Lower Ball Joint/Control arm

[TWFodor]

I need assistance with this project. I cant seem to get the bolt for the control arm/frame connection out. It looks like theres a nut at the end of the bolt but its within the frame and theres only a quarter size hole in the frame to get to it. And its so cramped in there that you cant fit a wrench over the bolt and it looks like a square head. I have loosened the head of the bolt but it will not come out, which makes me think its the nut.

Am I looking at this the wrong way, or is there a simpler way to do this? It seems like its impossible to get at that nut.

I have the car on jacks right now so any fast help would be appreciated! Thank you!

[Pu241]

First thing is get a little more specific with your location.
Our members are some of the most generous and helping people you will find.
If someone is close they might be able to drop by and lend a hand.

The nut inside the "frame rail" is a captured nut.
It is held in place by a tack welded metal cage.
The cage often breaks.
permitting the nut to rotate.
A large screw drive or other tool might jam it well enough to finish un-threading it.

You need to have a new lower control arm kit (which contains a new bolt and flair nut) if you attempt the repair below.

You need to sawzal or hack saw through the bolt on the side of the frame bushing closest to the caged nut.
Once this is done, you should be able to remove the largest part of the bolt by pulling back and rotating the bolt back and forth.
Once that has been completed the control can drop out.
Then you use the severed bolt as a rod, with a hammer, to drive the caged nut out of the remains of the cage.
Cleanup the remains of the cage and reassemble.

[needragr]

The nut inside the "frame rail" is a captured nut.
It is held in place by a tack welded metal cage. The cage often breaks.
permitting the nut to rotate. (if this is the case) A large screwdriver or other (such) tool might jam it well enough to finish un-threading it.

You need to have a new lower control arm kit (which contains a new bolt and flair nut) if you attempt the repair below.

You need to sawzal or hack saw through the bolt on the side of the frame bushing closest to the caged nut.
Once this is done, you should be able to remove the largest part of the bolt by pulling back and rotating the bolt back and forth.
Once that has been completed the control can drop out.
Then you use the severed bolt as a rod, with a hammer, to drive the caged nut out of the remains of the cage.
Cleanup the remains of the cage and reassemble.

I theory that's great, in practice not so easy!
First: Where does one come up with this "kit" being mentioned?
Regardless, Im dredging up up another old thread because I was 75% done with my Aspire swap only
to find the PO had installed the passenger LCA with the wrong LONGER bolt~!
Instead of breaking the cage nut free it looks like the threaded section of the bolt passed thru to the shoulder
where is simply spins& wont thread back thru but is close enough to keep every thing in place. F@#$!!!
1st thought is to cut it as described above but you have to be surgical for fear of cutting through the chassis
on the back side, + everything you are cutting is HARDENED STEEL.
OR cut the head off of the bolt where exposed, but it is lipped by the chassis on the two "open" sides
so you have to cut from the inside ...where the oil pan is in the way....
Anyone with some BTDT advice?

[jimdigs]

I cut the bolt out with a sawzall, here is a picture of the bolt cut off and the remaining part of the bolt remaining in the frame part as you can see in the photo. I then used my biggest drill I had and kept drilling into the frame section where the caged nut was until I could get a wrench in there that would hold the new bolt while tightening.

[nitrofarm]

I theory that's great, in practice not so easy! .
Anyone with some BTDT advice?

Yes,try a small pry bar under the head of the bolt. While you turn slowly pry as hard as you can. Keep prying and turning till you can see that youve engaged the treads and its backing out. I always spray the bolt threads with PB Blaster before hand. You can get the plastic tube right on the caged nut through the hole in the sub frame channel.

[fezzy]

I had similar problem,
the last 2 posts on my thread tells the story, hope this helps.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?58544-Workshop-Manuals/page3

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?58544-Workshop-Manuals/page4

[fezzy]

Here is another idea to solve this BS of a problem, my latest post explains it.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?58544-Workshop-Manuals&p=715558#post715558