Removing shock absorber from lower control arm?

Question

Hi I have honda civic 93 ESI EH9
I embarked on the simple process of taking off my shock absorber and installing a adjustable coilover complete kit.

So I undscrew the top 2 nuts easy.
Now the bottom part ..... OMG
as follows
the shock absorber fits with a U shape over the lower control arm and then a bolt is put through them both which screws into a nut that is welded to the outside of the U shape.
Now stupid me did not know this at the time so i tried to unscrew from the Nut end...it was bigger so i though easier torque and grip.
So I turned it off, yea broke the welding and it came off sweet i thought nice im done just remove the bolt now as nothing is keeping it.
Thats the problem... that bolt is stuck and i have no idea why. I have used spring compressors and jack to try and ease the tension of the bolt which works i can see it works but its still stuck... I hammer the thing that the car almost comes of the axle stands but still wont come out? HELP?? I dont understand!!

See what I dont understand is that if its rusted and seized inside, the suspension would not function properly as the bushing allows for the bolt to turn inside it freely so that the shock can have different angles onto the lower control arm. So how does something get stuck if its constanly battered by shocks.

I think it must be seized yes so ill try some wd40 and hammer some more.

Bearing in mind that the all the force of the shock and LCA has to go through the Bolt as the bolt is the only thing that connects the 2. So i figure i must get the LCA and shock in equilibrium so that the one is not putting a force onto the other which would "jamm" the bolt from being easily removed.

Any other ideas?

Answer 1

Well if you can weld the nut back on I would suggest doing that. it will make this a lot easier.
Otherwise get a punch that is slightly smaller than the bolt. Line up the punch with the bolt and smack it a few good times with a BFH.

Centrallizing all the force should knock the bolt loose.

If this doesnt work then get a propane torch and heat up the outside of the U joint and then pount on the bolt and the bolt should pop right out.

However I would highly recommend welding that nut back into place with the bolt still in this way it is lined up perfectly.

Answer 2

The bolt is stuck in the sleeve of the lower control arm..it is rusted in and will not come out without ruining the control arm bushing if forced....Large Quantities of WD or your favorite are in order....then smack the bolt end of it with a hammer...this will shock/loosen the rust in the bushing sleeve..
not too much force and lots of patience... good luck

Answer 3

Its probably seized in side the shock. Hot wrench it. Get it glowing red hot and drive it out.
You can also cut the shock off.
The shock bushing is absorbing the impact from the hammer.
go to www.autozone.com for photos.

Answer 4

hi just a thought is the bolt threaded at both ends so that it does not pinch the bottom of the shock absorber to the lower control arm ( just a thought)

Answer 5

you still have pressure on the strut assembly, u need to move the jack stands to the body area of the car and not in the suspension at all....also be cautious not to remove the center nut on the strut unless spring compressor is completely and properly attatched