June 11, 200916 yr 92 SVX (AWD), trying to swap a rear knuckle to "fix" a failing rear bearing in my wife's DD. (I have a project car available, and cash-flow mitigates against replacing bearing at this time.) Trying to break loose the nut-and-bolt that connects the trailing link to the rear knuckle has been a total PITA. On my project/donor car, it took me a week of "penetrant soak/heat/soak, repeat daily" to get the darn bolt to break loose. My 1/2" impact (admittedly mediocre) did little except mangle the bolt head, and my 12-point box-end wrench started to round the nut. Finally, after a week, my 2' breaker-bar and some choice words finally got the bolt to loosen. I am 1-1/2 weeks into the same routine on (what was) my wife's DD. These are PNW, non-rusty vehicles. The long bolts on the transverse links came out like they were installed yesterday. Everything else breaks free pretty as you please. BUT... There is no room to fit a socket on the trailing link's nut, so I am resigned to torque it loose from the bolt head. Nice rubber bushing, so that whole assemble moves/twists as you try to apply torque, causing socket to try and twist sideways off of the bolt head. ARRGGHH!!!! All the horror stories that I have read about working on Legacy-class rear knuckles have only mentioned that long bolt. What am I missing, what do I need to do to break loose that silly trailing-link bolt??? Edited June 12, 200916 yr by NorthWet Shakespeare paraphrase not effective enough as title
June 11, 200916 yr I had a similar problem with one of the 12 head bolts. The head got buggered upon removal. I ended up getting a Irwin bolt extractor kit from HD (Sears, Snap On, ect also carry them). I was impressed it actually worked with the given amount of torque that was on there. The extractor bit is now stuck to that removed bolt. I ended up also buying a Snap-On socket for that head. Fits like a glove unlike Craftsman or Stanley sockets. If I had used one from the beginning I probably wouldn't have had a problem to begin with. Edited June 17, 200916 yr by 98sub2500leg clarification
June 11, 200916 yr Author I have all sorts of implements of destruction, including nut splitters and cutoff saws. I have thought of cutting off the nut, the bolt head, or both. My concern with doing something like that which is irreversible is that if the bolt shank is stuck in the bushing that I may be unable to shift it out. (No room on the backingplate side to remove the bolt remnants or too drift the remnants out the other way.)
June 11, 200916 yr Hmm... That's unusual. It's usually that long lateral link bolt that gives people fits. That bushing is trashed so you should go ahead and order a new one. Do you have room to cut the bolt head off with an angle grinder and then put a two-jaw puller on there to push the bushing through the lateral link/pull the link off the bushing?
June 11, 200916 yr The splitter shouldn't damage the bolt, it just causes the nut to crack all the way through, at least when it's big enough, like in this case.
June 11, 200916 yr Author Regarding the splitter, early on I had dismissed using one and promptly forgot why (just knowing it wouldn't be useful was enough to remember ). The reason is that it is a flange-nut, and I have not considered a splitter to be useful on this type of nut (though this may be false thinking as I have never tried it). The bushing is fine, no need to destroy it. It just flexes when 200+ft-lbs is applied to it...
June 12, 200916 yr Either the flange will crack with the main body, or it will not. I used a splitter on a nut with a captive washer, not quite the same, but the washer didn't stop the nut from cracking.
June 13, 200916 yr Author Bump... Certainly some of you have removed the rear hub/knuckle on your Legacy or Imp, right?
June 13, 200916 yr Have you tried a 6 point socket with an impact wrench? Suspension bolts are usually a pain in the rump roast no matter what... I've never actually had to remove an entire knuckle before, at least not on an SVX.
June 14, 200916 yr Author Can't fit a socket on the nut side due to interference with the brake backing plate. (Well, maybe the socket but not the tool to turn the socket.) Both impact and augmented breaker-bar w/ 6-pt impact socket has been used on the bolt head. This should be the same link/bolt/attachment as a Legacy; I am surprised that it is such an issue for me (on 2 different vehicles!) and hasn't been mentioned before on bearing/hub work.
June 17, 200916 yr Could you fit an angle grinder with a cutting wheel in there to cut off the nut? Cut or grind enough of the nut away and then chisel off the remainder. Then use a pry bar to push the bolt through. Just remember to wear some eye protection. Edited June 19, 200916 yr by hohieu Clarity
June 19, 200916 yr It may sound strange, but I have used 2 pipe wrenches opposing each other at times and they work well because the harder you pull the tighter they get. If you have room you might try it.
June 23, 200916 yr Author Well, I tired of being totally frustrated, so I took my 3.5" cutoff tool to the nut... and could only get partway through it due to interference from the brake backing plate and the control arm itself. So, I then took my 4.5" angle grinder to it, and quickly ran into the same difficulty. I was about to switch to the bolt head when I decided to try again turning the bolt. It turned a little (until the bolt cooled down a bit; it was pretty hot from 20 minutes of cutting at the nut), so I attacked the nut again. Turned bolt, repeated. Stuck a pair of vise grips on what remained of the nut and gave a fearful tug on the bolt head, and the nut FINALLY broke loose. What a @#$% pain!!! 20 minutes later I had the knuckle detached (parking drum brake is a pain), and an hour later knuckle was replaced and the car was ready for a test drive.
June 23, 200916 yr an hour later knuckle was replaced and the car was ready for a test drive. And . . . and . . . and then?
June 23, 200916 yr I have to say, since I looked at using your knuckle removal method, I am glad I opted for the Hub Tamer method instead. The lateral link bolt/bushings become the only obstacle this way. Hohieu and I are both certified zen masters with the Hub Tamer, so pm us if anyone wants tips on using it.
June 23, 200916 yr Author Yeah, I would rather have just changed the bearing, but spouse said money was tight and my time was cheap. However, since her car was down for over 3 weeks, maybe she will have a different opinion next time. I still have no idea why a grade-10 (metric) 10mm bolt with no detectable corrosion should be such a PITA to break loose. I had to literally destroy both bolt and nut to get them to let loose of each other, and then they just screwed apart as pretty as you please. :-\ Next time hub tamer (and the resultant "doghouse") FTW!!!
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