Rear subframe removal

[mikek]

Help please!

Everything seems to be undoing nicely (fingers crossed)
However, I can't get the bolts out of the suspension arms furthest towards the back of the car, the ones with the cam plates either side. The nuts are off but I can't get the bolts out. Any ideas or advice?

[Fin]

I ended up undoing the other end of the bar, and levering them around to loosen them. I wouldn't suggest getting too hands on with a hammer. The Cam Bolts are quite soft, and people usually end up killing the end of the thread. That said, they're not expensive. I think it only cost me about £20 to replace them.
This could be your chance to replace them with some of the after-market ones, which I believe give a better range of adjustment. (I have standard ones on mine, so it's only hearsay).

[mikek]

Do the bolts then come out of the subframe? 17mm on the nut, 19mm head on the bolt. Bolt has a spline in it. Nut is off and the front cam plate but the rear bolt and cam plate won't shift?

[Fin]

The bolt is separate to the arm, and will (eventually) come out. It took a hell of a lot of swearing on my part, and I could only free the arms once I had the sub-frame on the ground. The bolts are cheap, but the arms are expensive. You don't want to damage the arms or the bushes if you can help it!

[JoeCool]

Yeah, replace the bolts. You'll have an easier time of it if you undo those arms at the hub end and drop the lot, then you can attack it in the light of day. The suspension stays in one place on the struts and front arms.

I ended up shearing one of those bolts. They have channels along them which develop rust.

[Carolyn]

Yeah, replace the bolts. You'll have an easier time of it if you undo those arms at the hub end and drop the lot, then you can attack it in the light of day. The suspension stays in one place on the struts and front arms..

+1

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Also having the subframe removed from the car means you can inspect it thoroughly and do some preventative rust treatment

Not done the ones on the MR-S but when we did the Triumph Spitfire we had similar issues and used heat and an air hammer

[mikek]

thanks guys, all apart now, resorted to brute force and a big hammer!

That's enough for one day, subframe arrives tomorrow!

[Mikeymead]

Glad to see that you showed it who was boss in the end  s:lol: :lol: s:lol: