Posts: 525
Threads: 13
Joined: Jun 2014
Reputation:
0
Ok officially hate the bolts that bolt on the front radius control arms to the front axle. I have gotten 6 of the 8 bolts out but the last 2 are being a pain in metal, tried a 3 foot breaker bar, tried a 800ft lbs of torque impact, 1st trial run with the torch I picked up today and neither will budge. I will try again to get them glowing with the torch but who knows. Any ideas or anyone wants to try feel free to stop by. Thanks for letting me rant although I might need to do some more of it if they don't come off soon.
Thanks
William
Posts: 4,530
Threads: 131
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
Dry ice on bolt head and heat on housing.
'77 351w- Explorer EFI, 4R70W, 4-link, lockers, 4.56, 35" MT/Rs with a severe rock addiction.
mokin:
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
![[Image: sig2.jpg]](http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll176/mchuzie/sig2.jpg)
Posts: 3,290
Threads: 141
Joined: Dec 2007
Reputation:
0
You don't want to heat the bolts themselves. Heat the radius arm around the threaded portion of the bolt hole. Heat expands metal. You want to expand the area around the bolt, not the bolt. The bolt will get really hot which is ok, but try to focus on the metal around the bolt.
If you just have a propane torch don't even bother with it. It won't get the arm hot enough. If it is an oxy-acetylene torch give it to it.
Heat in combination with a high quality impact gun will break it loose or break it off. One of those cheap guns with an advertised torque rating is not the tool to use. You will need a MAC, Snap On, IR, or similar gun.
I did have a bolt break on me a while back. It takes a real impact gun to break one of these bolts.
Posts: 1,252
Threads: 77
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation:
0
Heating up bolts also change the strength as well. That's one bolt I don't want to play around with. Just saying.
[SIZE="2"]77 project bronco w/ 5.0 & c4, Sagi PS, 2 hard tops, eyebrow grill [/SIZE]
WANTED: auto column, gas tank, front/ rear seats
Posts: 1,716
Threads: 99
Joined: Dec 2007
Reputation:
0
Bigger breaker bar helped me
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
68 Half cab
Posts: 1,252
Threads: 77
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation:
0
As long as you have the required amount of bolts I'd cut/ break the rest off. The front cap will slide off and you are stuck with studs that you can now soak with WD40. You can also drill all the way thru it and an extractor set.
[SIZE="2"]77 project bronco w/ 5.0 & c4, Sagi PS, 2 hard tops, eyebrow grill [/SIZE]
WANTED: auto column, gas tank, front/ rear seats
Posts: 1,716
Threads: 99
Joined: Dec 2007
Reputation:
0
Easier to break the bolts and buy new arms
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
68 Half cab
Posts: 4,530
Threads: 131
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
Easy to break bolts but not extract them before of after the fact. I worked on high tolerance aircraft engines an the same worked for me.
'77 351w- Explorer EFI, 4R70W, 4-link, lockers, 4.56, 35" MT/Rs with a severe rock addiction.mokin:
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
Posts: 525
Threads: 13
Joined: Jun 2014
Reputation:
0
Well I have a cheap impact but borrowed a snapon from a mechanic buddy and still didn't do the trick. All I have is a propane torch and I could tell sitting there wasn't doing much to the bolt or the radius arm. As for the breaker bar my problem isn't the length of the breaker bar it is the fact the wrench I slip it over to pry on is bending every time because the bolt is too tight. As for breaking them I could go for that if I could get a clean break as I have a fealling I will be getting new radius arms and bolts when I order all new suspension later on. If it wasn't for the fact this is my front axle with disc brakes I would just leave it lie in the corner and not worry about it, but it is so I have to find some way to get them off. Even if the suspension kit doesn't come with bolts or a radius support arm I think I will be ok by pulling a couple bolts and a radius support arm off the other front axle I will be disasembling soon.
So I guess the ? now is how to get a clean break on the bolt so I can get the front radius support arm off.
![[Image: 3u3edy6u.jpg]](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/01/3u3edy6u.jpg)
![[Image: by4ysatu.jpg]](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/01/by4ysatu.jpg)