- Location
- Nashville, TN
Alright, I may have gotten myself in too deep here.
Doing a 3.5" RE lift on an '01.
All 4 bolts on the rear springs were rusted to the inside sleeve of the rubber bushing. I eventually got the passenger side done with a little cutting as possible and used an angle grinder to cut off the bolt on the rear of the drivers side.
Then I used the angle grinder to cut off the end of the leaf pack on the front, eventually leaving only the inner metal sleeve and the bolt.
When I broke something free, the sleeve moved with the bolt, so I cut off the head of the bolt, then cut the bolt again, about 3/4 of the way down, figuring I could just use a vice grip to unscrew the bolt stub where it is still in the welded on nut inside the frame rail.
Well, that didn't work. The bolt stayed tight and the vice grips just kept wearing our the threads, so then I cut the bolt off again level with the frame rail, thinking I would just drill it out.
Here is where it started going south.
I went to Home Depot and they suggested an extractor set. I tried to drill out the pilot hole, but I get about 1/8 of an inch in and nothing more. I noticed that the more I drill, the less metal flaking I get coming out, and the more flat spotted my drill bit tip is.
WHAT NOW??? How do I get that damned ole stub out????? I thought about cutting a hole in the floor pan, but in measuring, it appears that the bolt is directly below the 4 inch metal "lip" that runs the length of the truck that the seats attach to.
I am out of ideas. I can't take it anywhere because of the lack of a leaf spring on that side.
I don't have welding tools, a plasma cutter, or any other fancy tools.
Please help me out! Any and all ideas will be entertained...
Thank y'all
Dirk DeYoung
Doing a 3.5" RE lift on an '01.
All 4 bolts on the rear springs were rusted to the inside sleeve of the rubber bushing. I eventually got the passenger side done with a little cutting as possible and used an angle grinder to cut off the bolt on the rear of the drivers side.
Then I used the angle grinder to cut off the end of the leaf pack on the front, eventually leaving only the inner metal sleeve and the bolt.
When I broke something free, the sleeve moved with the bolt, so I cut off the head of the bolt, then cut the bolt again, about 3/4 of the way down, figuring I could just use a vice grip to unscrew the bolt stub where it is still in the welded on nut inside the frame rail.
Well, that didn't work. The bolt stayed tight and the vice grips just kept wearing our the threads, so then I cut the bolt off again level with the frame rail, thinking I would just drill it out.
Here is where it started going south.
I went to Home Depot and they suggested an extractor set. I tried to drill out the pilot hole, but I get about 1/8 of an inch in and nothing more. I noticed that the more I drill, the less metal flaking I get coming out, and the more flat spotted my drill bit tip is.
WHAT NOW??? How do I get that damned ole stub out????? I thought about cutting a hole in the floor pan, but in measuring, it appears that the bolt is directly below the 4 inch metal "lip" that runs the length of the truck that the seats attach to.
I am out of ideas. I can't take it anywhere because of the lack of a leaf spring on that side.
I don't have welding tools, a plasma cutter, or any other fancy tools.
Please help me out! Any and all ideas will be entertained...
Thank y'all
Dirk DeYoung