How the heck do you work that nut/bolt combo?

 

I'm assuming you mean the inside bolt. If so, this was the tip I had posted on my MINI's timeline:

TIP: To remove the inside bolt of the lower control arm, don't bother with cutting or pushing the insulation away. Instead, get an 18mm 1 and 1/2 inch length 3/8 driver to access the bolt from the front. It's hidden within the subframe and a 1" length is too short and 2" is too long(it hits the fuel tank in front of the subframe). Just place a thin wrench to hold the bolt from the rear side, and loosen from the front.

 

Well, that is a good tip. But I was actually referring to the bolt/nut on the same size combo that is on the trailing arm side of the lower control arm.

This thing....



I was looking at it yesterday and it looked like the 12pt section is independant of the 6pt portion.

 

No, it's not independent. There's only one bolt holding it on the outside. I don't even remember needing to hold the other side while wrenching.

 

The hex head bolt is the only bolt you put a wrench on. The part that looks like a 14-point star is to adjust camber once the bolt is loose.

 

Ah ok, interesting. But the 2 portions arent independent of each other, when one moves, they both move?

 

It's kind of hard to explain the shape that the mating face of that 14-point star shaped part has. It's almost like a eccentric lobe where depending on the angle it's rotated with push or pull the wheel hub to adjust camber. When you get it apart it will make sense. When you start loosening the hex head bolt the 14-point will not move until the hex head bolt is extremely loose.

 

Alright, that's what Ill do. Nothing special on that lower bolt on the shock, right?


Also, is it pretty safe to use something like a cordless electric impact gun to take all these bolts out?

 

The larger 12-point head is a camber adjuster, so you should mark it with a sharpie or junk yard marker so it goes back at the same angle.

 

So with the 6pt portion loose, you can move the 12pt to adjust camber. Then you simply hold the 12pt in place as you tighten down the 6pt?

 

Yessir.

 

Awesome.

Thoughts about using an electric impact on these suckers?

 

You can use an impact for whatever you want, but I would be careful and remove the bolt on the rear shock by hand. Once you remove the bolt you'll see the bolt shaft is not perfectly round, almost triangular. You'll most likely need a breaker bar or a cheater bar on the wrench you're using. It's practically an interference fit. The aluminum trailing arm is just drilled straight through at the factory and then they screw this bolt in here. It carves the threads in the hole as they wrench it down. Cost cutting at its best! Just make sure the bolt and hole in the trailing arm are clean when you torque it down. I think the value is something like 120 ft-lbs but I never was comfortable doing that to those crappy aluminum threads. Call me dangerous but I put mine back at 90 ft-lbs and marked it with a paint marker. I didn't want it to be a "Heli-coil Day".

 

Yea, self tapping screw. Would have been nice if it was a through hole.

Sounds like everything is holding well at 90ft/lbs??

 

Yeah, I stripped one getting it to the reccomended torque, on my second install (first removal for RSB, second to install shocks). Since then I have not had one loosen at 90 ft lb, and that is with lubricating the threads. The reccomended torque is dry.

The self tapping/triangular shape is to create a self locking feature. You will likely notice a bunch of metal shavings in the threads when you remove the bolt.

Mike

 

Yea, I dont want to strip anything. Maybe I decide to keep the car forever, then Ill turn it into a through hole with a nut/bolt.

So, Ill do 90, with a tiny bit of antiseize.

 

Thats what I did. Its not hard to do.

 

I did it this winter when the car was in storage in my garage. We'll take a close look at the paint marks when I get it on the track this Spring. 90 ft-lbs is A LOT! With how the bolt practically interferes with the metal I would not suspect that it would vibrate loose at that tension. You don't need anti-seize either. That's going to only increase the risk factor when you're tightening it. I've seen some others do the bolt and nut job but you need to grind down the control arm to have the replacement bolt/nut sit flat. Not pretty.

There are good days, and then there's days you have to heli-coil

 

Another question I thought of. Swapping the strut mount from the stock rears onto my KWv2's. Does anyone have a link to that process?

Seems I just need to use a hex key or whatever to prevent the shaft from spinning, then use some sort of wrench on the actual nut?

 

Did this on a buddy's 08 MCS with KWv3's and we used an impact wrench. Didn't need to hold onto the shaft. Otherwise an airtool is another good option-we couldn't do it by hand. The fronts are a little tricky. We weren't sure whether to reuse certain things and frankly I couldn't even tell you how we ended up doing it(unless I saw it in person and redid it)

 

Use an impact gun to remove the nut on the top of the strut. After that installation is reverse of removal. I know that sounds kinda cheesy but it will make sense once you get them off. There are a few washers and shims that will sit under the cup on the front just make sure they go back on the same on both sides and you will be ok!!

And also dont forget to compress the springs, or the old fasion way of laying it on the ground and having someone put a foot on it. Once that top nut comes off the strut will shoot out the bottom of the spring about 3 ft.

 

I couldnt find a 3/8" drive 18mm socket that was 1.5" long. I have a 1/2" drive 18mm that is 1.5" long. Will that fit?

 

Biggest issue with 1/2 inch drive is the wrench head itself might be too large and thick to fit in the tight space. You can try but I don't think it'll fit. I remember I had to find specifically that size(3/8) for a reason.

 

Yea, I tried, wouldnt fit.

Im stumped, what else can I do?

 

Make a special trip to Sears to get the right tool. That's what I had to do ;(