Lower Control arm replacement. Trouble removing them.

Not a flawed design. It's the high salt environment that you are operating in. And, it's also the RoHS environmental rules. Prior to the adoption of RoHS, cadmium and hexa-chromium high rust resistance plating was allowed to be used in bolts. Now, most bolts are zinc plated and have less long term rust resistance. Once the anodic zinc is gone, the components rust together at their mating surfaces. Rustproofing can displace moisture from water vapor to delay the electrolytic displacement of the zinc.

 

I read about owner's high mileage woes, then go out to the garage and get the jump on it with our low miles cream puff, guilty as charged. But:

1. I don't a have a torque wrench that goes past 150 ft/lb, yet....

2. If it's not broke? I'll probably never need to extract the lower control arm from ours, and the Repair Manual instruction makes me nervous, when the last steps recommend lowering the car to the floor to settle the components, and then a front end alignment. For something that's not a problem to begin with? And might already be seized.

Still, I might shoot some liquid film in there. That's non-destructive compromise that might help, another 5~10 years down the road.

I'd argue regardless of the current regs, if a main bolt and nut rusts up to the point that destruction is the only method it can be removed, that is a fail. Road salt is a fact-of-life in a lot of North America, they should contend with it at the design stage. They don't seem to though.

 

If only that was possible: taking another look, confirmed: that nut is COMPLETELY boxed in, inaccessible, as far as I can see.

That might be the only way, if you want to go there...

 

Very likely best approach is to not touch these until it's necessary. Which for most will be never. Hopefully.

Repair Manual says to just snug the bolts, lower the car to the floor, bounce the front end a few time, and then torque the bolts. This necessitates some sort of access pit, or ramps. And then it recommends a front end alignment.

It's too bad that the nuts are inaccessible, "entombed" in the cross-member. But I'd be very reluctant to pull those bolts, as a work-around to get some lube on them. When everything's currently just fine.

 

Here's alignment info, and associated "zero point calibration". Alignment check is recommended after the control arm replacment:

 

I wonder if Tires Plus can handle something like that, the zero point calibration? Also, I think camber adjustment (if required) involves alternate bolts, with reduced diameter shanks, special Toyota parts...

What about that install the two main lower control arm bolts finger tight, lower the car to the ground, bounce it a few times, and then torque the bolts? Did it go like that?

 

Print out the two pdf's maybe, from #45. The zero calibration thing in particular, that's not gonna be helped by the 40K machinery.

 

Good to know the range of detailed ways to remove these stubborn bolts for my 2013 and the experience I fear I'm about to have with the 2006. What I thought was going to be a quick drivers side control arm swap is turning into a way tighter or seized bolt situation. Plus I literally don't sweat, so once the sun started the 90°F effect on me, I was like... re-assemble and start again in the early morning with ice and cold water with me to deal with the temp increase.

Is Loctite Red used with the bolts and captive nuts and does that have to be heated? Seems from my understanding does, though the 2009 Corolla and 2005 Matrix bolts came out with my 20V DeWalt when I was practicing and comparing parts at the yard. I thankfully kept the nicest set of bolts and nut, so have those if needed. Looks like something red on the bolts where the nut was.

Would heating the head with a propane or MAPP gas torch get the bolt hot enough on the opposite end or is that a waste of time and heating the subframe assembly where the nut the obvious better route?

Was wondering about acetone or brake cleaner maybe as well to possibly dissolve the Loctite. Though reading more into, sounds like most likely oxidation issues which make sense being an Ohio car. I still plan to go back outside and spray more Deep Creep and CRC red can brake cleaner as well throughout the evening.

I'd rather not cut or cut and custom weld anything and was hoping to keep the control arm and replace the bushing(s) since I see they're available online and might be a neat project; though after reading @mypriuscious experience, I'm affirming my thoughts when under the car that related to at first thinking the worse situation is having to replace the subframe assembly. Then reading @hotelprisoner. @Athos and @mypriuscious ultimate solutions, I'm confident that welding is a solution with the parts I own here.

Will be interesting to see what breaks and what I wind up having to do.

Wondering about whacking the head of the bolt hard as well to shock it possibly? Is there a detailed art to the shock method? I need to read into that next as I forget offhand.

 

Shocking the threads, albeit cylinder head bolts, by gasket masters:

 

You read my mind thinking Gasket Masters demonstrated, though didn't recall which video(s) he shows in. Thanks Mendel. Totally motivation for the 2013 as well.

 

Any reason why not a carbide twist drill?

Both of my bolts are stuck and not budging, though haven't started the heat treatments. The DeWalt 1200lbs torque isn't doing anything other than heating up my 1/2" connection.

So, if by Sunday they're not moving still or what I'm guessing will be both heads snapped off, I'm going to plan to drill them out and the one with the captive nut re-thread if nothing worse happens like having to hole saw cut access in the subframe to remove the captive bolt to weld in a new one as well as weld the cut out steel from the hole saw.

Thinking I'll get some carbide tipped twist drills since mine look smaller, unless for some reason the cobalt alloy high speed steel are better.

 

Use cobalt drill bits, I regularly center drill ISO 10.9 and SAE 8 grade bolts in my machinist lathe. It's important to continuously squirt cutting lubricant into the hole as it is being drilled. Sometimes te bit does burn up at the tip, but you will be able to drill out the bolt. Start the hole with a Dremel and a carbide tip cutter to carve a cavity to keep the tip of the bit from "walking" off, if toy are drilling free handed.

Good luck!

 

Good to know as I don't drill the "11" labeled bolts. Are the "11" labeled bolts JIS/ISO/GB 10.9's actually or something a little stronger?

My limited machine shop experience back in high school brings back memories of using carbide whenever I could. Nitride comes to mind as well and I do recall the cobalt, though maybe donors gave the shop lots of carbide even though we did start off with tool steel, ball peen hammers, punches, files, hacksaws, grinders and drill presses to start making tools before getting to use the better if and when did. The more I think about was tool steel even with fly cutters and mainly on the lathe.

For cutting fluid I've switched over to the Tap Magic ep-xtra and works excellent I've found with what little I've used on with the DeWalt 20V drills.

Any brands you'd recommend ideally I can order online or maybe alternatively find at the big box store or order online?

 

Get the cheapest ones you can find. I've burned up expensive ones sometimes quickly, when the cheap Harbor Freight Chinese ones lasted for many holes.

Carbide is too brittle for free hand drilling and wil snap.

 

I appreciate your experience and advice. Didn't even cross my mind about the carbide being brittle.

Are the cobalt usually cobalt tipped only, like can be re-ground sharpened or are they only tipped? Figured I'd ask since is something I have done and done a little over the years.

Amazes me how well that Tap Magic Ep-xtra improves cutting performance.

Wondering also if worth getting a bunch of left handed cobalt twist drills the size needed if can be found cost effectively?

Reading into these bolts are about the same size for the subframe assembly as well and those can have issues along the way.

 

You can regrind the burnt up tips, but they have lost their temper and won't cut anything but soft materials. I just send them to the metal recycler.

Lubricant like Tap Magic bascally cools the cutting edge to keep it from losing temper and melting.

I seldom use left hand bits. I can't tell you how efficiently the work.

 

Got it! Used the method shown in this video, "How to remove seized rusted stuck lower control arm bolts Part 2" by YT channel DOSE OF FREEDOM, without heat, even though prepped to use the industrial heat gun if didn't. Only took maybe a minute and a half with the impact to break free going both directions this time with the best DeWalt 1200 lbs nut busting set on the 2 setting even.

Though I literally hit the head of the bolt as well with the ball peens a few times as well in between the two attempts. Figure though I started off on the 29th with Deep Creep and at the end of the day CRC red can brake cleaner and almost every day sprayed more Deep Creep on. However, I only would go in reverse for not even close to a minute all the other times besides today. Used a punch also in between the ball peen prior after noting in the post above.

Now to cut out that back ones bushing on the inside top since that's toast and ain't budging with the head snapped off of course where no anti-seize was use since reads the bushings really need and I'm thinking the bolts as well besides where the Loctite is going to be. Cutting will be way easier and faster I'm hoping with carbide oscillating saw blades or maybe cut off disc or Diablo carbide recipricating saw. I want to try the Bauer oscillating tool since haven't used yet and I got basically for free on sale with the 5Ah battery.

Go figure, the not captive bolt is the one causing the most grief, albeit I didn't remove more to make more room. Still. 4 down, one to go.