Stripped front control arm LCA nut inside frame

**jeff652** · 01-05-2012, 01:24 AM

Tonight I'm going to vent, then tomorrow I'll post pics of how I'm going to fix this. The longest of the three bolts on the rear of the front right lower control arm stripped on me today. F*&$!!!

After totally loosing it for a while I pulled myself together and eventually figured out a way to fix it (I think/hope).

It's the first time I removed the arms on my Insight (rebuilt the trans and replaced the clutch) and so I don't know if some level of damage to the nut was preexisting or if I did this all by myself. I preloaded the LCA just like the manual said. Worked fine on the left but the right kept spinning and not grabbing the threads. I tried cleaning the threads with my 12x1.25mm die and still it wouldn't go. I lowered the jack and tried wiggling it around all while turning the bolt with a hand ratchet. I Finally tried re-tapping the nut that is buried inside the bulkhead and FUBAR'd the thing beyond repair. Talk about a disaster. Without that damn non-serviceable nut the car is a giant paperweight!

Thankfully I still have the 2004 shell onsite. After cutting up the passenger foot well, I have come up with a plan on how to replace/bypass the nut that is buried in the frame. I'll snap pics and add it here so that if anyone is as dumb as me in the future, they'll at least have one idea on how to fix it.

Oh and the water heater was broken when I came inside to clan up. Nice, huh?

jonnyvtec · 01-05-2012, 04:07 AM

Helicoil could be an appropriate repair?

talonmike · 01-05-2012, 05:55 PM

I had the same problem. The thread is not in aluminum. Is is impossible to re-tap. Maybe you used an impact gun? The bolt is retain with a steel insert behind the frame. In my case, the insert was not sit properly. If you knock on the bolt, or use an impact, you will displace the insert.

In my case, I had to do a hole behind the brake pedal, to replace the insert at his place. I block the hole with urethan after. I was sure that the car was good for the scrap. but now it is ok

**jeff652** · 01-05-2012, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by talonmike

I had the same problem. The thread is not in aluminum. Is is impossible to re-tap. Maybe you used an impact gun? The bolt is retain with a steel insert behind the frame. In my case, the insert was not sit properly. If you knock on the bolt, or use an impact, you will displace the insert.

In my case, I had to do a hole behind the brake pedal, to replace the insert at his place. I block the hole with urethan after. I was sure that the car was good for the scrap. but now it is ok

Thanks for sharing. I take comfort in knowing I am not the only person who has encountered this. So painful! Which of the three bolts stripped on your car? Mine is the middle bolt (front to rear speaking), which is not nearly as easy as the rear one, but thankfully not nearly as bad as the front bolt. I didn't use any air tools, somehow I stripped it by hand hahah.

I decided to put off the repair until tomorrow. Going to go after it first thing in the morning.

I decided to do this instead today:

I felt much better afterword

retepsnikrep · 01-06-2012, 12:47 AM

RU Really going to put that back together?

**jeff652** · 01-06-2012, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retepsnikrep

RU Really going to put that back together?

No. That's the 2004 that I've been slowly parting out. My 2001 is in safely in one piece, except for that darn bolt!

ghammerly · 01-06-2012, 05:10 PM

My jaw dropped when I saw your pic LOL.

Need4Speed · 01-06-2012, 06:37 PM

All it needs is a little buffing.

**jeff652** · 01-06-2012, 11:27 PM

All fixed!

I'll post pics in a little bit . . .

**jeff652** · 01-07-2012, 01:39 AM

I began by chopping up the passenger floor pan of the 2004 to determine where the top of the stripped nut was located. Once I determined the general area, I started working on the 2001. I removed the ECU, tied the wire harness out of the way, and lifted the sound pad out of the way. Once I had access I drilled a hole up through the bolt channel into the passenger compartment:

Once I had my access point I drilled down from the top with a 3.5" hole saw. Note the small bump in the panel below where I am cutting is where the nut for the rear-most LCA nut is located:

Here is the hole opened up, with the stripped nut sitting just inside the small hole that is now located in the center of my big hole

:

More coming . . .