top_prop

Got the inspection mirror and flashlight on the nut and retainer... they are ok. The tapered end of the 21mm bolt is just poking through (think the threads are no longer engaged).

However the metal liner of the bushing seems to be fused to the bolt... and no pair of vice grips I can get on it hold well enough to break the bolt free of the bushing's metal liner. No gap between head of bolt and the frame member, so I cannot pry it down... cant get a decent purchase on it from the top to press it out etc... ugh. What I wouldn't do for a time machine to go back to the factory and smeer some antisieze on this bolt when car was being manufactured... been spraying it with PB blaster regularly since I started working on it. ugh. frustrating.

Oldblue

Either let it soak a day or two or if you have a sawzall and a dozen or so blades, or a cutoff wheel on your die grinder.

Did you get a chance to watch my video

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...ge-nuts-64592/

top_prop

Got it out... it was very difficult.... the solution: Used my dremmel to grind two flats on the inner metal bushing so that I could get a good set of flat jawed vice grips on them. My round jaws were slipping on the round bushing. Used the flats of the 21mm head to time the two flats opposite of each other and so that I could grab them with the vice grips blind... arranged the vice grips so that they beared against the cross link...

Then the bolt wouldn't budge (I considered that a win as it always spun in the round jaw vice grips). TO turn it, I had to use a 3/4 breaker bar with a 3' pipe. I wasn't sure if I was turning the bolt in the bushing or just turning the bushing in the vice grips, but I kept turning... and eventually it started down, backing away from the cross member!!!!

Once I got a few threads exposed between the cross member and the bolt head I tried my impact gun... it barely got it turning... went forward a hair, then back, then forward, and then back... then it started turing off with the impact gun. Now I had room to stick a pry bar between the cross member and the flange of the bolt head and spin it with the impact while prying it downward... it was slow and difficult but it broke free without having to cut on the bolt at all.

Oldblue

I suggest you replace the bolt P/N 11589009 per our part number list

top_prop

Already ordered a replacement...

Thanks!

New to me HHR

My mechanic was able to tighten the bolt. Al is good there. I may need to replace the shield that hides the bolt from the bottom since it was cut wider to gain access to the bolt.

top_prop

For posterity sake... I couldn't get the old bolt to start and tighten... the ordeal of removing it stripped off the last 1/2" (13mm) or so of threads... so it wouldn't start in the captured nut. Once I got the new bolt, it hit it with a light coat of antisieze grease and after some wiggling got it to start in the captive nut... torqued it to spec and called it good.

So buying a replacement was the way forward.

Hope this helps someone through a tough ordeal in the future.