Ok folks, I'm trying to replace my UCA's on my 240D and ran into a little problem. The nuts securing the UCA to the torsion bar, spindle came off without any problem. The nut has been removed from the bolt which secures the back of the UCA to the car body, but is still difficult to turn. I suspect that the bolt has rusted in the bushing sleeve. Any idea how to get it out short of an acetylene torch or a sawsall ?

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I assume you have the front wheels off, and jack stands under the lower control arms.

I would spray some Kroil penetrating oil where the control arm fits into the body, hopefully the oil will penetrate back into the sleeve area.

Penetrating-Lubricating Oils

A heat gun might be helpful. Use one of their 20% coupons, and I have picked up this one for $7.99

Heat Gun - Dual Temperature Heat Gun, 1500W

Turning the bolt if you can adding oil/heat might get it loosened up enough to remove it. when you stick in the new arm, slather the bolt with Anti-Siez compound.

Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Thanks charmalu, yes the car is on jack stands and both wheels are off. As can be seen from the pic I just added, the spindle is free from the UCA. Currently and not in the pic, the UCA has also been disconnected from the torsion bar and move freely.
I've used Kroil oil and tried using a brass drift against to remove the bolt.

It's a small bolt don't use much force. If it's moving at all go back and fourth. Soaking kroil is the best. Heat can melt the rubber.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Here are some better pic's. Vstech, in the below pic is this the small bolt you are referring to? I suspect that the bolt has oxidized and corroded in the sleeve, causing the sleeve to turn upon turning the bolt with a wrench. I was joking about using heat but could the sleeve be clamped with some vise-grips in attempting to get the bolt out?

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If nothing else works there is several threads where people have used a Sawsall.
I guess more people have a Sawsall than a Cutting Torc and a Torch burning up the Paint Job will do more damage to the Paint than a Sawsall.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I did a search on using a sawzall on the upper control arm.

PeachParts Search

Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Well, I got a little further. I took the advice to put away the cutting wrench and go with a sawzall. I managed to get one side of the bolt in the UCA cut out and the other is part-way done. Ran out of sharp blades I'll have some pic's tomorrow night.
You guy's are correct. It is a tight space to work in and not much of the blade gets used either due to its location.

When you install the New Bolt put a light coat of a Never-Seeze typ compound on it so it will never rust in place again.
Don't torque the Nut/Bolt until the Wheels are on the ground and you have bounced the Car up and down a little (step on the Bumper and push down several time).

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I just replaced Sway Bar/Bushings, Upper Control arm, and Lower Ball Joints, I have the lower Control Arms sitting on Jack Stands. should be the same as sitting on it`s wheels. anyway, it is all Torqued down.

X2 on slathering down the bolt shafts with Anti-Seiz. the lower bolt on the Alternator is another one that will rust tight.

Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I fail to see how neversieze will prevent the rust. on the alt, sure, it's a stationary system. the uca is constantly moving against the bolt, it's in direct contact with all road splash... if the environment is conducive to rust, it's gonna rust again... no?

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Time for controversy.

Neither Upper or Lower Control Arms pivot on the Bolt they never would have rusted to begin with. (In My Case I had the bolt rusted to the Lower Control Arm Bushing Sleeve.)

When the Bolt is torqued it pinches the Metal onto the Bushing and traps the Bushing (the reason it needs to be torqued with the Wheels on the Ground as you don't want the Busing trapped in the wrong place) and the Blot in place. Both the Upper and Lower Control Arms pivot on the Elasticity of the Rubber; not on the Bolt.

Why believe that: The Bolts show not sign of wear in the area they would have to pivot on, they rust up, if something move on them they would need to be lubed, the thin Aluminum Sleeve would wear out fast, and there would have to be some end play in the assembly like there is on other Cars where the Control arm actually pivots on a metal to metal.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Well....anything wrong with the possibility that Anti-Seiz could be a preventative cure of eliminating this problem down the road if they are ever replaced again? In this case the original poster (Steeleygreg) lives in Maryland, don`t they use salt on the roads there? The place the upper control arm lives is in a harsh environment where the wheels throw wattery crap around and evidently some has seeped into the area the bolt hibernates and caused some corrosion. Do you think Anti-Seiz will cause any problems.

What I mentioned about the lower Alternator bolt being rusted in place is from my own experience.

When I dragged the 85 500 miles home in 09 after my Timing Chain decided to part ways. I pulled the engine and was stripping it down of parts. the lower bolt of the Alternator would turn, but not come out. even used an impact gun to spin it. finally removed the engine mount with Alternator, and soaked the area with Kroil for a week or more, and still would not budge. finally beat the crap out of it with another smaller diameter bolt and got it out.

The bolt had rusted to the point the rust had started to flake, and doing so it expands. so when I replaced the bolt (correct MB bolt from PNP) I decided to slather it down with Anti-Seiz so maybe, hopefully it wouldn`t happen again.

It is a steel bolt going through an aluminum mount and Alternator, maybe the two metals caused the problem?

The Alternator does lives down low where it is subjected to water thrown at it in the winter time.

What will it hurt to use it?

Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Yee ha! Great stuff! Discussion!

Does it do? Or does it don't?

Has anyone tried to move the suspension with the parts torqued without a spring in place to see?

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

When you torque the Control Arms with the Wheels on the Ground you are setting them in a neutral position; there is no bending of the Rubber Bushings in either direction. So it starts off with no sort of a pre-load in either up or down directions.

If as an example I torqued the Upper and Lower Control Arms with the Wheels hanging down and no support under the Control Arms; Springs decompressas as far as they can go still connected to the Suspension. When I drop the Car down on the Wheels the Rubber Bushings are going to already stressed in an upwards direction all of the time the weight of the car is on them and even more so when the Wheel move upwards hitting a bump.

I think that is going to shorten the life of the Bushings because in the example given the Bushing is already sort of pre-stretched with the weight of the Car and it has to stretch even further when a Bump is hit.

In the pic of the one of my old Lower Control Bushings you can see where the solid rubber sheered in two.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel