
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ahh shit didnt read that clear but yea get a pic up it would help more.
The New-ish Ride
My old Ride
Hear my Vtak!!!
MK3 Member #3
I piss off people for fun.
IA 08 Sunburn Victim #1Comment
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Ya this is killing me. From all the DIY I read on this site it said nothing about the nut that the bolt threads thru being welded to the strut mount. Thats the way my 6th gen is but when I turn that bolt it comes right out instead of breaking like this one did. I went and bought an air chisel set and Im tring to cut off that nut now so that I might be able to hammer the bolt out from the bushing then just put the new coilovers on there...my mind is starting to go to mush from staring at this nut tho.Comment
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Yes, the bolt is welded to the mount in the rear.
If you broke off the head of the bolt, the easiest way would be to try and break the nut that is welded in there off. Try to dremel or cut around the edges, then try to turn it with a breaker bar. Then you can take the bolt out, and then just get a nut and bolt to replace it with.
I wouldnt drive too far if the head is broken off the rear bolt either, shouldnt break but you never know.Comment
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well i had this happen with my rear bolts too!!!!! i drove around like it for 1 week.....i mena common there is a hella lots of pressure keeping that thing in and if u can;t get it out by extreme forces u should be ok.....
as to taking it out, cut off the welded end.....use a torch and heat up the bolt and bushing, hammer both out and replace with new bushing and bolt. the reason why it broke was because the bolt seized up in the bushing. i'd replace both rear sides if i were u (botl and bushing). if u don;t have the tools to do this, just take it to a shop and bout 30min later both sides should be done......hope this helps.Comment
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Ya I think I will take it to a shop and let them cut off the welded end. I've been hitting it with an air chisel for about 3 hours now and its not even half way through. I'll just buy new bushings from honda and have the shop put them in...then come home unbolt everything and put my coilovers on. I think that will be the best thing to do. Im not ready to pay some shop 300+ to install the coilovers especially when all that needs to be done after that nut is gone is pull the old one and put the new one in.Comment
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good man...just try and do most of the work yourself....
nothing better than a tuner that does 90% of the work himself....not like alot of them that really have no idea what is done to their car or how to install the things lol
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We'll have to see how things work out. Im sure the front will be more of a mess. Hopefully I can get this fixed soon. I've got a guy that works for the honda dealership checking on bushings for me.Comment
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haha, i did the same exact thing on my eg civic.
planned on doing it all in the morning and snapped the head of that bolt off. most people i talk to cut around the bushing, cutting the bolt. then you can take the head off, and take the other end out with vice grips, put a new bolt and bushing in. Overall it's a huge pain in the ass, i didn't even F with it on the civic, i just tacked that bolt in place where i snapped the head off.
as far as front goes, it shouldn't be too bad, i did the fronts on my cb7 the other day and i didn't even need a torch. granted i took the whole front knuckle off, but still, not that bad. i took both front knuckles off, put two new rotors on, replaced 2 springs, and put it all back together in a few hours
good luck lemme know how it goesComment
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Back to the grind...
Driving around with it like that didnt hurt anything. It was fine for about 3 weeks. This morning I decided to tackle it again since its going to be nice this weekend. After about 5 hours of cutting and hammering and prying I got the other side off. Now I am stuck with the bolt, still siezed, and the bushing. Should I grab a torch and try to burn it out and hit it with a hammer or what? I have no clue what to do with it now.
Bottom one is the broken off bolt and bushing
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