Front control arm bolts thread stripped

[sbbaxter]

Hi - my first post on this forum! Have just bought my '78 124 Spider back, since I sold it 8 years ago.

At some point a wheel alignment has been done and someone's stripped the threads one of the lower control arm tie bolts. To secure it temporarily, a second nut has been screwed on - but I can't achieve the 45lbs torquing on this and the shims can be moved by hand.

Question - can this bolt/stud be replaced without disassembling the control arm and removing the spring? Can I simply knock this stud out and replace, or does it need to get drilled out of the chassis member?

[majicwrench]

So the threads are damaged on the stud?? Quickest repair would be to cut slightly smaller diameter threads onto the stud with a die, and job would be much easier with control arm removed.
More experienced folks may know if stud is easy to knock out...
Keith

[v6spider]

Absolutely! Pound it out and replace it with a grade 8 equivilent bolt and new nut. I have had to replace them before in that manner. Be sure to check your cross-member for cracks while your down there. That is a common problem and having bolts that are stripped can help to make that happen quicker. Make sure and support the control arm somehow either by a jack or clamping it to the cross- member while pounding the bolt out. You may have to remove the lower control arm entirely. Btw welcome to fiatspider.com...

Rob

[sbbaxter]

Great - thanks for the advice. And good to know, so I can now do this at home. I was worried the stud might need cutting or drilling out and I'm missing a few garage tools for that.

While I'm at it I do need to replace the control arm bushes (again!). Any advice on rubber (original part) versus neoprene?

[So Cal Mark]

the bushing in that position looks okay

[sbbaxter]

Yeah, but the rubber's twisted off some of the other bushes. I changed them all in 2003 - expected them to last longer than ~2000 miles!

[geert]

Check if the 'stud' is turning when you try to torq the nut, if so it will be easy to remove the stud/bolt, even with everthing else on its place. Use a vice-grip on the round head of the stud for unlocking the nut, then easy to drift out or pulling out with the vice-grip.
I believe that stud is a bolt 'lightly' welded on the frame
(sorry for my english, my vocabulary is very inadequate).
I also removed that 'stud' ( altough during complete rebuild of the front end) and replaced with a bolt.

groeten, Geert.

[sbbaxter]

Drifted out the bolt, and it's stripped all right.

Also discovered the "mag specialist" (!!) who fitted the Minilites 1)didn't use the right length bolts (used 30mm thread, should be 35-40mm) and 2)1/4 of the bolts on this wheel had a different thread, which is now stripped.

If you want something done properly......(!!)

[v6spider]

Great news! I hope there were no cracks in the cross-member I didn't see any mention of it. I am guessing it is ok. Glad it was simple and you also found the bad lug bolts as well. People don't realize how dangerous that could be...

Cheers!
Rob

[sbbaxter]

Yip - job all done. Feel a bit more confident tearing around the bays now!

Found one more lug nut with a 1.5mm thread instead of the 1.25mm. Oh, and the dust cap on the tie rod end was broken ($35+gst for the whole tie rod end) - always a little project on the go. Have to remind myself how much fun these little cars are to drive now and again, as well as being fun to fix!!