Corrosion Question

This is to the guys who have to drive with and deal with salty roads and rust on the xj's. My question is to do with the rear shocks. I know for sure that I will break the top bolts if I try and take them out. How do yall get around this? Thanx! Tried PB Blaster...soaked for 24 hours...no luck.

There's no easy answer here, but after the soaking with whatever is your favorite penetrant, try beginning to turn off the bolt. It's hard to determine just what the shearing torque is, but try to get just up to that and not past. One of two things will happen. Either it will shear off (and you can be pretty sure it would have no matter what) or it will move a little bit. As soon as it has moved even a tiny bit, stop. Resoak, and screw it back in. Then repeat this process, trying to increase the movement a little every time. The trick I've found to not shearing things off is not to try to do it all at once.

One of mine broke, I had to drill it out and retap for the next size up bolt- worked OK. Important move: use anti-seize on the bolts when you put them back in. I use anti-seize on all the underbody threaded connectors, and only have to fight with them the first time- goes smooth subsequently. 4xBob

Both of mine broke on one side. I air-hammered the weldnuts off from the fender and popped some bolts through from the top down w/ lock washers and nuts... Worked like a beech..

Another way to keep them from breaking is to tighten the bolts a little first. Then back them out slowly.

Good luck.

Oh yeah.. and anti-seaze.. always with the anti-seaze..

Along with the above suggestions, try tapping lightly on the wrench while applying pressure. The vibrations induced by tapping will sometimes break the fastener loose. It acts like an impact wrench, on a smaller scale.

use a cordless drill with the hammer settings as a small impact.....

and use penetrate




i broke one of mine too before this idea came to me

Anyone ever have any issues with the front bolt on a leaf springs not wanting to come out. Let me clarify a little. The bolt is loose and maybe 1/2 way outand it will turn either way fairly easily...however the bushing inside the leaf spring is sticking to it...and when it pushes aginst the outside bracket wont let it finish coming out. At first I thought the nut inside the frame popped loose and it was turning with the bolt...but I drill a little hole on the other side and saw it wasnt moving...I could see the bolt turning ...anyone have this happen to them? This is the LAST dang bolt too.

Just cut the head off. The rear uses the same part #. Use that bolt to replace the one in front. Then get a nice long grade 8 with a nut to put through the rear. Bam.. All done.

Of course this only works if you're replacing the leaf spring. Although, I guess you could hammer that sleeve out.

Good luck.

Anti-seize.

24 hours, thats it, no where near long enough, try a week, every nite before bed and it should work OK. Oh and go buy the BIG can of Anti-seize, the tube only stays in the in vehicles tool boxes. When we worked on our 89YJ we used almost a 1/4 can of the stuff last summer when we were reassembling parts. We now have 3 jeeps, XJ and two TJ's so the rest of the can will have a short life expectancy once the weather warms up a bit more and the snow melts. Same with dielectric grease, we use it on almost every electrical connection that gets taken apart, got 4 of the 3oz tubes of that stuff. I've been known to back bolts and nuts off just to put the anti-seize on them knowing that at some point in the future that bolt or nut is going to have to come off and I KNOW that it's going to be at the most inopertune time like during a hurricane and in the dark out in the middle of nowhere while I'm holding a flashlight in my teeth..

Time to drag out "the blue wrench", aka a oxyacetylene torch. The idea is to heat the bolt up enough to break up the rust in the threads. You MIGHT be able to do this with a MAAP gas torch, too, or maybe two of them (a buddy holding the second one.)

Be careful near the gas lines!

Thanx for the advice guys. I managed to get the bolt out. I used a screwdriver to jam into the seam of the bushing and hold it still...while I wrenched the bolt the rest of the way out. I am replaceing the leafs with a nice pair I got off a nice southern jeep(See no rust) I also got all the fasteners to go along with it. I have a big ol tub of nuclear grade anti sieze...and it is standing by for tomorrows reassembly. Hopefully will go good. Again thanx!!