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#1 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Shadow of Lambeau Field
Posts: 5,597
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Step Side Bed Questions, Please Help!
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? |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Huntsville Ontario Canada
Posts: 4,052
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Just tighten them and break them. It's the only way I know.
__________________
1968 Suburban numbers matching all original truck now equipped with 6.0/4L80 on Accuair http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=625017 1967 C/20 6.0/4L80 Roofing Truck 1990 V2500 Suburban "Plow Truck" 2005 TAHOE DD |
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#3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Oregon
Posts: 2,512
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sacrifice the bolt
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.
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Bob |
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#4 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Shadow of Lambeau Field
Posts: 5,597
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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.
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#5 |
Designated A-hole!
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: South Mississippi
Posts: 36,450
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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.
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"If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is!" Being stupid ain't illegal. ![]() We're Still Debt Free Except for the House!!! www.daveramsey.com 70 GMC SWB Stepside project "Green Booger" soon to be 6.0l/4l80e 93 S-10 "Poppaw's Truck" |
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#6 |
State of Confusion!
![]() ![]() Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Gulfport, MS USA
Posts: 46,761
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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.
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Bill 1970 Chevy Custom/10 LWB Fleetside 2010 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner SR5 Double Cab - DD Member of Louisiana Classic Truck Club (LCTC) Bill's Gallery Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God! |
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#7 |
Saving 1 truck at a time!
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 6,465
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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!
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'68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary) |
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#8 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Shadow of Lambeau Field
Posts: 5,597
|
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. |
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Tampa
Posts: 1,191
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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.
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'68 Short Step LS1/T56, Hydratech, Fatman Fabrications Stage III, Baer, Hot Rods to Hell, US Body, S&W, etc |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Moore, Ok
Posts: 1,149
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I used the drilling method posted by 68LSS1.
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72 SWB parts and pieces Oklahoma |
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