Lower control arm fake cam washer?

M

Medic203

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Jun 21, 2018
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Pittsburgh
I'm replacing the LCAs, and the brackets on my 2006 TJ. My passenger side bracket broke off the axle earlier this week.

I managed to get the whole LCA off, with the axle bracket still attached. It was pretty mangled, but I got the nut and washer out of one side. I wasn't able to budge the bolt though. From looking around I've gathered that they can fuse with the bushing (I'm in the rust belt too so expect that's what happened). I sawzalled the other side thinking that I'm going to reuse the washers. I already got grade 8 bolts and lock nuts to replace all 4 if needed.

Once I cut the head of the bolt off, I couldn't get the washer to budge. Is it a flanged bolt in there, or should I be able to remove it?

I've seen threads talking about replacing the bolts (which I already have), but not so much about those washers. I soaked it all down with PB, I'd tried hammering it with a 5/16 pin punch and nada.

Appreciate any help/suggestions. I don't have the new LCAs, but the new brackets are in.. They make the stock ones look pathetic!

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That's the way the factory control arm bolts look. They have a very thick, slightly tapered flange on them and are one piece. There shouldn't be a washer on there from the factory, as one isn't needed with the flange bolt.
 
Chris said:
That's the way the factory control arm bolts look. They have a very thick, slightly tapered flange on them and are one piece. There shouldn't be a washer on there from the factory, as one isn't needed with the flange bolt.
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No, The very thick washer is separate from the bolt that he is showing. It takes the place of the eccentric cam washer in the early TJ's that reacts against the horseshoe on the side of the control arm mount. You can see the serrations from the knurled area in the pic that are under the head of the bolt that is pressed into the large washer. Typically the are a non flange bolt into the thick washer and use a flange nut.
 
mrblaine said:
No, The very thick washer is separate from the bolt that he is showing. It takes the place of the eccentric cam washer in the early TJ's that reacts against the horseshoe on the side of the control arm mount. You can see the serrations from the knurled area in the pic that are under the head of the bolt that is pressed into the large washer. Typically the are a non flange bolt into the thick washer and use a flange nut.
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Oh it is seperate, I wasn't quite sure. Any suggestions on how to go about getting them apart? I pretty much had to cut it off that close with the way the bracket was bent.
On the nut side there was a thick washer, and it was just a regular nut.
 
mrblaine said:
The typical nut is a flange nut. Very rare for it not to be and more likely someone has swapped it out.
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That fact that it probably was swapped out leads me wonder what else was swapped out, by whom, what did they use and why.

mrblaine said:
More force.
Click to expand...

Anyway, to get the stuck washer, more force can't be wrong, I'll just add a decent chisel to get the force to the best location (between the washer and the bracket it's stuck to).
 
I'm the original owner so it wasn't swapped out, that stuff is original. I'll keep trying, and appreciate the help guys!

Edit: NM the nut was flanged, Haven't gotten it to budge with the punch and 3lb sledge.
 
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