Trailing arm bolts! Dynamite? C4? Plasma cutter?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 139
From: Syracuse NY
Trailing arm bolts! Dynamite? C4? Plasma cutter?
Everything was going TOO well tonight on my trailing arm bushing job. The shims were all sorts of rusted, the pockets were full of dirt and grime, but I got it all opened up. I had everything disconnected and went to push out the trailing arm bolt and....nothing....so I hit it with an air hammer.....nothing.....so I pounded on it with a bar of steel and a 3 LB sledge...nothing.....so I hit it with a steel bar and a 20 lb sledge.....nothing....This bolt only comes out one way....what the hell can I do to loosen this thing up?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
One of the 2 most difficult jobs on a C3, rear shock mounts being the other one. A SawzAll is probably the best way to do it if the bolt is frozen. One forum member, who was admittedly biased because he was a rep, recommended Lennox blades - 9". The bolts are grade 8 so they don't give up easily.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,839
Likes: 45
From: nassau co. new york
i had a Milwaukee rep come to my shop and tell me they wanted to become # 1 in blades again.he bowed his head and said they had slipped somewhere along the line but will one day soon be as good as lennox.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Just for the info it is Lenox not Lennox. Lennox is the HVAC guys.
I am the rep on here for Lenox. These bolts can be cut for sure with a 14 or 18 tooth blade pretty easily. Use a little cutting lubricant and have at it. I have cut many a Grade8 bolt with these. The biggest problem is getting the blade in there and bouncing off the back wall of the frame. Any sawing questions from bolts to large billits of steel let me know.
I am the rep on here for Lenox. These bolts can be cut for sure with a 14 or 18 tooth blade pretty easily. Use a little cutting lubricant and have at it. I have cut many a Grade8 bolt with these. The biggest problem is getting the blade in there and bouncing off the back wall of the frame. Any sawing questions from bolts to large billits of steel let me know.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 139
From: Syracuse NY
Just for the info it is Lenox not Lennox. Lennox is the HVAC guys.
I am the rep on here for Lenox. These bolts can be cut for sure with a 14 or 18 tooth blade pretty easily. Use a little cutting lubricant and have at it. I have cut many a Grade8 bolt with these. The biggest problem is getting the blade in there and bouncing off the back wall of the frame. Any sawing questions from bolts to large billits of steel let me know.
I am the rep on here for Lenox. These bolts can be cut for sure with a 14 or 18 tooth blade pretty easily. Use a little cutting lubricant and have at it. I have cut many a Grade8 bolt with these. The biggest problem is getting the blade in there and bouncing off the back wall of the frame. Any sawing questions from bolts to large billits of steel let me know.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
I'd make sure and get plenty of blades. The thing is, ya have to use a long blade to get in there, but you have to cut the bolt with about the last inch and a half or so of the blade, which will quickly wear out (depending on the quality of the blade, I suppose). Gornonm, what do you think here?
Scott
Scott
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
I cant sell them to you. Go to a Lowes or a Fastenal or some of the better plumbing or electrical supply houses in your area should have Lenox products. They should have a good selection of blades for you. The 6 inch are to small, find either a 9 or 12 inch blade with 14 or 18 tooth. If you get the ones that are to long just cut the end off of them to the desired length. You should be able to do it with one or two blade but you never know. Get an extra one just in case.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 912
Likes: 47
From: Kansas City MO
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 850
Likes: 36
From: Providence RI
I only had to cut one bolt on mine, but it cut surprisingly easily. I followed the advice of someone on this board and only sprayed lube on the blade to cool it down, but let the bolt stay hot by not spraying it. I went at a moderate speed, and it cut through with plenty of blade to spare.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
From: NW sub of chicago IL
just use old oil in a tin can and keep dipping the blade in it while the saw its off.
use 8 in blades make sure hey are bi-metal
took me 5 dewalt bi-metal blades to get mine out, I returned the second pack.
use 8 in blades make sure hey are bi-metal
took me 5 dewalt bi-metal blades to get mine out, I returned the second pack.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,839
Likes: 45
From: nassau co. new york
i use the sulfur based oil that is used for pipe threading.for drilling also, and my blades and bits last a long long time.just rub some on the blade a few times during the cut and you can most likely not have to change the blade,also called cutting oil.(my bolts came out easy so go figure)good luck. as a side note we ran out of cutting oil in the shop and used motor oil instead to cut some pipe and we ruined the die.
Last edited by billcarson; Sep 5, 2011 at 07:31 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
cutting oil definitly has different properties than motor oil. There are hundreds of different cutting oils out there as there are motor oils. If you have it use cutting oil. It will work a lot better.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,669
Likes: 3
From: Kingston Ontario
Make sure it has a full charge. The cordless ones and I don't care if it is 24 volts will not give you the amperage a GOOD corded sawzall will give you. I have a high amperage one that is almost impossible to bog down. You should be able to get through it with that but be patient and have a spare battery ready. Lets us know the results.
This is one time you need a power source that won't give out! You need a tool that outlasts your patience for this job.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Winthrop MA
I just did my trailing arms. Ran into the same problems. Took quite a while to just get the old rusted shims out. Tried the Sawsall route with a metal cutting blade but those old grade 8 bolts are very tough. That would take days!! Those suckers are hard.
After screwing around for two days with the trailing arm bolts the shock bushings and camber adjustment arm, I went next door to the metal fabricating shop and borrowed their cutting torch. Wham Bamb and a couple of minutes later they were out. Nothing like real heat. With the torch there, I then burned the bushings out of the shock ends and the adjustment arms and got all the stubborn stuff of in 45 minutes.
That was a huge PITA job. I would not attempt to do it again without a cutting torch. My advise would be to rent or borrow a rig cutting or just heat on stubborn bolts.
All back together now. New trailing arms, new shocks, new adjustable camber arms, and all new U-Joints.
After screwing around for two days with the trailing arm bolts the shock bushings and camber adjustment arm, I went next door to the metal fabricating shop and borrowed their cutting torch. Wham Bamb and a couple of minutes later they were out. Nothing like real heat. With the torch there, I then burned the bushings out of the shock ends and the adjustment arms and got all the stubborn stuff of in 45 minutes.
That was a huge PITA job. I would not attempt to do it again without a cutting torch. My advise would be to rent or borrow a rig cutting or just heat on stubborn bolts.
All back together now. New trailing arms, new shocks, new adjustable camber arms, and all new U-Joints.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
One of these days I will make a video of cutting a Grade 8 bolt with a Sawzall and a proper blade with cutting fluid. It really is not that bad to cut them. I have done it many times. With the proper equipment and blades it takes very little time.