# Rear Control Arm Removal Help



## tiretread (Sep 28, 2015)

Need to remove my rear control arms and I'm running into an issue. I can't seem to remove the bushing bolt closest to body of the car due to clearance issues (see pic). 







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I removed the passenger side rca by cutting that bolt but I'm going to need to be able to put a bolt back in when I reinstall the rca. Am I going to have to loosen the cradle and dip it down in order to get the bolt back into the bushing? Is there any easier way that I'm overlooking? Thanks for any input.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

The only way is to drop the subframe on that side. I usually recommend replacing the subframe bushing at the same time. Technically you need new bolts for the subframe bushing as they are torque to yield bolts (stretched). I don't believe they are available anymore but you could check. If you reuse be sure to use LockTite on all of them.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

If it needs new bolts anyway, couldn't you cut that bolt and put the new bolt in from the other direction??


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## tiretread (Sep 28, 2015)

Thanks Svede. I thought I was going to have to drop the cradle. Hope that isn't too hard. You can still get the TTY bolts, but they cost an arm and a leg. I'm $36 in the hole for the two bushing nuts and bolts. 

Rukee, there's even less room from the other direction.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

"While you're in there" the Energy Suspension poly subframe bushing is a good thing to put in now. Under $100. Only do one side at a time so the cradle stays fairly square. I had a bit of a time getting the bolt for the subframe bushing lined up until I hooked a come-a-long to it and adjusted it right into position. The other hard thing is holding up the car as where the subframe bushing is is a main rear lift point. I made up an oak board with a groove in it that with a jack supported the car along the pinch seam while I worked on that side.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Someone should come up with a two part bolt, one with a threaded hole on the inside end and the other with a threaded shaft on the inside end with lock tight on it so you don't have to drop the frame.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Rukee said:


> Someone should come up with a two part bolt, one with a threaded hole on the inside end and the other with a threaded shaft on the inside end with lock tight on it so you don't have to drop the frame.


Usually you're replacing the control arm bushings then so dropping the sub and installing the sub bushing too is the general course of action.


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## GTO44 (Apr 11, 2016)

When I installed lovells/whiteline subframe bushings and rear diff insert (along with new swaybar and D bushings) i was able to order the factory GM TTY (torque to yield) bolts. You can reuse the 3 smaller outer bolts on the subframe mounts.

Rear diff carrier bolts on the left, rear subframe main bolts on the right:


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## GTO44 (Apr 11, 2016)

Also:

Rear diff carrier bolts torque to: 37 lb ft + 68 degress

Subframe main bolts: Jack the crossmember back into place and reinstall the cover with the 3 small bolts and the new center bolt. Don't tighten any bolts yet. Using a torque wrench, tighten the 3 cover bolts to 53 ft-lbs and then tighten the center bolt to 92 ft-lbs. Recheck the torque on the 3 cover bolts (53 ft-lbs) and then finally torque the center bolt up to 99 ft-lbs.


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