In the process of changing a front air spring.

All was going well until I got the the lower of the two bolts on the strut to the hub. The lower bolts is seized in place. I have been just about able to turn it with a socket and extensions, but even with a clump hammer on the other end with the nut on it won't budge. Don't have a welding torch. Have applied liberal amounts of WD40, but it probably not getting in where it needs to.



Am prepared to destroy it if necessary (Grinder / hammer / drill etc. All suggestions welcome  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Last edited by Joe90 on 30th Oct 2011 7:06pm. Edited 2 times in total

It shouldn't be that tight, are you trying to loosen the nut end or bolt end. If you have a breaker bar and a piece of tubing that will fit over it for extra leverage.

If the socket, or spanner is a good tight fit, you could use a bottle jack or trolley jack to to put extra pressure on it. Or if you have an extending wheel nut wrench they are great for extra force on nuts/bolts. Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

I have 2 breaker bars for things like that.

One bar leans down against the ground on one side of the bolt and the other I use as leverage against it - sometimes with a scaffold bar over it. V8 or else ...

See what was needed just to undo the nuts (they have come off OK, it's just the lower bolt that is being stubborn)

 .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

If the nut is off the lower bolt should push through, it isn't threaded.

If it won't push through use the tube and 'crack' the rust by jumping on it....carefully

If you have a good fitting socket, 6 point not 12 point you can use a breaker bar/ tube and prop the end off the ground with a brick or lump of wood and gently lower the car jack. Gravity is a wonderful thing when backed up by a b y great weight.

I have a five foot long, 750lb torque wrench for such occasions, plus plenty of BFI (Brute Force and Ignorance!!)

We have a five foot bar for those bolts! If you have it moving slightly then just keep moving it a little at a time (spraying it with WD40) and trust me it will get easier and easier. We have taken 2 hours to work those bolts out sometimes!

Dont round the threaded end of the bolt over by hammering it as you may not get it through the hole when you finally get it loose...

Just keep working it with a socket and bar (you are just breaking down the corrosion between the bolt and hub bracket)

Remember to put lots of grease on when re-assembling so it can come apart next time!

Craig

Leave nut on end of bolt if you're going to bash f k out of it, so it doesn't "mushroom" the end, simples...

Thanks to all for advice and encouragement, with the first few attempts failing, had to walk away and think about it, so more of the same tomorrow. I will persevere with working the bolt round rather than beating the s t out of it  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Success!

With a new breaker bar (16" 1/2" drive from Halfords), 22mm deep socket with six faces, three trampoline legs, and a 6lb clump hammer.



Proof!



It took @ 15 minutes of winding it round face by face, before I could get down to two trampoline legs, and about another five before a bang with the mallet on the nut started to move it out, once I removed the nut it just tapped straight out. The nut is a bit knackered, and the bolt has seen better days, so I'll be getting a new one to refit.

The rest of the airspring removal went without problem. A full photo tutorial is on its way once i have the new one to fit back in.

Thanks again for the advice and encouragement.

[EDIT] Also funny but painful (for me) story to go with this. We had a light drizzle earlier today whilst I was working on car outside, so I grabbed the sun parasol from the garden shed. This worked well until a gust of wind blew it out of the stand and it started heading towards the other cars in the drive. In order to prevent damage I jumped up and started to run after it, at which point I tripped over the extension lever on my jack, and did the running but not quite falling over routine, before I hit the deck, bruising/cracking about three ribs and a cracking cut to my knee. Thank goodness there was no-one about with a video camera So the rest of the day was successful but I suffered for my art  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Glad you got it sorted.

Can totally relate to the fall. Last winter i went out the garage with a full kettle of boiling water, poured it over the lock, turned to go back to the house and slipped on the ice , landed on the kettle and crushed my fingers.

got up, dusted myself down, thought " good, no one is here to see that" went back to the house.

few minutes later a knock at the door. The neighbour popped over and commented how he had seen me fall and wanted to see I was ok ... doh !  V8 or else ...

As my dad always said "you know you have done a good job when blood has been shed!" [img]http://www.fuelly.com/driver/rob2529/range-rover[img/]
04, 4.4V8, Vogue Oslo Blue with LPG.
"You can sleep in your car, BUT you can't race your house!!!!"

If something can't be fixed with a hammer....... You have yourself an electrical fault!