Well looks like I'm buying a new impact wrench tomorrow!

 

Entirely possible, given it's equally as likely to succumb to water ingress.
Just looking at RD's pics it's tight, although you might be able to cut in the middle of the flange on the poly bush to help avoid the control arm/subframe.

Jeez, I hope I never have to go through this...

 

Air die grinder with 2" cutting wheel would probably do the trick if the 4" angle grinder is too big for the space. Rotating bolt as mentioned using several cuts would probably be good practice. Not sure I like the heat idea with these components. For some of my other cars that have mostly steel parts a grind and punch is usually the most effective. Especially with suspension parts as parts are likely replaced anyway. I'd rather cut/break a bolt or bushing than an arm.

 

If you use an air hammer with an attachment that's blunt at the contact end you will very likely peen over the end of the bolt and ruin the threads. It might be possible to repair the end with a thread die if you have the right one. Otherwise, get a replacement bolt. Be aware that if you mushroom the bolt end, you may widen its diameter so that it will not pass through the various diameters along the way. Another possible option would be to cut the end of the bolt off using a die-grinder so that the bolt end won't mushroom. Be sure to obtain an OE bolt before you continue your effort.

 

Unfortunatly without a decent compressor with enough cfm air hammer will not render the impacts required to dislodge anything seized in place.

 

I'm thinking if you have an acetylene torch you can heat the bolt where it's exposed till it's red hot and use a pair of vice grips at the thread area (by the nut) and "slowly" wiggle it back and forth till the bolt moves back and forth. Once it does that spray it with WD-40 and the heat will wick the WD-40 inside the bolt hole and also shrink the bolt a little from the cold WD-40. Repeat if it still hard to turn and you should be able to get the bolt out.

~ Alan ~

 

Had to undo a lot of these type situations with all my English cars.

If there is enough room the ball joint tool that is available for free from AutoZone is basically a big C clamp. You put a big socket wrench on the end to turn the screw.

That is how we pop out these type of things, if there is enough room. Give it several turns and a small wack of the device with a hammer sometimes. More force than a hammer of any sort.

If not enough room, get the saw or grinder out. A saw blade or grinder will only do minimal damage to the part if your are careful. I would say this is the preferred method.

 

Hi John, as a metalworker for many years and not knowing exactly what you are trying to achieve, alarm bells are ringing for me when you talk of putting an air hammer to a bolt!
Normally static pressure would be applied to a bolt, like a clamp or such and the air hammer is used on the side of the metal around the bolt. The vibration from the hammer shakes the metal holding the bolt. allowing the bolt to release with the clamp pushing the bolt out. Using the air hammer on a bolt is normally a recipe for disaster as the bolt swells and then you have to drill it out. Be careful and good luck.

 

***UPDATE: SOLVED!!!! *****

Its been an all day job, but a happy ending. Guys please forgive me for not giving individual recognition, comments, and thanks - I am officially wiped out.

But you've all been so kind and giving, let me try to fill you in.

I bought a medium sized air hammer and a husky 800 ft lbs impact wrench from home depot.
I was disappointed the air hammer came with no attachment (probably for the best in the end).

Well I turned my 20 gallon compressor on and unpacked the new air tools. First up, the impact wrench. If you remember I bought and returned a $140 Ingersoll Rand impact wrench to harbor freight. It couldn't turn the bolt. I wondered if it was my compressor or the wrench. Good news, the new impact wrench didn't blink. Started to turn the bolt no problem!

Then I hooked up the air hammer. No attachments didn't stop me. You know, the darn thing hammers 3,000+ cycles per minute, i tried holding it to the threaded end of the frozen bolt. Did it have enough energy to move the bolt? No, nowhere near that, but I figured holding it there will set up vibration, perhaps motivate the pb blaster.

After doing that for a while I thought about the design of the air hammer. They put chisels on it and I've read it can be aggressive. I looked at the frozen bolt head, it was flush with the big washer and that washer was pressed up against the cylindrical metal sleeve inside the bushing. Well I thought, lets give it a try.

I grabbed a flat head screwdriver and pressed it against the bolt / washer. Pressed the business end of the air hammer against the screwdriver end and turned her on. Count to 20 and look - by golly it was working!!! I could now get a bit with the screwdriver. Repeat. . .

As the space got bigger, I swapped to larger screwdrivers. Soon enough there was a gap between the bolt head and the washer!

After wasting 15 minutes or an hour trying to use the gap as a fulcrum and lever the bolt free I remembered a suggestion from Jay and XKRday. Hammer it in / out / repeat.

Well I needed empirical evidence, grabbed my new caliper and measured the gap, bolt head face to face of washer. 3lb hammer in 1 hand 4lb hammer in the other - begin. After a few whacks i measured - wow I gained a mm! One mm at a time turned into 5mm - she was moving!

All of a sudden the bolt moved like it should! Of course the big washer follows it and clogs everything up on the firewall protrusion. We've all seen this before, I reached out to slide it back - no way! The small amount of corrosion on the smooth shaft of the bolt impeded any movement. (This is where your arms are tired ready to fall off, and you start overreacting as you begin to think about how to cur the washer off without damaging the bolt!) Eventually oxygen gets to the old brain. . .I wet the shaft with wd40, grabbed a piece of 4,000 grit sandpaper, folded it into a long thin strip, threaded it behind the bolt and turned the impact wrench on. Seconds later the shaft is shiny, washer slides easily.

Bolt was out minutes later! (Woo hoo!!!)

I should mention that I paid careful attention to the sleeve inside the bushing. Neither side spun with the stuck bolt! Guys I never would have believed it, but the bolt was locked in place by debris and corrosion on the shaft of the bolt.

God only knows what I drove through to start this but I was surprised to find both the thick and thin shim was corroded away to almost nothing!

Heartfelt thanks, appreciation and good thoughts to each of you for helping me out. I appreciate being part of this team.

John

 

:-)
Okay, how many of you were, like my buddy Bob Roy, poised to respond: "One more wheel to go John", but were afraid you'd be reading about me on the news or something? I can see it now, "New Jersey Man Drives 3 Wheeled Jaguar into Tree in Frustration!!!"

Actually it would have been pretty funny in retrospect.

Good news and a learning to file away. The other bolt popped out like it was on ball bearings! I thought about it and remembered replacing missing shims, thanks to I think it was a Race Diagnostics post a while ago. Back then, 1 or 2 yrs ago, when I pulled that bolt I took about 2 minutes to put it in the ratchet attached to a drill, some polishing compound, and fine sandpaper. Turn the drill on, she polished like new.

Wow, this paid off 1,000 times better than I ever expected. Hey I'm sure I didn't invent this one, but do file it away. Your arms and your back will thank you in a year or two!

WTH, while I'm here - quick feedback new front shocks and shock mounts. WOW! I had no idea I could wear out shocks so much in 60,000 miles! Steering feels so much tighter, big big difference!

John