Foolproof way to remove rear shock bolts.

This is probably the most posted subject here, but I just had to share what worked for me:

There's probably very few XJs left with original rear shocks, but mine was one of them, so here's the way I got all 4 out without snapping the bolts in two.
First I applied torque to tighten them slightly, then loosened them just enough to break them loose. You can feel the 'give' with the wrench when they break loose. Your impulse then is to ratchet them off. Resist it. Instead, turn the bolt back and forth, gently, with a pull handle, for what can amount to several hundred cycles. Get comfortable on the creeper, and after about 7-8 minutes the bolt will get easier to turn. Then you can turn it on out.

You really only need to turn the bolt 1/2 turn (with the back-and-forth motion) until it loosens up. After that it easily screws out.

Sure it takes some time, but considerably less than cutting the floorboard, or breaking off the old nuts.....

This worked on all 4 of mine.:idea:

i snapped a bolt, Drilled it out, now i have 5/8s bolt holding it in.. didnt know they would break so easily.

snapped all 4 of mine with no effort at all. BUT went to a friends who had an air hammer and welder. Knocked out the old nuts in about 30 seconds; then he welded small pieces of weld wire to the new nuts and fished them in. the whole ordeal took about 15 minutes and now I have good hardware and not old rusty crud. Would have tried to work them out but I am 99% sure any turn would have snapped them.

Snapped all 4 of mine.IMPACT (purposely) Air hammered them out. Bought new bolts with nuts, partially assembled new nuts and washers and taped them to an offset boxend wrench. Lined up the shock reached in with the wrench with the taped nut and washer, started the bolt. Broke tape off of box end. Used an open end wrench to hold the nut from spinning and tightened the bolts. Most of you make it out to be a big project. It took all of 20 minutes from the snapping of the bolts to final assembly. If your in the area and need help stop by and for a beer I'll take care of them. Just supply the bolts.

I've been advocating that back and forth technique on bolts and fittings of all sorts for years. Glad to see another person agreeing. It works much the same on rusted brake lines and power steering lines, etc., where the nut has seized to the tubing and threatens to twist it off.

When I did mine, the back and forth worked great for 3 of the 4. The last one broke, pounded it out with a punch and with a bit of tape on a box end wrench I had a new bolt and nut in there. Took me longer to find the punch then to fix everything.

BlackCat01 said:

snapped all 4 of mine with no effort at all. BUT went to a friends who had an air hammer and welder. Knocked out the old nuts in about 30 seconds; then he welded small pieces of weld wire to the new nuts and fished them in. the whole ordeal took about 15 minutes and now I have good hardware and not old rusty crud. Would have tried to work them out but I am 99% sure any turn would have snapped them.

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I have done that but now I have had the bar pin elimonators welded in and very happy with it.