12 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHDrop-link bolt is stuck
Reported or suspected cause
dissimilar metals (steel bolt through aluminum)
Reported cause
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Reported cause
The problem is dissimilar metals (steel bolt through aluminum) which when they oxidize they sort of "weld" themselves together.
Use conventional non destructive ways, i'd definitely start
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Suggestion
So for those who experience a stuck drop link that won't budge using the conventional non destructive ways, I'd definitely start with drilling the bolt end and trying the air hammer with a chisel point.
Leading evidence: 'dissimilar metals (steel bolt through aluminum)' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'dissimilar metals (steel bolt through aluminum)' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Use conventional non destructive ways, i'd definitely start' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Use conventional non destructive ways, i'd definitely start
Suggestion or failed attempt
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Suggestion
So for those who experience a stuck drop link that won't budge using the conventional non destructive ways, I'd definitely start with drilling the bolt end and trying the air hammer with a chisel point.
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Suggestion
Be careful with the heat on the aluminum - it doesn't take much - if you can use a heat gun instead of a torch that's good.
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Suggestion
You shouldn't be hammering directly on the end of the bolt either - use a large pin punch.
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Suggestion
I then tried to use a punch but the length of it and holding it made it impossible to get any decent force onto the bolt.
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Use conventional non destructive ways, i'd definitely start
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Suggestion
So for those who experience a stuck drop link that won't budge using the conventional non destructive ways, I'd definitely start with drilling the bolt end and trying the air hammer with a chisel point.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
12 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261026T155324Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I was snooping around under my right wheel well and notice that my drop-link was broken off - the link itself, (the bar), and it's been busted for months because the shorn-off ends were rusty. (I bought this car about two months ago) (It was inspected in December) (They missed/ignored a boatload of stuff) Anyway, the nut came off easily, on the big through-bolt, but I CANNOT get the bolt out. I hammered on the end of it about 150 times - maybe more. Plenty of liquid wretch, some WD-40, a heavy helping of swear words...I hammered on the BOOT end, hammered SIDEWAYS, top, bottom.... the END of the bolt is now flattened, considerably.... NOTHING! WTF? How do I get this thing out? (I don't have an oxy-acetylene torch) It's SUPPOSED to slide out, isn't it? There's no way to unscrew it... Thanks.
Ha! Yes, it's supposed to slide out. The problem is dissimilar metals (steel bolt through aluminum) which when they oxidize they sort of "weld" themselves together. In my case, I got the bolt to turn long before I got it to come out of the carrier. It took me close to a week of hammering, heating, solvents (a bunch of different ones) etc... and that was with the wheel carrier off the car. If you can remove the wheel carrier it will be easier. Be careful with the heat on the aluminum - it doesn't take much - if you can use a heat gun instead of a torch that's good. My best advice is to just take your time - you don't want to bend the bolt. If worse comes to worse you can always cut the flattened end of the bolt off so you can get a nut back on it. You shouldn't be hammering directly on the end of the bolt either - use a large pin punch. Good luck
Can you cut the mushroom off and get two bolts on it? If so you may be able to get it to turn and break loose. If not you may have to drill it out. Got a pic?
As I said above, it'll turn long before it comes out. It's a "shoulder bolt" so there are no threads where it passes through the wheel carrier (or very few at least)...
won't be able to take a picture for a couple days, probably. I'm not sure what you mean by "two bolts" on it. Is Liquid wrench the best solvent/loosener?
I've copied a post from a thread I made last summer dealing with the exact same issue.
I applied heat for 30 seconds on the bolt, then hit it with the hammer, after doing that for about 15 minutes the bolt came away from the face on the other side by a fraction of a mm. So at least I knew it was moving. Rinse repeat for the next hour or so and I had moved the bolt about half an inch. The problem then was I ran out of bolt protruding through the carrier so my hammer strikes were mostly hitting the wheel carrier. I then tried to use a punch but the length of it and holding it made it impossible to get any decent force onto the bolt.
The trick was to drill the end of the bolt with say an 1/8 inch bit, maybe an 1/8 inch deep, just enough to fit the chisel point of my air hammer. This allowed me to get the air hammer directly in line with the bolt without it slipping off. Once I had this setup the bolt was out in 5 seconds.
So for those who experience a stuck drop link that won't budge using the conventional non destructive ways, I'd definitely start with drilling the bolt end and trying the air hammer with a chisel point.
