Can't separate strut rod from LCA

[Markus]

I cannot separate the right hand front control arm from the strut rod. I can't even get the rod to turn within the LCA. Has anyone run into this before? Please help!!!!!

 

[n8rsk8r]

I had mine froze up pretty good, are you changing the bushings? If so, HA HA....GET A TORCH!!! That is what I did, I simply burnt the mothers out of there! :evil_gri: It is also very therapeutic! gas..spark..Burn!

 

[91taurisho]

pulled my LCA off the car along with the strut rod. I then hammered the lower control arm with a very large buckshot hammer. it eventually slif off the strut rod, it just took a while.

 

[Markus]

I had mine froze up pretty good, are you changing the bushings? If so, HA HA....GET A TORCH!!! That is what I did, I simply burnt the mothers out of there! :evil_gri: It is also very therapeutic! gas..spark..Burn!

As a matter of fact I am changing the bushings. I melted the strut rod bushings this morning when heating the nuts on the front of the strut rods. I had considered a fire wrench to free the strut rod from the LCA, and I now know I'm not the only nutcase in SHO land. Tomorrow it's LCA bushing's trial by fire.

 

[Markus]

pulled my LCA off the car along with the strut rod. I then hammered the lower control arm with a very large buckshot hammer. it eventually slif off the strut rod, it just took a while.

I hear ya. I gave up after 30 minutes and a couple of blisters. Tomorrow the old propane torch is getting sparked up!

 

[Dr. Tweak]

I've got a guide for this that should be done in a couple hours...

 

[n8rsk8r]

As a matter of fact I am changing the bushings. I melted the strut rod bushings this morning when heating the nuts on the front of the strut rods. I had considered a fire wrench to free the strut rod from the LCA, and I now know I'm not the only nutcase in SHO land. Tomorrow it's LCA bushing's trial by fire.

You need to laugh as your doing it! that will make it all the better! Oh and throw an insult every once in a while too!

 

[Racer X]

I pulled the LCA and strut rod as an assy, locked the rod in a vise, and twisted and pulled until the mother came out of there.
Fire wrench does sound like more fun tho...

 

[Markus]

I ended up not using the fire wrench. I couldn't separate the old bushing from the strut rod and would have had to used the fire wrench on the LCA with it sitting just below the rubber CV boot. I didn't think this was a good plan. I ended up cutting the LCA in half using a dremel tool and 8 reinforced cutoff wheels. It took a while but the grin on my face was huge when I finally separated the LCA from the strut rod.

 

[CrispySHO]

dont know if this was intelligent or not... but when i was changing the struts in my 1994 GL i used a 2 ton bottle jack.. =] sat it on the control arm and against the bottom of the strut... just pushed it off... note: i wasnt planning on keeping the strut... and the plate DID warp a bit

 

[htheduck]

Removal of that was a beast! Yes, propane torch.

 

[projectSHO89]

Removal of that was a beast! Yes, propane torch.

Nothing like bringing up a two-year-old thread back from the dead......

 

[Minnesho]