[Solved] Front Lower Control Arm

I have experienced this with helping a member replace his front control arms a few years ago. I got lucky. What I did was use a die to clean up the threads on the bolt so I would not cross thread it.  I vaguely remember that if I didn't get that captured bolt on just right it would have been disastrous and I would have the members car stuck in my garage while I figure out what to do. Just fixing the threads and making several attempts was a pain crossing our fingers that it would work and eventually it did.  After that incident I decided that I would never do work as simple as this for others because it would leave a member stranded. 

This is a very poor design that will not hold up if Spyders get older and are not garaged kept or driven in the snow.   There is a car in the UK that has the mounting point rusted out which is some major work to reinforce that structure or depending on the millage its better to just junk the whole car.  

I plan to keep my car as long as I can but for the rest of you, be prepared for some situations where it will be nearly impossible to fix as bolts and nuts rust out.

Well the possibility of cross threading was my concern on the driver's side. Like you, cleaned threads on bolt and nut. I removed the bolt from the LCA and noticed it had a little gummy the residue. To install, I have threaded it in 2 times alone and free  toof had the brace. Then I put a piston jack under the hub to bring the LCA to bring the LCA parallel with the body.

Ok the passengers side,t bolt wasn't turning. You come to a point when you know you can't pb blaster it to ease the threads because it is a hidden captured nut and the spray won't climb the threads and if you close your eyes, twist and hope, failure is catastrophe in your garage. The thing here was the bolt felt like it was 'willing' to twist. Kinda a cross between it is already breaking and is already starting to twist snap OR the bushing is giving it that spongy disconcerting rubbery tension feeling. They are similar tactile feelings. I was not willing to take that on. So I finished without removing (I had wanted to lube the bushing/bolt interface). But now it's an unknown that I believe is the bushing snagging the bolt. But that might mean the bolt is less than 100 percent because the snagging is holt rubber breakdown.

I will get the car to a shop after I replace the rear wheel bearing and LCA hub bushing (Nissan cross match) and the entire lower arm with Battle Version LCA. The car will be in an alignment lift and I will pb the entire bushing from a better angle and then pray as I twist the bolt. At least then I'm at a place where if it snaps it's possible to repair without duct tape. ;+)

Yes I know the feeling of a bad bolt and nut.  Sometimes its better to just stop and reassess,  and sometimes depending on the application you just go for it and hope its just a rough patch.  Certainly not a fun place to be.  I think the best way to prevent thread galling is to use blue locktite whenever installing bolts after a repair as it might encapsulate both parts making future removal much easier. 

Here is what mine looked like a couple years back.  Had a hell of a time getting it out with a 3 foot breaker bar and heat.  By the way, this bolt is no longer available.

That looks terrible. 

Car spent its first 6 years in Chicago.....belonged to a male florist.  Appears to have been driven in the winter.  Corrosion on all of the fasteners, none on the body.

I ended up building the bolt back up with the welder and turning back down to the correct size.

I am lucky to live in Northern California, where my car has 0 rust and every fastener comes out easily. HOWEVER, that does not mean fastener issues don't happen. That LCA fastener issue is likely not due to rust, and I'm afraid of removing my LCAs now. They desperately need new bushings. 

Worst part is with Koni inserts, Tein springs, TwoStep 25mm sway bars, poly bushings on inner and sway, all clean and fastened, strut bolts torqued, everything locked in, I am still getting the rough pavement rattle/clunk. I lifted, pulled, twisted and crowed and I still can’t find the cause. I am perplexed.

It’s not the bolt. That’s for another day 

I had two issues that made me pull mine apart. A clunk and hard pull to the left under braking.   I could modulate how hard it pulled based on how hard I stabbed the brakes.  

The Lower control arm is where I thought my clunking noise was coming from.  After welding the bolt back up, machining it to size and replacing the entire lower control arm.... I still had the same issue.  Come to find out my noise and reason for the pull was the left rear track bar was about 60% of torque spec.   Tightened to spec and both went away.

I have experienced this again since then and it was the track  bar again.    I run the car 7-12 track days a year, and some autocross.  That is hard on the car.  I nut and bolt the entire suspension now before every event.

I would not be surprised for this to happen on a high mileage or hard driven street car, or if the suspension has been pulled apart and not properly torqued.

 May not be representative of your issue, just thought I would share my experience with a clunking noise I thought was coming from the front suspension and ended up being the rear.

Okay my buddy Kamlung set me up with parts and advice. One part was swapping out his mini spare with my 03 full size. The rattle disappeared. I am very relieved. Not that I mind working in the car, just more that I had diagnosed incorrectly. Although between us, my out reach here and parts replacement centers in my interests in replacing every OE part with an improvement all under the auspices of repair. Wife always says something about I thought Toyota's were more reliable. I just say you never know who the hell owned it before me. 

So from this latest round I got high and tight front sway links, front inner poly bushings and a lighter more space sparing spare. I think I hear something in the rear of the car, hehe. 

It is extremely disturbing to read phrases like "impossible to fix" and "no longer available".

Please stop saying stuff like that...

Besides, if you can get parts for 40-year-old Ferraris and Alfas, you should be able to find Corolla/Celica/Vibe/Matrix/MR2 parts, shouldn't you? Hopefully? There are lots of crossover items from the other Japanese mfrs too, maybe we could find one that is close enough to work, perhaps with some mods.

Or maybe this turns into a new business opportunity for some of you fabricatin' types. "Nobody makes this special nylon washer but me. That'll be $86.16 please." Why not? Mr. T does it!

Posted by: @nottamiata

It is extremely disturbing to read phrases like "impossible to fix" and "no longer available".

Please stop saying stuff like that...

Besides, if you can get parts for 40-year-old Ferraris and Alfas, you should be able to find Corolla/Celica/Vibe/Matrix/MR2 parts, shouldn't you? Hopefully? There are lots of crossover items from the other Japanese mfrs too, maybe we could find one that is close enough to work, perhaps with some mods.

Or maybe this turns into a new business opportunity for some of you fabricatin' types. "Nobody makes this special nylon washer but me. That'll be $86.16 please." Why not? Mr. T does it!

Its not about the bolts or replacement parts.  Its the reality that  certain structures that are integral to the cars frame will have to be extensively  reconstructed in order to fix it.  That kind of work is not easy or cheap because it requires talent.   

You might be able to get parts for vintage cars but there are some that cant be fixed because the rust is extensive. For its vintage value someone will come along and devote all of their free time and talent to rebuild the car but that is a labor of love that you cant put a price on.  

 I seen a video of a guy that bought an Audi R8 from salvaged with nothing wrong with it but it was totaled because of a small structural crack in the frame.   The guy was able to fix it but it required a talented person and even then it was not known if the fix would hold up.  

Most exotic cars generally don't have many miles on them so thats why they fair better in the long run.   Cars like ours that have miles on them experience the same fate eventually except for maybe an old Land Cruiser which is the exception.    

@dev

Will The Frog's fun bits transplant onto a Land Cruiser frame? If that's what it takes, then you gotta.

🤡

Seriously, though. I have, hopefully, about 30 years left. Maybe more. I require the use of an MR2 Spyder for the duration. Its not a choice, its just a fact.

Posted by: @nottamiata

@dev

Will The Frog's fun bits transplant onto a Land Cruiser frame? If that's what it takes, then you gotta.

🤡

Seriously, though. I have, hopefully, about 30 years left. Maybe more. I require the use of an MR2 Spyder for the duration. Its not a choice, its just a fact.

Why even worry about that. The world is going to end in 12 years anyway and if it doesn't they will outlaw fossil fuel and tell you that its ok to kill yourself to save the earth.  

In actuality what will most likely happen is no one will have a reason to leave their house as automation will be robotic. The roads will be mostly empty and car dealerships will end up like 90s shopping malls.  Your Spyder will be like an LP record  where its kind of cool to play it.