Lowering on stock bolts, bolt wont adjust up or down, just spins
08-22-2014, 06:46 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Lowering on stock bolts, bolt wont adjust up or down, just spins
I'm trying to lower my car on the stock bolts and the front bolts are just spinning inside the leaf spring. Whatever the bolt is threaded through, broke loose from the leaf spring and it's just spinning, not threading up OR down. I can't think of any other way to go about lowering the car than replacing the leaf spring OR welding the threaded part back to the leaf spring BUT I don't think it's possible to weld the threads back to the spring...
08-22-2014, 07:55 PM
#2
Safety Car
The steel bushing the bolt is threaded into has delaminated from the fiberglass spring, it needs to be glued back on. You need room to work on the end of the spring. The lower a-arm needs to be dropped out of the way either by separating a ball joint (don't use a pickle fork to do this) from the steering knuckle or by removal of the upper a-arm to frame bolts and upper shock bolts. Tap out the steel bushing with frozen bolt from the spring then put the bushing in a vice and heat it up with a torch until the bolt will turn free. Clean up the threads so the bolt turns in the bushing easy then clean the bushing and mating surfaces of the spring with solvent. Epoxy the bushing back into the spring then reassemble. To keep glue from contacting the threads, cover the hole with tape and install the bolt after the glue sets.
08-23-2014, 02:06 AM
#3
Instructor
Thread Starter
The steel bushing the bolt is threaded into has delaminated from the fiberglass spring, it needs to be glued back on. You need room to work on the end of the spring. The lower a-arm needs to be dropped out of the way either by separating a ball joint (don't use a pickle fork to do this) from the steering knuckle or by removal of the upper a-arm to frame bolts and upper shock bolts. Tap out the steel bushing with frozen bolt from the spring then put the bushing in a vice and heat it up with a torch until the bolt will turn free. Clean up the threads so the bolt turns in the bushing easy then clean the bushing and mating surfaces of the spring with solvent. Epoxy the bushing back into the spring then reassemble. To keep glue from contacting the threads, cover the hole with tape and install the bolt after the glue sets.
Last edited by nasty98vette; 08-23-2014 at 02:11 AM.
08-23-2014, 03:28 AM
#4
Safety Car
Just use the strongest epoxy you have, it's more important to clean off any oil, dirt or grease from the areas to be glued. The glue prevents the bushing from turning when the height is adjusted as long as the threads aren't seized from corrosion. There is a bore hole for the bushing centered on the adjusting bolt hole that is from the bottom of the spring and goes up about half way. To remove the bushing in that bore hole the top of the adjusting bolt needs to be forced downward, that's why the lower a-arm needs to be out of the way. Once you have room to work use a small mirror to see the bushing. The lower a-arm might remain in the way due to tension in the rubber bushings where it is attached to the frame, if so just use a long bar to pry the a-arm down some and place a large socket or similar spacer inward from the adjusting bolt between the a-arm and spring, that will keep the work area open.
08-23-2014, 08:51 AM
#5
Instructor
Thread Starter
Just use the strongest epoxy you have, it's more important to clean off any oil, dirt or grease from the areas to be glued. The glue prevents the bushing from turning when the height is adjusted as long as the threads aren't seized from corrosion. There is a bore hole for the bushing centered on the adjusting bolt hole that is from the bottom of the spring and goes up about half way. To remove the bushing in that bore hole the top of the adjusting bolt needs to be forced downward, that's why the lower a-arm needs to be out of the way. Once you have room to work use a small mirror to see the bushing. The lower a-arm might remain in the way due to tension in the rubber bushings where it is attached to the frame, if so just use a long bar to pry the a-arm down some and place a large socket or similar spacer inward from the adjusting bolt between the a-arm and spring, that will keep the work area open.
08-26-2014, 07:35 PM
#6
Instructor
Thread Starter
After air hammering the bolts out of the leaf's and putting them in a vice just for them to snap off, the car is now sitting on just the springs, no bolts at all and it gives almost the perfect height IMO. I will post of pictures later.