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Bit hard to see or understand what has actually happened.Based on what I can understand from your description is that you have broken/snapped, whatever, the lower outer control arm pivot bolt??

"A" is the pivot pin and it screws into one side of the lower control arm,then screws into the threaded bush in the lower end of the knuckle and then screws into the other side of the lower control arm.

"B' is basically a retaining nut that keeps it all together and tight and stops it from unscrewing with suspension movement.

To undo the pivot bolt you would have had to undo "B" first and then unscrew "A" in a clockwise direction.

Can you tell us where the pivot bolt is snapped??.Photo would be good.It may be possible to get it out but need a photo really to work out the best way.

You have it..... "A" snapped off the treaded bolt that goes through the lower control arm pivot point (End with the grease nipple).....basically snapped of clean!!! And there probably is around 10mm left out the otherside!!!

What would be the best way to get this out???

Or should i just crack the s#%ts and put the HR Front End and red motor in??? Because if i cant get the remaining pin out whats will i have to do???

So the bolt/pin whatever is snapped off clean where the thread meets the hex head part of the pin ( the six sided bit that you put the spanner on)??

Hi Cam,
I have been into my book trying to work out how the assembly works - and whilst in there - Terry has come on board and given you the answer......

If you have enough thread left on the bolt, you may be able to fit two nuts to what's left and turn one in against the other to lock onto the shaft - you'll have to do this very carefully, if it strips the thread - you may have to make some way of fixing something into the bolt and turn it out (eg and "easy out"...

I feel what you have done is turned the outer bolt the wrong way and it has sheared off............ does that sound correct, Cam.........?

If the lock nut on the rear is removed, and you loosen the bush in the knuckle - I believe the bolt you have sheared should come out by turning it somehow - be careful not to damage the thread within the wishbone Cam - you will need to use that thread to pass through the bush as you withdraw the bolt - either frontwards or rearwards until it comes out - and yes, you will need to renew that bolt............. they're not cheap!

frats,
Rosco

Terry, I hope I've got this right - has he sheared off the head of the outer bolt against the wishbone?............ I think if he loosens the bush, the remains of the bolt should either go forwards or backwards to get it out...... may have to use multi-grips with the teeth protected......

and just remembered - that bolt is screwed through both sides of the wishbone - there may be some "tension" within the wishbone which is making it difficult to turn the bolt..... may have to use a clamp to pull the two side in a bit to relieve this tension........

I haven't done this, ball joints are a lot easier - but the lower one has to be pressed in.......

I thought i may have turned it the wrong way, but when i studied the thread it appeared i hadnt!!!

So I'm not sure....just very very frustrated and annoyed with myself!!!

Also if i do get this bolt out, i'm assuming i will have get a second hand one from somewhere......anyone know where.....thats if i dont go HR........at the moment i would prefer to stick with the original grey and so forth......!!!

If anyone has one please let me know......cost!!!

Cheers Cam

I lowered the front end of my old bomb only a few months back and I'm stuffed if I can remember whether the pivot bolts are right or left handed threads .I'm 95% sure they are right hand threads so they should unscrew anticlockwise if so.

Before you do anything you will have to take the spring tension off the lower control arm pivot bolt or you'll have no hope in hell of getting it to unscrew if it ever was going to.Make sure you have jack stands under the car THIS IS A MUST.

Next,place jack under lower control arm and jack it up until the body of the car starts to move up.You should now have the tension off the pivot bolt.Being very carefull not to damage the thread on the bolt,see if you can unscrew it out from the retaining nut end using multi grips etc or like rosco suggests try 2 nuts locked together ( if enough thread is there to do this).Rosco is correct in that the pivot bolt will screw in from either side of the wishbone.

If you are OK with welding you could screw the retaining nut on a few turns and then "plug" weld the nut to the pivot bolt.Then it would esentially become a bolt again once welded together and you may have a better chance of unscrewing it this way.

If you have oxy/acetylene gear, then somtimes a bit of heat can help things to move as well but don't get things to the point of red hot.Dull red is about the limit.

There are a few other things I can think of to try but to describe would be lengthy, so try some of Rosco's ideas and/or mine and see how it goes.

Again, a photo showing what has happened would negate a thousand words of description.

Don't rush it, have a good think and then have a go.If it works,great,if it don't then we'll try something else.If it all fails then you've got your HR front end and an excuse to put it in.

The pivot bolt assembly's are available from rare spares.You would have to ask for an FB kingpin lower outer pivot bolt assembly.From memory they are around the $60 mark.I'll see if I can find them on the rare spares site for you.

Also, don't feel like you've f#*%ed up here trying to get the bolt out.Sometimes without regular maintenence in the past,the grease eventually dries up and dirt and water eventually rust up everything and it siezes up.It would most likely seize where the bolt screws into the pivot bush in the knuckle.

That may explain why it has snapped even though you were undoing it the right way.Like I said above , some applied heat can help to unseize the rusted/seized parts.

Thanks FB MAD!!!

The welding the bolt on might be the option.......also the double nuts, so i will have a go and see what happens!!!

Once again the knowledge on here might save me!!!

Any ideas on a replacement bolt???

Yep,

Rare Spares.

Product code 7405931

Pivot pin kit lower outer 48 to HD Holden.

Price $54.95.

Go here.

www.rarespares.net.au

Go to "Browse by Model"

Click on "GM" then click on "Holden/Opel" then click on "FB EK".

Scroll down 7 pictures and the pivot pin/bolt whatever is pictured there.You can even click on and enlarge the pic to get a better look at what it looks like.

Find ph number of nearest rare spares dealer and give 'em a call.

But you gotta get the old one out first

Thanks for all your help with this FB MAD and Rosco...........cant thank you enough!!!

I will see if i can get it out first before ordering!!! I will keep you posted!!!

Well after all that....I have had enough and I'm going to be going the HR front end with a red motor!!! Will keep the standard crash box for now and then upgrade it later!!!

Quick question on the diff.....can you change the ratio, as it is very buzzy on the highway....around the 90km mark and would like it to be a bit more cruisey!!!

Also do you have to have a chassis kit for a 253, as i was reading a discussion here somewhere where some were saying yes and the others were saying no!!!

Yeah people say you cant do it and others have done it

Ring your choice of engineer for the accurate answer which at an educated guess will be "Yes you do need to strengthen the twist and flex of the body to cope with the extra weight over the front end and power output/torque"

My opinion would be forget about the 253 and go a 308 they have better power and are as economical as a 253 , If you already have the donk put it in and go in a burnout comp You will probably need a 308 then

RB told me that when he rego'ed my van that the engineer told him you didnt need the chassis kit but it already had it in there

and yeah go the 308.... then stroke it to 383