Track Bar bracket bolts are rust welded on... need some advice.
 

I'm armed with the following shade-tree weapons....

- 4" grinder with a metal cutting blade
- sawsall with "Torch" blades
- PB Blaster
- 24" 1/2" breaker bar
- pry-bar
- MAP gas.

The two remaining bolts that connect the bottom of the bracket to the frame are rusted beyond any hope of easy removal. I am thinking of a few ways to attack this, but I don't know what will give me the best results. I don't care if I damage the bracket, I'm replacing it with a new IRO Double sheer set-up.

So.. what do you guys think... I was considering cutting off the whole bottom of the bracket to expos the two bolts, then drilling.. maybe cutting... grinding... I have no idea.

This is it... once these things are out, I can start rebuilding my front end... finally!

Thanks

JR

Try heating the area then spray really cold water on it. Will smoke up but hopefully will make bolt constrict a lil to move or heat up and spray pb blaster so it Will get sucked into bolt crevices. Last resort Will be cut short and tap out.

Impact gun.
Tighten first, then loosen.

I don't have any air tools :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:

I have a battery powered craftsman impact gun. Damn thing works wonders. Used it for my tracbar as well as seized up lugnuts. May need to charge a couple of times but it does work well

A trick an old Indian taught me was to heat the bolt (MAP is good) and hold a candle to the mating surface of the structure and the bolt head. The candle wax will melt and suck into the gap between the bolt and the structure. Try tightening the bolt a little, then loosen a little, each time loosening a tad more. Repeat process slowly.

I have used this process sucessfully many times over the years,.

Good luck.

Edit: The Indian's name was Roy Jakeway. He passed away a couple of years ago.

If you mean this...

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-19...a=00931305000P

That's now my Father's Day gift!!! Thanks! Looks like the reviews on it are really good + your personal experience... I'm getting one tomorrow.

Thanks!

I have that craftsman 19.2 volt impact gun. Very handy tool.

It was a gift to me from my mechanic friend. He new i didnt have air tools but i always work on my jeep. Just keep it fully charged and its good to go. Don't dispare if it don't work right away. That piTA lugnut took about 10mins of constant usage for it to bug enough to use a breaker bar to get it free.

On really rusty bolts and nuts penetrant may need a week or two and spraying every few days. Torch is way faster, but can be more destructive. As SeriousOffroad suggested, try to tighten the bolt first, then loosen. In tight areas where you can't stick a 3-7 foot pipe on it, impact or torch is sometimes the only way. Whatever you're putting back in, coat it with anti seize so you don't have to deal with it again.