I am replacing all my bushing on the rear of my sportsman. When I went to take the lower A-arm bolts out, one of them came out and now the other one just spins in the spacer inside that both bolts screw into. How do I get the other bolt loose?

 

Sometimes does the same thing on the front a-arms when you remove one bolt at a time,the shaft will just spin with the bolt in it. Put the bolt back in that you removed and tighten it while you have wrench on the other bolt. Next have a wrench or ratcheting wrench on both bolts and loosen at the same time. Really easier if you can get an air wrench on each side a little at a time. Same thing when you reinstall the a-arms. Have blue loctite on the bolts,start each side,have a wrench on one bolt,air ratchet on the other. A lot of times the bolt with the wrench on it will tighten at the same time the one with the air ratchet does because the shaft may spin a little.

 

I have had this issue and came up with a little trick to make the process easier. Take a grease zerk that has the same threads as the zerk in the A arm and cut the tip off. Then ream the sacrificial zerk out with a 1/8" +/- drill bit. Install the sacrificial zerk in the a arm and use the same bit to slightly drill into the shaft. I'll leave the bit in place so the shaft wont spin when you back the bolt out.

 

Good idea. Reminds me of what Ktm uses to lock the crank shaft on their 4 strokes at tdc. They have a small bolt at the front of the engine case with a thick copper washer. You remove the washer from the bolt,turn the crank until you see the relief cut in the crank and reinsert the bolt minus the washer. Locks it dead on at tdc and you can set valves,etc without the crank spinning. Gotta remember to remove the bolt and put the washer back on before you try to crank it!

 

Thanks, It work pretty good. Trying to break both bolts free from the shaft can be very frustrating.

 

I use an additional nut on the free side bolt as a jam nut. Thread the nut on the bolt, run it in the rod and then tighten the jam nut to lock the free bolt. Then you can loosen the other side bolt and take it out. once its out the jam nut and bolt can be loosened and removed.

 

Another good idea..