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Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)

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Offline Jookycola

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Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« on: August 27, 2007, 11:44:54 AM »
Well my 95 trackkick is otherwise a pretty flawless truck.  But living 90% of it's life in snowy michigan weather has resulted in alot of rusted and/or fused bolts everywere.  I even had to take it to a repair shop to get the brake pads done.  A fairly easy job i couldn't do myself because the bolts for the calipers were fused.

I tried a while ago to remove the front bumper cover and all of those bolts were rusted/fused. after trying every remedy known (i.e. pb blaster, coke, penetrating oils, etc) to loosen the bolts my only action was to use an impact wrench on them and snap the heads off.  then i just drilled and re-tapped new holes.

My question is...I want to do a body lift.  My worry is, those bolts are most likely fused too.  So i went to a shop here in Michigan and they want to charge me  :o $400 to do a body lift!?!?!?! :o  I was like oh HELL no. 
I can work on cars, i'm not a newbie.  I know can do it my self, and I WANT to do it myself...but i know i don't have the right tools to remove those bolts if they are seriously fused and rusted.  And there is no way in hell i will give some jackass $400 to instal a $100 body lift kit if there is a way i can do it my self.  So how have you guys managed to loosen badly rusted/fused body bolts and all the related bolts?
Or do you think i'm screwed and should take it somewhere and pay the cash to have it done profesionally?
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Offline Jimiweld

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2007, 02:40:07 PM »
I always use a bit of heat from the torches.
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Offline sklope

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2007, 04:08:12 PM »
My bolts were in pretty bad shape when I did my body lift. I used liquid wrench. Saturated the bolts and nuts and let it sit overnight. Used a wrench and a shop hammer and started tapping. They eventually broke loose.
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Offline Jookycola

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2007, 04:53:02 PM »
Quote from: sklope on August 27, 2007, 04:08:12 PM
My bolts were in pretty bad shape when I did my body lift. I used liquid wrench. Saturated the bolts and nuts and let it sit overnight. Used a wrench and a shop hammer and started tapping. They eventually broke loose.

I've done that on other bolts on the truck...and the only thing that happened was the heads snapped.  This is the worst car i've ever experienced with fused bolts.  And as for heat from a torch that was my original idea...but i can't heat up bumper bolts, and i was worried about melting the body mounts (pucks).
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Offline geeeeoooo

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2007, 06:14:27 PM »
Quote
life in snowy michigan weather


same here...where in mi are ya?? im near lapeer, mi....a body lift is what i want to do next, but i am also scared as my tracker is probably worse than yours...the people i bouhgt mine from lived about 10 miles all down dirtroads, and i dont think that they ever washed the thing....inside or out....and everything on mine is rusted....i totally agree that these are horrible vehicles for rusted fasteners
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Offline geeeeoooo

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2007, 07:01:53 PM »
by the way... the best penetrating oil is called kroil.....its made by a company called kano...i have no idea where to get the stuff....my dad works for detroit edison, and thats what they use there for seized bolts....but im sure it can be found....something to look into possibly??
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Offline museboy07

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2007, 08:47:42 PM »
My rig is RUSTED too.  This is what I did.  Start this 2 weeks before you do the lift.  Everyday for two weeks spray the body studs with pb blaster.  Then when its comes time to do the lift get out a little propane torch and heat the nut for 1 minute.  Mine came out beautifully.  Not one broken stud/bolt  ;)
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Offline Jookycola

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2007, 09:00:10 PM »
Lapeer,  That's close enough.  I'm a straight shot down Van Dyke Expressway in Mt. Clemens.  I doubt rust wise yours is worse...maybe equal.  Mine was runabout car for a couple when they'd go up north.  Mostly during winters.  The body and interior are showroom new...but under the skin.....whoa, it's a different story.
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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2007, 05:05:19 AM »
IIRC there are only 2 bolts to do the bodylift itself, the two under the headlights. The others are all studs so you need to get the nuts off. I think I would just buy a set of new nuts, then if the previous suggestions didn't work I'd use a nut splitter to crack off the old nuts. Clean up the threads while the rubbers are off and then refit everything with the new nuts. For the price of a few new nuts it wouldn't be worth my time to mess about.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2007, 05:07:32 AM by Rhinoman »
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Offline sidekicksrock

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2007, 09:28:27 AM »
Although I now live in beautiful wonderful rust free Colorado I lived in Michigan for about 35 years. The ideas Given so far are all good, I would use the hot wrench and blow off an edge of the bolt down to the treads. The bolt will come off easily and clean the treads of the stud as you remove it. This amount of heat should not hurt the rubber. Oh yes and always put plenty of anti-seize on everything you take apart on the truck. Dave
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Offline locjaw

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2007, 02:58:15 PM »
Quote from: Rhinoman on August 28, 2007, 05:05:19 AM
then if the previous suggestions didn't work I'd use a nut splitter to crack off the old nuts.

that sounds painfull ;D ;D ;D


but seriously rhinoman's idea combined with museboys idea sounds like it would be the best route
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Offline muskegtracker

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2007, 03:17:59 PM »
I used the old torch idea too.  It works great.  Had to use it on my own rig.  I took the BL out to get the CG on the DL.  Yah know?

Just heat the nut till its just about dull cherry.  Stick the wrench on it.  A loud pop, and it'll probably turn hard the whole way out.  Buy new nuts. replace with anti-seize.
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Offline Jookycola

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2007, 03:36:51 PM »
Quote from: muskegtracker on August 28, 2007, 03:17:59 PM
I used the old torch idea too.  It works great.  Had to use it on my own rig.  I took the BL out to get the CG on the DL.  Yah know?

Just heat the nut till its just about dull cherry.  Stick the wrench on it.  A loud pop, and it'll probably turn hard the whole way out.  Buy new nuts. replace with anti-seize.

That didn't affect the rubber body pucks at all?  And what about bumper cover bolts?  I can't heat those up or i'll melt the plastic?  any other technique to get these off other than snaping the heads off and re drilling and tapping the holes?
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cincy_kick

Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2007, 04:13:49 PM »
Ok. I am going to ask:cause i have never done a body lift. but if you reuse the same studs then they are 2-3 inches to long to begin with or am I just missing something( like knowledge on body lifts)
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Offline museboy07

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Re: Trouble with rusted/fused bolts (want to do body lift)
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2007, 06:07:39 PM »
You have to reuse the studs.  They are welded to the body.  The lift comes with threaded sleeves that are long enough to push up through the 2in blocks and thread on to the welded stud
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