Am I missing a trick to removing the coil bolt to replace RA's??

[AlaskanJack]

I have been ussing penetrating oil for the last 3 hrs on the darn coil bolt so I can remove my RA's. It just wont budge. Are these strong or will they snap if I torque the heck out of them?

 

[AlaskanJack]

Man am I sore, I kept using penetrating oil and a BFH to see if I could loosen the bolts/nuts. I even applied all my force and ended up putting two nice hub size bruises on my upper arms. Ha maybe the warn logo will show up and I will be forever Tattooed.

Should I just keep applying penetrating oil like every hour. I went through a half a can. I've got a cheater bar and my weak a$$ breaker bar bent from the force I applied.

 

[JDraper]

2 ways...BIG breaker bar or heavy duty impact wrench. When I took my '92 apart, I had to use an industrial strength impact wrench meant for big rigs got break mine free, and even then it took a while. They are very stubborn.

 

[88vert]

Have you tried heat?

 

[AlaskanJack]

No I haven't, can I use butane? Do you basically heat the head of the bolt?

 

[88vert]

I dont think butane will be enough heat I did mine with propane

 

[AlaskanJack]

Propane, ok. So how hot and how long on the bolt head?

 

[NOTAJP]

Enough heat to get the metal to expand and contract. That force should help in loosing up the hold. I had to use a BF bar and all my might to turn them 1/4 turn at a time. Once you get them going, it's not so bad. I ended up breaking on of the welds for the inside nut so had to contend with that also. Best of luck to you. It's a mind game, who will win you or the truck?

 

[AlaskanJack]

OK so out of curiousity can you buy a propane torch just anywhere. I seem to remember that Wal-Mart had something they sold. It sems to me it was some kind of acetylene torch.

Hell I was working on them so hard when I woke up this orning my fingers hurt and I had to stretch my hands!!

Plus I've got 3 nasty circle bruises on my upper arm kinda looks like an Audi logo.

 

[Brian1]

I used a box end wrench and another wrench on the end for more leverage. It came off after alot of tugging. I was afraid I was going to brake the wrench but it held up and it came off.

 

[tdavis]

The upper/lower bolts on the TTB arms that hold the raidus arms on have loctite on them, and you need to heat them to 500 degrees, or get a very long cheater bar to break the loctite. Or find a 1" air impact, and that might do it too.

 

[AlaskanJack]

Ok so my question has been asnswered. My neighbor gave me an extra bottle of propane and tip that he had. I replaced my broken breaker bar. I went out to get going and realized I didn't have one of those arc welding starters to light the propane torch can I use a long handle barbeque lighter?

I feel like such a fool!!!

 

[NOTAJP]

Any ignition source will light propane, doesn't require anything fancy.

 

[AlaskanJack]

Pwhew!!! Coool thanx!

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

I used a 1 1/8 inch combination wrench. On mine, it only required a second wrench attatched to that to get them to break free. On tdavis's however, when we did that Nebraska salt bucket, we used an 8 foot length of pipe and about 250 lbs of body weight on the end of that bent the tip of the pipe, but after a loud pop, the bolt finally broke lose.