Big A$$ bolt removal....

-=Lobstah=-

Active member
A week of trying to take out the BAB on my RS is getting to me..

I cut one end off and have been trying to pound it out, no luck

Taking any suggestions......

 
outer lateral link bolt

9-9.5 inch bolt that runs through the rear knuckle and lateral links. One of the geniuses of Subaru engineering team...
default_banana.gif


 
yeah, they dont make them like that anymore.

BAB=bigassbolt

Which end did you cut off? Head or nut end?

If you still have the head see if you can turn the BAB. If you can turn it the tiniest bit work it back and forth continuously squirting it with PBBlaster. If it turns along with the bushing inserts you are screwed, just order new bushings and cut it all out with torches. I usually have decent luck with those things but I have the privileged of the air hammer and working on the lift. However, the last two BABs took me 2 hours each. Pretty much wrecked my whole day.

Other things you might try.

*Smacking the area of the control arms where the BAB goes thru the bushing. You might dislodge the death grip the corrosion has on it.

*Smack the BAB where it goes thru the back side of knuckle. Small hits just to get the stuff loosened up.

*Use a short bolt as a drift to hit the nut end of the BAB.

*Generally the bolt will go thru the knuckle, its the bushings in the arms that put up the fight. They act as shock absorbers to your hammer strikes. They are fairly cheap if you destroy the bushing(s) but save the arms.

 
Oh yeah, those suck!!! I remember replacing a rear wheel bearing in my 97 Impreza!! They rust up so bad!! Use lots of pb blaster!! Do you have an air hammer? Hammer attachment for an air chisel, that works well!1

 
park that corner of the car in a BOPBB (bucket of PB Blaster) for one month prior to removal of BAB...works every time

seriously, shooting the BAB with PB a few times over sevral days prior to removal helps. A Lot.

otherwise Inski's advice is spot-on.

good luck, you gonna need it now!

 

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