I am thinking about using a Sawzall to cut the front eyelet bolts to remove the leaf spring and using an extractor to pull the remaining piece of the bolt threaded into the nut in the frame.
My concern is if I do this considering the width of the bracket will I be able to get a tool to attach to the extractor through the bracket to remove the remaining pieces.
so far I can not get it to budge with a torch, panther **** (Pb blaster), 1/2in impact and breaker bars. so I have done research and am at the point to ask the community.
the nut inside the frame has not snapped off on either side like I've read and I feel that the bolt may have bonded to the sleeve inside the leaf spring.
would anyone have any ideas or tips before I do something I regret?



Update few hours later. I am planning to cut the bolts with a sawzall I bought two 5 packs of fine metal blades and I will cut the hold in the floor from above and remove the nut welded to the inside of the frame then use a new nut and patch over the hole in the floor. WISH ME LUCK!

 

I think the bolt may be rust welded to the inner metal sleeve of the bushing. That's what happened to me. I was able to back the bolts out enough that they were out of the nut but the sleevewas preventing the bolt from coming out any further so it would just spin. I thought i did break the nut off. What i did was cut the leaf spring just behind the eyelet. Then spun what was left of the eyelet so i could cut off the remainder of the leaf eyelet. This left me with the bushing, i cut the outer sleeve with the same cut off wheel. Then cut out the rubber portion with s small drywall saw. Then was left with the inner sleeve. Sprayed that down with pb and used a pair if vice grips on it. While i loosened the bolt the vice grips would bind against the frame and allow me to spin the bolt out of the sleeve.

It was literally like the rust created threads in the inner sleeve. It was a pita and i went slow. But nothing broke!

 

Man those bolts are a *****. I sat there for hours, ripping a 3 foot breaker bar, 100'f in the sun, putting back breaking pulls for a quarter turn at a time and tightening the bolt back in to loosen the rust. Passenger side came out clean eventually. Driver side was a half inch out until it didn't want to come out anymore. It was seized in the sleeve. I had to pull out the Sawzall with a good Lenox thick metal blade. I cut the bolt on each side of the bushing and the spring dropped to the ground. Then I just twisted the remainder of the bolt out by hand. It was only in by a thread or two. So basically I had the bolt 90% out of the threads yet it was seized in the bushing and eventually had to be cut.

 

I had that problem with a rear sway bar link bolt. Seized in the sleeve.
I used the CRC Freeze Out. Hit with the Freeze, go clockwise and counter clockwise for a bit,
hit it with more Freeze Out, more clockwise and counter clockwise, more Freeze Out, well you get the idea.
Finally got it to come out.
Now well it was the Freeze out or just the clockwise and counter clockwise that got it out is anybodies guess. LOL.

 

Coming late to the party, but...

Sawzall is the last option, the point of no return.

With a 48" breaker bar and 4 foot extension the welded nut will break or the bolt itself will break free. If you can't get either to happen you need more arm days at the gym.

Impact is overrated unless you have at least a 1000+PSI machine.

If you don't break the nut or bolt free first the remaining problem is far more difficult.

 

Yes, those sleeves like to rust to the bolt. Using a breaker bar can, and has, broken the captured nuts from inside the frame. Thats fixable, but try to avoid that if possible.

You did some research so you probably came across this, but ill post it anyway for those that havent. If you are not reusing the leaves then just cut the eylets. Then cut the bushing shell enough to pry it off. Make multiple cuts if need be. Do the same with the rubber. This leaves you the metal sleeve. Find the groove and pry it open enough so the bolt can move. That leaves you with just the bolt. Grab the torch and have another go at melting the loctite on the threads. If you want, you can cut a window in the mount, just below the captured nut and use a wrench on the nut and hope the nut doesnt tear off.

Rust and loctite are the biggest PITA with leafsprings. If heat doesnt work, than you need to start cutting.

See post #21. They like to rust. https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/lea...246983/index2/

 

This is exactly what i was referencing. Don't remember if this is thread where i got the reference from. I didn't use sawzall cause i just bought the angle grinder from HF for the job. I used a 4 in wheel which was definitely tight but doable.

 

WOW! I did not check back on this until tonight I did not see these responses. So far I have cut holes in the floor just above the frame and the driver's side looks like there is not even a nut attached to it just a bolt. I have the u bolts all off and I have cut the head off of the driver's side bolt and halfway through the inside of the other side of the leaf. After i posted this I went to consult my friend who is 67 and has chronic lymphocyte leukemia. After showing him pictures of all angles and talking for a while he sent me off with a solid plan. I feel confident in it although the progress has been slow. After work I will be back at it until the sun goes down. I noticed the bracket for the brake line someone cut the bracket for the hillbilly lift they put on it which is part of why i am doing all this for a proper 4.5 inch lift. Well the brake line is destroyed so I have a brake line half built I just haven't done the other side because I do not know the thread size for up by the ABS and if it is bubble of double flare so I'll do that when the extended hoses arrive and I will build a new secure bracket for the line. Freeze off seems like an excellent idea I never considered it (I SHOULD HAVE I JUST WATCHED 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE!!!!) Oh man i love this Jeep but I seriously will need a welder with the places that are rusting out. I know off topic but in the end it is all tied in to the same machine. Have a wonderful evening!

 

Probably too late now, but let me look for my picture of cutting windows...

 

I made windows to access the nut:




getting the idea from https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/fro...-broke-210280/

 

Did you leave the hole open or weld on a patch when you did that?

 

I just left it open. I still have this little can of POR 15 I plan on using to paint over it. Been a few years, but it's on the list.

 

I asked cause I see some guys patch it back up and was wondering how structural, if any, that was.

 

I think as long as you don't do this:



it's fine.

 

I mean, look at the structure of the outside of the box. It's like hardly anything.