Very rusty rear coil spring bolts in 1968 C10

[HeavyHauler]

I had began putting WD40 and PB blaster several times on the rear coil spring bolts for my 1968 Chevy C10 multiple times over several months this past summer because I knew that I was going to be working on the suspension this winter. Well I finally started trying to remove them today and those bolts are simply not moving a inch. I also tried heating them up and removing them with a small bernzomatic propane torch but they are just frozen in place.

I was trying to save the rear springs and not have to cut and damage them but it seems I have no choice. I am wanting to install some lowering coil springs.

Anybody with any other suggestions on how to remove the rear coil springs without damaging them?

[rpmerf]

There is a big difference between a cheap propane torch head and a good one. MAPP gas is even hotter.

I like to get it hot, then spray it with PB. Seems to wick it in. Then heat it up again.

Sometimes a whack with a hammer can help jostle a bolt loose.

I've heard acetone and ATF is better than PB. I have a bottle of it in my garage. Not sure if it is actually better or not.

Use 6 point sockets. Good ones will focus the load more on the sides than the corners. Even Harbor Freight ones do this.

Giant breaker bar with a cheater pipe. The longer it is, the more mechanical advantage you have.

[sick472]

rpmerf beat me to that good advise, but I can add one thing...after heating up (hotter than a bernzomatic) and oiling, knocking with a hammer, heating, oiling, knocking with a hammer, etc... try tightening the bolts in between trying to loosening them. The back and forth can help break up the rust that is acting like epoxy.

I have heated seized connections to red-hot and more importantly just the nuts or female part. What you need to realize is that the nut will expand with the added heat away from the bolt if you can hit it with enough heat fast enough ( a handheld propane torch does not do this well if at all...this swelling of the nut breaks up the epoxy rust at the threads. So, try to hit the nut first and by itself, let cool with the help of WD/PB and hit it again with heat. Try to loosen, then tighten, then loosen, then heat, then oil and so on until you are about to give up and the try it all again. If you can get it to budge you will know what endorphins are, after all that!

Can you get to the exposed threads of the bolt to sandblast or at least wire wheel them. Breaking it loose is the first step, keeping it turning will be the next.

[MySons68C20]

Since you probably won't try to reuse them torch them off. I've beat myself up to many times with the WD, PB heat and pound deal it's so much easier to use the hot wrench and be done with it. My .02 of course but I feel your pain!

[HeavyHauler]

Yep I used all the tricks you guys just mentioned and forgot to mention I did use trans fluid and acetone during the summer as well.

The only thing I didnt have is a expensive torch.

I will cut them out tomorrow with cutting wheel and sawsall. I appreciate your guys feed back as I thought there might be something else I was missing.

[MySons68C20]

Good plan! Don't forget to post some pics...love those pics!!

[HeavyHauler]

Originally Posted by MySons68C20

Since you probably won't try to reuse them torch them off. I've beat myself up to many times with the WD, PB heat and pound deal it's so much easier to use the hot wrench and be done with it. My .02 of course but I feel your pain!

Yep I was trying to save them just in case I wanted to put it back to near factory height in the future.

I am going to cut the spring with a cutting wheel and then slide a sawsall underneath that cup and bolt combo and cut that bolt for both the upper and lower cups.

[68Gold/white]

Unless you have an impact, the bolts may not move....
THey make electric impacts, not all that expensive. I took apart a 68 pickup bed trailer this past late summer, it was not easy, but got bolts out!!!

MAP gas comes in the yellow cylinders, I used it also.

I had to tighten and loosen the bolts a bunch with lubricant and heat, was not fast or easy. No real need to cut the spring...

The key is in getting the lubricant to where the bolt is in the nut, tightening and loosening the bolt eventually gets it there...

[68 P.O.S.]

I just did this again a few weeks ago. I used lots of PB Blaster, sawzall'd the upper part of the u-bolts off, and then used the bfh at every possible angle I could get. The bfh is your best friend for this.

[cebra]

Originally Posted by MySons68C20

Since you probably won't try to reuse them torch them off. I've beat myself up to many times with the WD, PB heat and pound deal it's so much easier to use the hot wrench and be done with it. My .02 of course but I feel your pain!

I cut mine off too, took a few minutes and replaced with grade 8. Much better than spending an hour on trying to force them out in my opinion.

[69Tom]

Mine we so rusted on my 70 I too had no choice but to cut them off. Had to replace the upper and bottom mounting plates too.

[Grumpy old man]

Try this takes less than 5 minutes.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=769039

[67C10Step]

I went through this on my 67 a few months back and since I knew I wasn't re-using the springs, bolts, or retainers I was free to take out some pent up aggression. First, I cut the springs out and got them mostly out of the way. I was pulling the trailing arms for new bushings so those came out next. I was fortunate in that both upper bolts actually came off with just using my breaker bar. If they had been really stuck I'd have probably resorted to the Grumpy method. It has worked for me in the past many times.

With the trailing arms out I was again fortunate in that both bottom bolts broke after about 5-6 turns. Beat the rest out with a punch and hammer.

[HeavyHauler]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Try this takes less than 5 minutes.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=769039

That was awesome Grumpy! I got them out in 20 minutes but I could do it alot quicker if I had to do it again. I was able to save my rear springs and that is great. Thanks for posting that information!

Also on the driver side I didnt even need to cut all the way through entirely as I think it relieved some grit and rust when I made a few cuts and it with a cold chisel a few times then I just got my ratchet/socket and got the bolt out using a long extension.

No amount of marvels mystery oil or extreme heat was going to get these out. They were sooooo rusty they were practically welded together.

[Stover93]

It probably wouldn't have worked for this but I bought a cheap 3/4" impact at Harbor Freight to deal with the lug nuts on my 1 ton Dodge.

It's a surprisingly good tool. I haven't run into a rusted bolt or nut yet that it won't either break loose or twist off.