Damned front leaf spring bolts...
Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 141
Likes: 12
From: Durango, CO
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Home Depot has a 55 gallon drum for $1048. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-...5-PB/205063590
CF Veteran


Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 74
From: North Riding of Yorkshire, UK
Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Home Depot has a 55 gallon drum for $1048. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-...5-PB/205063590
I run Fluid Film in the winter.
Come April I power wash it all off.
There are certain places that I reapply the Fluid Film in April After I power wash it off though.
For various reasons.
One is all my suspension bolts.
At some point I hope to duplicate an Up Country suspension on my '00.
So I have gotten into the habit of dousing the bolts with PB Blaster, I buy it by the gallon and use a spray bottle, and then "seal" it in with a good dousing of Fluid Film.
Where you guys will PB Blast for a few days, maybe a couple weeks, before you tackle a suspension I will have PB Blasted for a few years by the time I get to mine. LOL
Another place is bushing and the springs themselves. I find that it keeps the squeaking to a minimum.
Come April I power wash it all off.
There are certain places that I reapply the Fluid Film in April After I power wash it off though.
For various reasons.
One is all my suspension bolts.
At some point I hope to duplicate an Up Country suspension on my '00.
So I have gotten into the habit of dousing the bolts with PB Blaster, I buy it by the gallon and use a spray bottle, and then "seal" it in with a good dousing of Fluid Film.
Where you guys will PB Blast for a few days, maybe a couple weeks, before you tackle a suspension I will have PB Blasted for a few years by the time I get to mine. LOL
Another place is bushing and the springs themselves. I find that it keeps the squeaking to a minimum.
I wrote the last post before reading yours. It is dynamite stuff. I would have used that, but wanted to try getting it out without breaking the nut and having to open up the frame rail. I did finish up the job today. I have a mig w/gas but I think I'm going to take it down the road to a real welder. He can weld up the frame welds, where I opened them up...and do a much better job than I can. Bsides that, I hate welding upside down.
"I will say that re: the Fluid Film - I first learned of it on this forum"
Farmers use it on the discs or turning plow, if they are going to sit for awhile. Keeps them from rusting while sitting. They rust because the paint gets worn off when working them. Many use it on the bottom of their mower, so the grass,( maybe a little wet), won't stiick and make a cruddy mess. I use it on the bottom of a 5' finishing mower that pulls behind one of my tractors. keeps grass from building up and make it not work as well.
Farmers use it on the discs or turning plow, if they are going to sit for awhile. Keeps them from rusting while sitting. They rust because the paint gets worn off when working them. Many use it on the bottom of their mower, so the grass,( maybe a little wet), won't stiick and make a cruddy mess. I use it on the bottom of a 5' finishing mower that pulls behind one of my tractors. keeps grass from building up and make it not work as well.
Senior Member




Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 804
Likes: 123
From: Homer Georgia
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0l
I do use liberal amounts of pb blaster. Put it on several days ahead of time. I will tell you the almightiest thing ever put together by man, for getting rust broken loose...is 50/50 acetone/transmission fluid. I have used that on tractor implements that were frozen with rust. Guess I should have done that. Guess I should have just opened the frame rail, so I could put it on both sides of the bolt/nut and let it sit overnight...nooooo. I just hoped that the pb blaster could get the bolts to come out of the nut, without breaking the tiny spot welds on the nut...damn, nothing on this vehicle has been easy so far. I had to put inserts in 3 spark plug holes. I went to change the plugs, that had been on there for a long time...and all the dang threads came out with them...picture a 63 year old man, waiving his hands around and letting off a string of bad bad words...wife knows I'm crazy now..She only suspected it before....lol
CF Veteran




Joined: May 2012
Posts: 7,965
Likes: 964
From: Lost in the wilds of Virginia
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Your luck sounds like mine when I work on my XJ only thing on mine that has went right was changing the wiper blades..lol..Heck even when I was replacing the lower control arm someone had welded the nut onto the bolt and I spent hours trying to break it loose until I gave up and cut it...that's when I saw it was welded. Yes the ATF and Acetone works great and a few years back someone did a test and it beat all the store bought stuff even the famed Kroil oil.
The problem seems to lie in what to use to dispense it. Apparently the acetone seems to mess with plastic, seals, and whatnot.
One of these days I do want to give it a try though.
Used ATF, and mineral turpentine (which is much cheaper than acetone)
I dispense it with a hand sprayer, oil can dropper, or..
via a long nozzle spray gun at ~40psi..that is how I saturate spring eye bolts via holes in the chassis, leave as long as possible
got them all out on 4 vehicles, 3 looked original, sagged springs.
if the exposed internal thread of the bolt has too much rust, nothing will save you, been thru that in other auto repair situations
my mix, handed down to me from a line of automotive engineers
Used ATF, and mineral turpentine (which is much cheaper than acetone)
I dispense it with a hand sprayer, oil can dropper, or..
via a long nozzle spray gun at ~40psi..that is how I saturate spring eye bolts via holes in the chassis, leave as long as possible
got them all out on 4 vehicles, 3 looked original, sagged springs.
if the exposed internal thread of the bolt has too much rust, nothing will save you, been thru that in other auto repair situations
Used ATF, and mineral turpentine (which is much cheaper than acetone)
I dispense it with a hand sprayer, oil can dropper, or..
via a long nozzle spray gun at ~40psi..that is how I saturate spring eye bolts via holes in the chassis, leave as long as possible
got them all out on 4 vehicles, 3 looked original, sagged springs.
if the exposed internal thread of the bolt has too much rust, nothing will save you, been thru that in other auto repair situations
The mineral turpentine does not mess with the seals or plastic in the sprayers like I read the acetone does?
I did some test with new nuts & bolts, let them rust together, then soaked them in various penetrants. This worked as well or better than anything else
price is unbeatable, used ATF free, turps $3 litre, I mix about 25% turps 75% ATF (usually)
thats the ones...they last a fair while, the turps doesnt seem to, or is at least less active..you would think the turps is not so great for paint on the car, but I havent had an issue..acetone wouldnt be any kinder
I did some test with new nuts & bolts, let them rust together, then soaked them in various penetrants. This worked as well or better than anything else
price is unbeatable, used ATF free, turps $3 litre, I mix about 25% turps 75% ATF (usually)
I did some test with new nuts & bolts, let them rust together, then soaked them in various penetrants. This worked as well or better than anything else
price is unbeatable, used ATF free, turps $3 litre, I mix about 25% turps 75% ATF (usually)
Guess I will try your concoction. LOL.
Can you store it mixed in a plastic container?




