Step Side Bed Questions, Please Help!

[dtlilly]

Background:

I have (2) 9 foot long step side beds complete. I want to disassemble both of them and use the best parts to make one good 9 Foot step bed.

Problem:

The steps and fenders use a 1/2" nut on the backside of a philips headed carrage bolt. As soon as I get the nut turning, the whole carrage bolt turns too. I am doing this alone, so I can't get someone to hold the carrage bolt with a philips, and even if I did have help, I doubt anyone could hold the philips screwdriver in the slots, while I'm trying to get off the rusted nuts.

I do not want to damage anything here. I have a cutting torch, but I'm scared the heat will mess up the flanges. I am also worried I might cut through the part rendering it junk in my eyes.

Any ideas?

[72MARIO]

Just tighten them and break them. It's the only way I know.

[cheyenne10]

Tack weld a nut on the phillips head, heat the whole thing or lube it overnight and put a little air ratchet torque to it.

[dtlilly]

Dang, I was afraid I was going to get those answers. Cheyenne10, no welder...Well, I guess it's busted knuckles for me. I better get the new motor installed before I'm disabled, haha. Thanks guys.

[krue]

Don, you could try what I did. I lubed everything up with PB Blaster, then I hung my wrench on the nut and using a #3 Phillips screw driver to put the wrench in a bind. Then I used vice grips to turn the piss out of them. I may have been lucky but they all came off.

[Palf70Step]

You'll still be sacrificing the nut/bolt, but I turned my bed upside down and used a cutting wheel on my grinder and cut the nuts off from the underside of the bed. A couple I used my dremel tool becuase I was out of pratice using a grinding wheel that way and I had run out of cutting wheels for the grinder. You may end up having to cut the rod supports too if you want them off. I left mine attached to the fenders, but was able to work the other side off except the one that goes into the frame. I had to cut it as well. I'm just goting to weld a bolt on the end whenever I reassemble them or fab something to get it back on.

[stllookn]

I used a torch on mine when it was upside down and it worked pretty well. I just kept a wet towel to put out the fire in the undercoating and rotten wood. It really stinks the place up. I had to replace the wood anyway. The big angle grinder is a good idea...I have used them before too. You might get a nut breaker and try that but I am sure you tire of it and go with the torch. You are going to want to replace them all with stainless anyway...LOL!

[dtlilly]

Thanks for the responces. I guess the bed needs to come off the truck so I'm not laying on my back in the mud. I'll try to find a ratchet with a real long handle and just try to muscle these fenders and steps off.

I learned a trick taking apart the short step bed (already had fenders and steps off). I removed all the wood. Then I was able to put a vice grips on the bolt and turn it off with a socket. To get all the square nuts off the bed strips, I used the vice grips again, then turned them off using a 7/16 open end wrench standing on end, and another smaller open end wrench to turn the 7/16th. Took awhile, but no damage to anything...including knuckles.

[68LSS1]

If your not worried about saving the bolts it's very easy to drill the head of the screw off just like you were driling a rivet off.

[Stroker]

I used the drilling method posted by 68LSS1.