W140 front lower control arm excentric bolt

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Jens - 21 Jun 2008 23:40 GMT

I am overhauling the suspension on my W140, including control arm
bushings.

I have got one front control arm out without problems, but on the
other the front excentric bolt is stuck. The nut and the excentric
washer came off fine, but the bolt itsself won't move.

I have heated it, hammered it and everything else, I could think of,
but still stuck.

Any brilliant ideas?

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-->> T.G. Lambach <<-- - 22 Jun 2008 03:37 GMT

Can you put a steel bar against the bolt's threaded end? If so perhaps a
couple of large "C" clamps can be used to pull against the steel bar and
so push the bolt out from it's "nut" side.

This is only a suggestion, not something that I've done so please keep
that in mind as you read it.

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Jens - 22 Jun 2008 18:51 GMT

On Jun 22, 4:37 am, "-->> T.G. Lambach <<--" <"T.G. Lambach at
NoHamorSpamcomcast.net"> wrote:

> Can you put a steel bar against the bolt's threaded end? If so perhaps a
> couple of large "C" clamps can be used to pull against the steel bar and
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> © 2008 T.G.Lambach. Publication in any form requires prior written
> permission.

I don't have steel bars, that would be strong enough and fit in there.
And c-clamps would definately not be able to provide more force, that
I have already tried. And I can't figure out a way to get a stronger
puller to grab on something.

I also tried to put extra force to turn the bolt by extending the
socket racket with the result that the socket extention twisted. That
requires some force.

Tomorrow, I will by a good 15 mm drill and drill off the bolt head.

Thanks anyway.

Is it "normal" that it get that stuck, and if so, what do you normally
do?

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Per Erik Jorde - 23 Jun 2008 08:43 GMT

> Tomorrow, I will by a good 15 mm drill and drill off the bolt head.

I don't know the W140 but often, when working underneath older MBs, a
right-angle grinder comes in handy...

pej

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Per Erik Jorde

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Jens - 28 Jun 2008 22:25 GMT

On Jun 23, 9:43 am, Per Erik Jorde <pe...@localhost.localdomain>
wrote:

> > Tomorrow, I will by a good 15 mm drill and drill off the bolt head.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> --
> Per Erik Jorde

Thanks for your hints.

Finally got the d... thing out.

It was completely rusted inside the bushing - nothing to see on the
outside.

Grinder was also my first thought, but no space to get near the bolt
head. Drilled away the bolt at the bolthead end, combined grind and
drilled away the bolt at the nut end. The bolt is hardened, so i was a
quite job to do. Rubber bushing was not easy to get out either because
of the bolt stuck in there. Had to drill out the rubber to take out
the inner part and used a hacksaw to carefully cut the outer ring of
the bushing to get it out. A total og 8-10 hours and a lot of
patience.

The biggest problem I faced was to get the rear suspension control arm
bushing into the control arm. I didn't have the right tool but made
one from all the other tools. I used an ordinary 12 mm bolt to pull in
the bushing, but it didn't withstand the stress. I never managed to
get it fully into the right position (both sides of the vehicle) but
enough for it to be mounted. I have to do the job over later.

What is the right way to do it?

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