New method for removing seized LCA cam sleeves

[MagusWyatt]

While working on a complete suspension rebuild, I found that I had the dreaded cam adjuster sleeved rusted inside the bushing. I didn't have a reciprocating saw to cut them out and couldn't leave at the moment, so I set out to find a new way using what I had. I ended up finding a way to do it using nothing but a socket wrench, an adjustable wrench, and old parts that are already removed during this job.

It looks like there are a lot of steps, but this whole process really only takes around 10 minutes.

For reference, in these pictures I am working on the passenger side, rearmost cam adjuster sleeve.



Step 1: Reverse the cam adjuster bolt from the direction it sits when things are assembled. The bolt head should be inserted so it rests against the part of the cam adjuster sleeve that sticks out through the opening in the frame.



Step 2: Place an axle nut on the other end of the bolt, wider side against the LCA. Then thread one of the cam adjuster plates, reversed from the direction it would normally sit, on to the end of the bolt. Get your adjustable wrench and size it so it fits on the nut section of the cam plate you just threaded on. Hold everything in place and finger tighten the whole assembly. The whole assembly should now be fairly solid, and the adjustable wrench will be captured by the tension between the axle nut and the cam plate.



Step 3: Now, you want to make sure that the axle nut is centered around the hole where the cam adjuster sleeve is. You may have to loosen the assembly a bit to get everything centered properly, then finger tighten it back down. The axle nut is essentially acting as a recieving cup for the cam adjuster sleeve, which will be drawn out in that direction. Get your socket wrench with a 22mm socket on it ready for the bolt head. Hold the adjustable wrench with one hand to keep the cam plate from rotating, then start tightening the bolt head with the socket wrench. You should start to notice the bolt head pressing the exposed side of the cam adjuster sleeve back through the frame! Stop when you meet significant resistance and you see the bolt head bottomed out against the frame.



Step 5: Now loosen the whole assembly and you'll see that the ugly rusted mess of that cam adjuster sleeve has been partly drawn out!



Step 6: Once the rusted surfaces have been broken apart, it's just a matter of getting a prybar or large screwdriver and tapping the sleeve out the rest of the way.



And voila! You've just removed a siezed cam adjuster sleeve without any special tools. I hope this helps someone the next time they're planning on doing a job that requires taking these cam sleeves out.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

I do something similar with the alternator sleeve when I remove my alternator. It makes installation much easier.


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[JMat]

Great information, Thanks! I'm going to be tackling a full suspension refresh here very soon and am sure this will be needed. I've noticed a lot more rust underneath my rig in the 3 years since moving from where it rains to where they salt the roads in the winter.

 

[MagusWyatt]

I do something similar with the alternator sleeve when I remove my alternator. It makes installation much easier.


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Ah, that's a good idea as well. I struggled through that one last winter so I shouldn't be due for quite a while, but I'll have to remember that.

 

[MagusWyatt]

Great information, Thanks! I'm going to be tackling a full suspension refresh here very soon and am sure this will be needed. I've noticed a lot more rust underneath my rig in the 3 years since moving from where it rains to where they salt the roads in the winter.

My pleasure! I've learned a lot on these forums and am happy to give back whenever I can. My rig has been a west coast vehicle for all of its life. Has very little rust anywhere, but these were still absolutely siezed with rust. They are also definitely the ones from the factory, so I think in any environment after 22 years and 280,000 miles, there's no chance of them coming out without some sort of mechanical advantage.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Ah, that's a good idea as well. I struggled through that one last winter so I shouldn't be due for quite a while, but I'll have to remember that.

I posted my setup a few times. I wonder if I still have a picture of it.


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[19963.4lsr5]

My pleasure! I've learned a lot on these forums and am happy to give back whenever I can. My rig has been a west coast vehicle for all of its life. Has very little rust anywhere, but these were still absolutely siezed with rust. They are also definitely the ones from the factory, so I think in any environment after 22 years and 280,000 miles, there's no chance of them coming out without some sort of mechanical advantage.

I tried doing mine in the spring and couldn’t get the nuts loose with my big impact gun.

Took it to my friends shop with the bushings to rebuild both lower control arms and 1200 dollars later it drives like a brand new rig.

They had to put new cams in also.


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[MagusWyatt]

I posted my setup a few times. I wonder if I still have a picture of it.


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Oh good, at least it's searchable.

I tried doing mine in the spring and couldn’t get the nuts loose with my big impact gun.

Took it to my friends shop with the bushings to rebuild both lower control arms and 1200 dollars later it drives like a brand new rig.

They had to put new cams in also.


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I can't wait to be done. This job has consumed my Saturdays for a month. But I started the plan with a lift and then dove in and decided to also rebuild everything in the wheel well all the way in to the axle housings. Mine should literally drive like a new truck when I'm done. Looking forward to it!

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Man I wish I had remembered this procedure when I was at the junkyard trying to get a control arm (I'm doing whiteline bushings and figured it was better to work with some arms on my bench at my leisure instead of being a rush with the ones currently on my truck). Had one frozen cam and I couldn't remember this procedure. Probably going to go back tomorrow and see if I can get that control arm. Save me having to deal with borrowing a sawzall and using it at such an awkward angle.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Okay so this method doesn't always work. One stuck cam sleeve at the junkyard was so stuck that this method with an impact didn't budge it (it was probably going to strip threads had I kept it up). Another one did come initially unstuck but there is still a point where you have so much rust still causing friction that to might not be able to easily knock it out after breaking the initial stiction. After breaking it initially I tried to get it with a 1/2" wobble extension (was all I had at the time). Basically no matter which way I went I hit a point where the friction got so high that the force to deform the sleeve around my extension was lower so I just it got even more stuck in there. If you do this method I highly recommend you have a drift that is just smaller than the outer sleeve otherwise you might just run into this issue.

 

[mtbtim]

Okay so this method doesn't always work. One stuck cam sleeve at the junkyard was so stuck that this method with an impact didn't budge it (it was probably going to strip threads had I kept it up). Another one did come initially unstuck but there is still a point where you have so much rust still causing friction that to might not be able to easily knock it out after breaking the initial stiction. After breaking it initially I tried to get it with a 1/2" wobble extension (was all I had at the time). Basically no matter which way I went I hit a point where the friction got so high that the force to deform the sleeve around my extension was lower so I just it got even more stuck in there. If you do this method I highly recommend you have a drift that is just smaller than the outer sleeve otherwise you might just run into this issue.

I was going to say the same thing. This method will only work if the level of rust isn't that bad.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

I was going to say the same thing. This method will only work if the level of rust isn't that bad.

Yeah I think in the future I should just be prepared to always sawzall these out. I currently don't have one and will probably have to borrow one to get my frozen cams out of the passenger arm that is currently on my truck. Thankfully just as I was about to give up for the day a nice gentleman at the yard came through for me with a sawzall and blades good enough to get through so I now have two donor arms to not be so rushed on with the bushings swap. Will also give me time to clean up those arms and maybe paint them.

 

[JohnMc]

Yeah, a couple of years ago I was removing the passenger side LCA on mine and it had stuck adjusters. I tried all sorts of things, used huge amounts of force, they just weren't gonna budge at all. Finally broke out the sawzall and it was out in 5 minutes.

I'd bought a new arm with bushings that time, so the other arms are in the basement for a leisurely swap next time the bushings need to be replaced.

I stuck the new adjusters in with plenty of antiseize, but I'm not really sure that's going to be still around if/when I take it apart again.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Yeah, a couple of years ago I was removing the passenger side LCA on mine and it had stuck adjusters. I tried all sorts of things, used huge amounts of force, they just weren't gonna budge at all. Finally broke out the sawzall and it was out in 5 minutes.

I'd bought a new arm with bushings that time, so the other arms are in the basement for a leisurely swap next time the bushings need to be replaced.

I stuck the new adjusters in with plenty of antiseize, but I'm not really sure that's going to be still around if/when I take it apart again.

Yeah I've seen people say antiseize washes out too easily between the bushing sleeve and the cam sleeve. Seems like marine grease is probably your best best for something that will stay in there long term. Shoulnd't matter so much though with poly bushings. Even if the sleeves freeze up the bushing sleeve can still spin in the bushing itself since they aren't all connected like the OEM bushings.