Nvts

I have been trying to beat my half shaft Ubolts out of the yoke all week, and went over to get a torch to torch them out. I never torched a bolt out, how long should one have to apply heat when torching?

I gave it a trial run through @ 20-30 seconds, and the bolt was still stuck tight.

I got the nuts off last week, just can't slip the rusted solid bolt out of the yoke.

Gordonm

If you are heating it to take it out, don't heat the bolt. Heat the area around it so that expands and not the bolt. If you heat the bolt only it will get tighter. You should get the surronding area red hot then try to remove the bolt. Now if you have a cutting torch that is a different story.

Nvts

It was interesting to watch a week's worth of PB Blaster bubble out of the shaft.

I got one half shaft out without having to torch them, but the other side is stuck tight. I'll let it fry a little longer to get hotter then.

Russ Bellinis

Getting the bolts red hot and then letting them cool off will also loosen them. When the bolt glows red, the rust that is holding it stuck burns away. When the bolt cools off, it will fall out. If the yoke is cast iron instead of steel,(I don't know which it is) getting it red hot will cause it to get harder than tool steel and possibly brittle. If it is heat treated steel, getting the yoke red hot will take out the temper.

Nvts

Here is what they looked like before I started. Looks like iron to me. Before I cut the U part of the bolts out.

Maine Vette

Why not just take a sawz-all to the u-bolt and cut it in half and then remove it? Seems like it would be well worth the $15 or so to replace the bolts to save yourself fighting with the bolts for another week.

Nvts

The curved part of the bolts have been cut off. The half axles are both out. I was able to get 4 of the sliced bolt parts out on one wheel after I cut the curved part out. I have 4 left on the other wheel.

I still can't beat the remaining parts of the bolts out. The rust has them frozen into the yoke. I'm trying to remove the last inch or so of what used to be U bolts.


Almost all of the bolts so far that I have taken off look like these. There is no such thing as an easy job yet.


What I have been doing ( and what worked on the passenger side) is to try to wedge a screwdriver between the nut(unthreaded to the end of the bolt) and the differential. I’m very open to suggestions on something better.

Russ Bellinis

Is the yoke out or still in the car? I'm not familier with Vette rear ends, if they are still in, What holds them in? If you can get the yokes out, it might be easier to get the bolts out on the bench.

Gordonm

The yokes are held in by a snap ring. You have to remove the pumpkin to get the yokes out.

Maine Vette

Hmmm. In the past when removing stobborn rivets I've had to drill out the center of the rivet and then use a hammer with a small screwdriver or punch to drive them out. Drilling out the center allows the rivet/bolt to flex. Some of the rivets wouldnt budge using a punch and a 5# hammer, but after drilling out the centers they came out pretty well. Start with a small hole and work towards a bigger diameter.

Taking the yokes off may be possible with the differential still on the car, but It'll probably be more trouble than its worth.

Gordonm

Can't be done with the pumpkin in the car. Use that as a last resort to getting the bolts out. Not really a bad job to remove the pumpkin. I can have mine out in about 1.5 hours by myself. Of course everything is new back there also. No rusted bolts to deal with.

Techno

Can you get a vice grips on it and turn it like a wrench. If you have a welder available weld on a good lever and convince them to turn.
Leverage wins everytime when you can fit the length in.

Nvts

Doubt I can get a grips on it, as I could barely get a wrench in there.

Here's what I am looking at now.

pic
Pic
Pic
and my half axles
and the reason I had to take them off... pic

The pictures sure do not show just how little room there is between the differential and the bolt.

PEPresnell

And I thought I had trouble with my 74 when I rebuilt the rear supension. I had to tourch everything, but not the u-bolts. I think you are going to have to takr out the pumpkin and take out the yolks to get rhese out

Russ Bellinis

How hot have you had the bolts? It isn't good enough to just get them hot, to burn off rust they need to be glowing cherry red. If you haven't done it yet, you might try liquid wrench and let it soak over night. I think it will take a torch, though.

DR.Jay

Judging by the photos you posted, and comparing them to the rear diff on my '78, I think your best bet if you don't want to remove the diff is to. #1) cut the rest of the bolts on the u shaped side off flush with a cutting wheel, and drive them out with punch. You may also want try after cutting the u shaped part off with a cut off wheel. #2) Using two nuts on the threaded side of the stud if you can. Screw the first nut down flush with the yolk, and try to use some washers. Tighten the nut. This acts as a puller, but be careful don't strip the threads off the stud. #3) Tighten the first nut down flush, tighten the second nut against the first. Now losen the nut that is against the yolk. This should turn the bolt freeing it from the rust. Now you should be able to drive it out with a punch.


Good Luck!!!

howler

You say there is not much room to work. Do you have the spare tire and upper cover removed?

mandm1200

I had a tough time getting a couple of the straps off. On the drivers side there was a spot where the end of the bolt is close to the differential. When backing off the nut, the nut hit it. I continued to turn the nut and it sort of pressed the bolt out a little. I then sprayed the bolt and tightened the nut getting some penetrating oil worked in. Repeated this a dozen times or so; each time the bolt came out a little further until it was free. I did the same on the passenger side but had to place a wrench between the nut an differential since there was a wider gap to fill. I removed the straps in one piece. With yours being cut, you should not have the binding effect I had.

Garys 68

Drill them out.

72-LT1

I had the same problem. I ended up cutting the straps off and then tried for hours to get the rest of the strap out.

After that I just took out the diff and it was real easy to get them out when it was on the bench.