Following on from yesterday's "how do you remove a rusted on nut" question comes something a bit harder. The nut has been removed from the trailing arm leaving the bolt going through the bush. The bolt turns, turning the crush tube with it. It won't push out. The bolt is at an angle with the threaded end pointing into a recess in the rear bulk head. There is no access for a hammer, even with a drift. It is currently soaking in plus gas waiting for me to find a way to get it out. Any bright ideas?

Can you drill it out?

If you can't push it out, can you pull it out (perhaps weld a nut onto the end of the bolt head, then screw in a long bolt to the newly welded nut, have a nut and length of steel strip already on the bolt and using some steel box / angle pressing off the car floor turn the mid bolt nut pulling the bolt out).

(does that make any sense?)

Sadly I can't get a drill lined up with either end of the bolt. There's no access.

Mike, a fiendish but perhaps workable solution with a bit of though. Thanks.

Thin cutting disc each side of the bush? or recipio saw??

If the tube is seized to the bolt you dont want to damage bracetry by wacking the tubethrough the boltholes. Seen many bits of suspension damaged in that way.

I had this very problem recently on some old wishbones. In the end I used the angry grinder to cut off the bolt head and then all of the threads on the other end of the bolt to make both ends (what`s left) flush with the bracket. I was then able to crowbar the wishbone out complete with old bolt still stuck inside it. I then got a mate with a press to remove the bush/bolt from the wishbone and fitted new bushes on the refit.

Just cut off the bolt head and knock it out from the side you can get at...

It'd be done by the time you've got the welding set out...

I'd go with cliftyhanger's solution and cut either side of the bush if possible.

Davie

+1

Not so daft, don't dismiss, I've resorted to removing the offending member in the past (with whatever was causing the problem) and welding in new.

Not so drastic, in fact, last problem was a Land Rover spring hanger (chassis) bush that just would not come out (after 40 years of corrosion). Just removed the tube, bush and a few inches of chassis around it. Simples.

I bought a reciprocating air hacksaw specifically to resolve this problem my my striker as there wasn't enough room for a normal hacksaw. Just cut down the outside edge of the bush on each side.

Alternatively if you can get a grinder in you may be able to grind the bolt head and any exposed thread off and just slightly bend out the bracket to remove the bush.