How to replace control arm on the passenger side 08 Cobalt
I have not seen this on this site so I would like to post it.
Get the Cobalt jacked up as high as you can, get the wheel off.
Take the ball joint bolt off. The bolt head is 5/8 and nut is 15mm.
Hammer on the spindle pinch and ball joint will come off.
Take the front 2 bolts off the frame 15mm.
Now the rear bushing bolt 13/16 or 22mm if you have it.
If its jammed like mine was, your air gun won't budge it.
You might break your breaker bar like I did.
There are 2 problems. 1 is the weld nut at the top is
ceased. 2 the bushing is ceased around the bolt.
Because I had both problems I assume it is common.
I know this bushing goes on the passenger side often
as I had it happen on my Saturn Ion (same car underneath).
If you have an Ingersold Rand Air Hack saw you can cut way up high
and low inside the frame on the bushing through bushing and bolt.
I was not able to do this with my Sawsall as I think I would have
damaged the frame and caused a rust problem after I was done.
Then use air hammer chisel and get at the cage over the weld nut.
Sharpen chisel before. Cut the cage off.You will need a mirror
to see the weld nut.You have to cut the cage blind.
I had to remove the complete control arm before cutting through
the bushing and bolt then pushing the top part of the bolt through
the top and get it out. I had the cut the control arm apart around the
Bushing using stone age tactics drilling, chiseling and air hammering.
Was hours of labor. After I did this I was able to get all of the rubber
out of the way. Then I torched the bushing freeing the bolt from the bushing.
I was unable to get a wrench or a Vicegrips on the weld bolt because it
is rectangular. Torching the weld bolt is blind. The new bolt is Dealer only.
They don`t sell a nut so I found a hard steel hex nut at Bolts Plus.
Then out came the Sawsall. When I torked the bolt and nut. I covers the
nut and area with marine grease to slow down the rust process as I am
sure my tools made some bare metal up there. I bought the middle control
arm not the cheapest. It came with a new ball joint bolt. Everthing goes
back together easy. Took it for a test drive, perfect!
(The symptoms of my problem were clunking from right front side of car.
Felt like steering was gone. Front right wheel moved front to back. Scary!)
I hope this will help others


weld nut and cage are here. Hard to see without mirror or camera.

I have no idea how to replace the control arm on the drivers side?
There are gas and brake lines in the way.

Switchbacker

 

Nice! I was lucky enough to get all my bolts out without cutting and I never seized them before reinstalling. I have done that to all the carriage bolts.