20 replies to this topic

[Elwyn]

Hello

 

1993 L  reg SPI Cooper

 

I am removing and replacing my radius arms

Only one side so far

I've got almost everything loose, undone and disconnected

No snapped / sheared anything 

Not yet anyway

 

But there's one bolt I can't get to

 

Of the 4 bolts that hold the radius arm in place at the wheel arch end

The two vertical bolts that connect the radius arm into the bracket were fine. Both out.

There are then a further 2 bolts that sit horizontally, one above and one below the radius arm.

The top one came out without a hitch

 

Getting to the point...

I can't get to the bottom of these two bolts

It's a half inch bolt head

But the space between the radius arm and the bracket is too small to get a half inch socket onto the bolt head

I've watched a few youtube videos of people doing this job and nobody seem to have had the same problem

 

Anyone had the same problem?

 

Any tips for getting over / around it?

 

Thanks

 

Elwyn

[nicklouse]

No idea what bolt you are trying to undo. The bracket is held on by 4 bolts. Two in vertical orientation.Then there are two that are fitted from under the car. These two screw into captive nuts on the subframe.

 

maybe a picture of your actual problem.

[GraemeC]

You will need to lift the arm up - usually there is a 'sweet spot' that gives best access.  To do this you will need to remove the trumpet so you are not pushing against the suspension cone.

Then the slimmest socket you can find - it the others haven't put up too much of a fight then 1/4" drive, but you can usually get a 3/8" drive one in (1/2" drive are just too bulky)

 

 

Two in vertical orientation.Then there are two that are fitted from under the car. 

 

Erm - are the ones from underneath not vertical?

His description is quite clear - it is the bottom of the two horizontal ones he's struggling with.

Edited by GraemeC, 06 December 2020 - 06:55 PM.

[nicklouse]

Now I re read it yep.

 

Must be using 1/2 drive kit? Thinking back I seem to remember, as you say a sweet spot.  But not having used 1/2 drive kit for years I had forgotten this.

[Elwyn]

Thanks all

I'll push, pull and fettle with a smaller socket set and a slim socket, if I can find one

Or I'll make Mr Bezos a little richer if I really have to

Thanks again

[orcadian]

Hi Elwyn,
As you say, the head is 1/2 in A/F hex (5/16 UNF thread) and I always use a 3/8 drive socket but never a 12 sided one. A 1/2 drive set causes you to put the socket on at a slight angle, which you don't want. Tap the end of the bolt a couple of times with a hammer and flat ended punch. Then try just tightening it a tiny bit to release the rust. Then work it back and forth (like tapping a thread) occasionally squirting with penetrating oil. If it starts to bind up as you unscrew it, don't keep going in that direction but work it back and forth again. I've never broken one yet in more than 50 years of fighting with the little swines!

Ian

[orcadian]

Hi Elwyn,
As you say, the head is 1/2 in A/F hex (5/16 UNF thread) and I always use a 3/8 drive socket but never a 12 sided one. A 1/2 drive set causes you to put the socket on at a slight angle, which you don't want. Tap the end of the bolt a couple of times with a hammer and flat ended punch. Then try just tightening it a tiny bit to release the rust. Then work it back and forth (like tapping a thread) occasionally squirting with penetrating oil. If it starts to bind up as you unscrew it, don't keep going in that direction but work it back and forth again. I've never broken one yet in more than 50 years of fighting with the little swines!

Ian

[humph]

I built up my rear subby a couple of weeks ago, this bolt is far easier with a 3/8 drive socket than a 1/2 inch drive as the sockets are slightly narrower.

[Elwyn]

It's cold and dark, I don't have a garage

I do I all my knuckle skinning on the drive

Torch and optimism....here goes

Can't wait till the morning to see how I get on

[Elwyn]

It's off

All bolts survived

Hooray!

Shock absorber, radius arm and old trumpet / cone....all off and out

Tomorrow, the other side

Ruddy fuel tank in the way......grrrr

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you 

You wonderful people

[nicklouse]

It's cold and dark, I don't have a garage

I do I all my knuckle skinning on the drive

Torch and optimism....here goes

Can't wait till the morning to see how I get on

I remember the days. But it is so satisfying.

[GraemeC]

If..... and it’s a big if...... you can get that troublesome bolt out without having to move the arm up or down, you might get it in bits without undoing the shock at the top - just gradually take it off the pin on the radius arm as you remove the arm.

[Elwyn]

If..... and it’s a big if...... you can get that troublesome bolt out without having to move the arm up or down, you might get it in bits without undoing the shock at the top - just gradually take it off the pin on the radius arm as you remove the arm.

My shock absorbers (front 2 replaced, rear right now out / off) are (excuse the pun), shocking

Rotten and useless

So although it's a bit of a fiddle to move the tank out of the way, it's on my list of essential things to do

Already got the KYB shock absorbers to go in

I moved the tank a few months ago to replace the fuel filter (and pipework either side)

It was a bit of a pain

Certainly no good for my spine

More of a faff and a challenge putting it back, from memory

Edited by Elwyn, 06 December 2020 - 08:02 PM.

[Elwyn]

Day 2

Near side radius arm

Yesterday was a joy

Today was a nightmare

Of the 4 bolts, 3 sheared off at the head / shoulder at the first application of gentle leverage

The two vertical bolts : sheared off

The lower of the two horizontal bolts : sheared off

 

Tips?

 

I have a set of bolt extractors

The ones where you drill a hole in the end of the bolt, hammer an extractor in, struggle to grip the square end and get bl**dy nowhere

And these are rusted / seized bolts

 

I have a gas blow torch, but the heads are sheared off

Nothing to grip

 

Drill out the bolts?
Special drill bits?
Left handed in the hope that the rotating drill bit also loosens the purchase?

Any suggestions which drill bits to buy?
I don't have any of these

 

I've seen radius arm disaster videos where the rear sub frame has had to be removed, but I'd still need to get the bolts out, so I'm not sure how that helps

 

Recoil kit if I can drill the bolts out?

Tap and helicoil?

Size / spec of kit needed?

 

Sorry for all the questions

 

Hope you can help

Edited by Elwyn, 07 December 2020 - 05:43 PM.

[GraemeC]

Avoid the spiral easy-out devices - spawn of the devil designed to make your day worse.

 

If there is the slightest stump left, either weld a nut to it (the heat created will help free it) or...

grind it flush so you can get a good centre mark then drill it out - gradually going up drill bit sizes until there are only really the threads left to pick out. LH drill bits might help, they might not.

 

The two vertical bolts have their captive nuts accessible once the arm is out.  You can drill these out completely then weld a new nut in.  In fact you can use a longer bolt and use a normal nut on top of the old one, but it is a bit more fiddly to re-assemble.

 

I don't think there is enough 'meat' to helicoil the horizontal ones. You really need to persevere and get the remains of the bolt out of these. (this is where dropping the subframe come is as they are accessible from the other side).

 

 

Apply liberal amounts of PROPER penetrating fluid such as PlusGas (not 'standard' WD40) - every few hours over 24 hours to let it soak in and do its job.