Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

[Gary B.]

A Sawzall or Dremel worked easily for me

Patrick,

Those bolts were totally rusted and wouldn't budge on my '66. After taking the load off the bolt by jacking under the end of the spring, I either used a Sawzall with a new blade or a Dremel with an abrasive cutoff wheel (I can't remember which) and the bolt was quickly cut in two. Whichever one I used, it was not at all difficult.

Gary

[Steven G.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Patrick, I am fortunate to have a gas torch that cut the bolts quickly along with front trailing arms and heated the 4 spring bolts, but I will be drilling and tapping one broken bolt on my rusted orange 72' coupe. The body is off that makes the job much easier. Steve

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Use the 1/2" breaker bar ( the longer the better) with 6 point socket and extension on the bolt head and the combo box end on the nut. Add a 2nd box end on the open end wrench thats on the nut to increase your leverage. Or borrow a 2nd 1/2" breaker bar and 6 point socket.

Don,

the hole in the TR is too small for any of my sockets to fit, and I tried all the 13/16 ones I own. I even checked at the store, and could not find any small enough diameter to fit in the hole to make this possible.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Joe and Pat:

Not that it makes much difference, but I think that this bolt is a Grade 7. I just finished replacing mine on my 1967.

Recommend removing car from lift, and supporting on the ground as Jack has said. Then use a floor jack to lift one end of the spring to remove spring force from the bolt. Then get your IR or CP impact and set it to reverse MAX.

A little Kroil should help, but MAPP gas should also work.

The car in the picture has seen a few Northern winters. I was fortunate, as my retaining bolts could be removed with a 3/8 drive ratchet.


Larry

Larry------


Yes, the spring end bolts are an "oddball" material grade. I don't know if it's called SAE grade 7 but in the GM nomenclature system it's called 290-M material grade. It's one of the few bolts on a Corvette that is of this grade. However, if one can cut a grade 8 (GM 300-M)bolt relatively easily, one will have no trouble with a 290-M.

[Joe L.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Don,

the hole in the TR is too small for any of my sockets to fit, and I tried all the 13/16 ones I own. I even checked at the store, and could not find any small enough diameter to fit in the hole to make this possible.

Patrick

Patrick------


You absolutely MUST remove the tension of the spring from the bolt prior to removing the bolt no matter what method you use to remove the bolt. That is a "given" in this "equation".

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Patrick------


You absolutely MUST remove the tension of the spring from the bolt prior to removing the bolt no matter what method you use to remove the bolt. That is a "given" in this "equation".

I don't doubt that at all. I wasn't about to actually remove it with tension on it.

[Jack P.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Joe and Pat:

Not that it makes much difference, but I think that this bolt is a Grade 7. I just finished replacing mine on my 1967.

Recommend removing car from lift, and supporting on the ground as Jack has said. Then use a floor jack to lift one end of the spring to remove spring force from the bolt. Then get your IR or CP impact and set it to reverse MAX.

A little Kroil should help, but MAPP gas should also work.

The car in the picture has seen a few Northern winters. I was fortunate, as my retaining bolts could be removed with a 3/8 drive ratchet.


Larry

Are you saying my car is a bit rusty. It has only seen 40 winters in the North Country. I think this picture shows the new bolts. ( sorry I just looked at Pat's picture , yes rust)

[Donald O.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Don,

the hole in the TR is too small for any of my sockets to fit, and I tried all the 13/16 ones I own. I even checked at the store, and could not find any small enough diameter to fit in the hole to make this possible.

Patrick

just looked again at the pix, use a hack saw, or cutoff wheel.
Want me to help you this weekend?

Don

[Jack P.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

I don't doubt that at all. I wasn't about to actually remove it with tension on it.

I used an adjustable wrench on the top of bolt ( it was thin enough to place ) and let it hit against the side of the TA assembly, it just locked into place as I used a breaker bar on the bottom nut.

Jack

[Thomas H.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Sometimes with bolts like this where the nut is not bottomed out on the bolt threads you can try to tighten the bolt first. This may break it loose, then liberal use of PB Blaster should help with the removal.

Tom

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

just looked again at the pix, use a hack saw, or cutoff wheel.
Want me to help you this weekend?

Don

Sure, drive on by.



The next 2 evenings are busy and I'm "supposed" to help a friend pack for a move on Saturday. Friday may be my next chance.... or not. It may wait until after Bloomington.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Sometimes with bolts like this where the nut is not bottomed out on the bolt threads you can try to tighten the bolt first. This may break it loose, then liberal use of PB Blaster should help with the removal.

Tom

Tried turning it both ways so far, no go. I'll try to relieve pressure from the spring but I would have expected "some" movement even with the spring in place.

Rustiest nut on the whole car - and I knew it would be.

[Bill C.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Patrick,

You can buy/rent a nut splitter or use an air chisel to split the nut. Just have all the tension off the spring.
The castle nut is not as hardened as the bolt.

I have done this a half dozen times on cars - work just fine.

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Patrick:
Put the car on the ground, jack it up and remove the wheel as others have suggested. Put a c-clamp inboard from where you plan to place a floor jack so that the jack absolutely cannot slip off the curved spring. Go to the hardware store and get a small Bernzomatic (sp.) combination oxygen-mapp gas (actually regular propane/oxygen will work fine but mapp is hotter.). This lights up just like a large oxy-acetylene torch with the blue pointed flame. I use this all the time and it will heat the nut cherry red in a just a short time. There is no way the nut won't come off with this. I have taken apart things that looked like they were raised from the Titanic with this. Good luck.
Jeff

[Joe L.]

Re: Rear spring end bolt removal - any tricks?

Rustiest nut on the whole car - and I knew it would be.

Patrick------


Part of the reason is because this nut was of "plain" finish, meaning that it had no corrosion protection, at all.