Seized upper control arm bolt. Attempt to remove it myself, or admit defeat and take it to a garage?

[jamesbeat]

I am trying to replace the passenger side upper control arm on my 2005 Liberty.

I have done the driver's side one before, so the passenger side seemed like it should be easy in comparison, because the bolts are much easier to access.
I removed the nuts from both bolts, and got the front bolt out easily, but I can't get the rear one to shift at all.

It appears that what has happened is that the bolt has become seized inside the inner sleeve of the rubber bushing. I can move the control arm up and down, but it is very stiff, and I can feel that the inner bushing is staying still as the rubber part moves around it. The bolt rotates a few degrees as I do this.

I have tried all sorts of things, but I can't get it to move with the tools I have. I don't have a torch or an air hammer etc. I do have an angle grinder, but it's too large fit in the small pocket that the control arm ends sit in.

I'm thinking I could buy a sawzall and cut down either side of the bolt from inside the wheel arch, but it's possible I might end up just damaging it, and then I won't be able to drive the Jeep to a garage safely.

So, is a sawzall pretty much guaranteed to work, or should I just drive it to a garage and have an expert take over?

 

[Jeremy-WI]

A sawzall will work but you will be bloody. The stroke on the sawzall I had was a bit long for the space on top of the blades being longer than I wanted. I lost count of the blades I destroyed doing the drivers side rear bolt. The passenger side freed up after a good soaking in penetrating oil but the rear on the drivers side put up a fight. A 3/4" board attached to the sawzall shoe might help with the stroke length as I finally used a piece of 3/4" hose.

 

[hotpepper]

Go to Autozone rent a pickfork may help you remove the bolt

 

[KJowner]

If you can get in with it an impact driver is probably the best thing + lots of plus gas or similar.

 

[Luke]

Heat is magic! I would try that before the more destructive options

 

[Deb'nKJ]

What Luke says makes a lot of sense.

PlusGas? Didn't know it was still on the market!

I've got 2 sawzalls & a whole selection of blades but never been able to cut more than sheet metal (& my jigsaw's better at that) not bad for pruning trees though.

 

[KJowner]

What Luke says makes a lot of sense.

PlusGas? Didn't know it was still on the market!

I've got 2 sawzalls & a whole selection of blades but never been able to cut more than sheet metal (& my jigsaw's better at that) not bad for pruning trees though.

I've got a makita recip saw, with a decent blade it's nearly as quick as an angle grinder but way less messy, I cut an old axle up with it the other day, took minutes to make it into 3 slightly less back breaking bits to dump in the metal skip. I use Lenox blades, handy for ripping pallets too, slice through any nails that would destroy my chainsaw's chain.
Plusgas is still available, Screwfix stock it, along with Arctic spray, I highly recommend that, it's helped me shift some horribly tight nuts and bolts.