Trying to remove and replace the lower control arm bushings on a '61 Galaxie. Probably same on 61-63. Anyway the rear FRONT bolt on the lower arm comes off easy (5/8" hex). But there is a1 1/8" bolt coming thru from the rear of the tubular cross member that I don't know how to remove. Because the 5/8" bolt threads into it from the front, I'm not sure if it is just an internal threaded shaft that drives out......or is it threaded as it wont turn and is hard to get a socket to hold on the factory rounded head. The head of the 1 1/8" bolt is factory rounded making me think it is not threaded in. Anybody ever work on lower control arm removal on a '61-63 Galaxie that can chime in.
If this is like a 59 Edsel, then the 5/8 bolt will come out relatively easily and from the factory, at least on my car, there is an opening allowing for the bolt to exit through the front of the frame, on either side of the radiator core support bottom. I hope this helps. Sent from my Moto G Play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My '59 was not threaded in, it is a shoulder bolt. I know the head is really short on that and the big radius is no help. The 5/8" head bolt from the other side goes into the big one, it has a female thread in it. I may have driven the big end out with a drift.
When I replaced the A arm bushings on my 61 Sunliner there was a bolt I couldn't get off like you describe (it's been about 8 years) and I didn't want to destroy it so I pulled down the contol arm on the side I could get out untill it cleared the frame and slid it off the bolt leaving the bolt in the cross member. Hope that makes sense, still don't know if that bolt is supposed to come out or not. Mike
I don't feel that the bolt will (does) come out. Has anybody ever got the rear bolt from the tubular cross member out? I have been trying to drive it out for quite awhile. I am going to try 61 Sunliners suggestion.
The service manual doesn't mention the rear shaft, it simply says remove the bolts and remove the A arm. I tried like you to put a wrench on the hex head but no budge. Tried beating it out and same thing. I was afraid of mushrooming the end or buggering the threads so that is when I tried pushing down on the forward part of the A arm untill it cleared the front frame section and got it out. The rubber bushing will flex and allow that. It's been awhile so I don't remember how hard it was but I was able to get them off and back on. I had good access because at the time I had the front clip off and the engine out. I had to pile bricks on the cross member to get enough weight to compress the spring with the jack because the front end was too light without the engine. Mike
I too have the front clip, motor and trans out, BUT I am going to compress the coil spring some with a center compressor and then remove the lower ball joint and A arm. I can only get the front bolt to spin very little so I'm planning on cutting off that front bolt to lower the front of the A arm drive out the cut bolt and then use a new 5/8" hardened bolt to replace it
Check out this eBay listing, it's a factory ford A arm kit. Look at the parts included it looks like that rear shaft through the cross member should be able to be removed. Maybe it has to be pressed out. http://m.ebay.com/itm/401400071575?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368
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