Advice on Getting this Weld Nut Out. After Leaf Bolt Removal

[Fornstar]

Try a C-Clamp and a bolt. Tighten the clamp with the extra bolt on one side. Line the extra bolt up end to end with the lodge bolt. Line it up so you can get the sawzall up there to try and cut it. When its lined up tighten down and cut away. It may or may not work. But from just looking at the picks I would give it a shot.

Good Luck

Matt

 

[Sidewinder CC]

I had the same problem with the nut ripping loose in my 91 2 door. I used a hole saw and cut through the other side of the frame. You'll go through 2 layers of frame. The hole saw was a little bigger than the sock I used to replace the seized nut. So with that size hole there was plenty of room to remove/grab the bad nut. Measure carefully before you drill.

I was thinking of doing this. What size hole saw did you use? Did you have a problem cutting the hole in the second layer of frame? (bolt get in the way?)

 

[Alaskan89XJ]

Hey USFS, really appreciate your postings as to this problem area. Photos are huge, though, and take forever to load up on dial-up, lol, but they are nice and clear, too!!! Same to you Cottontail!!!! What kind of cameras do you guys use.., I'd like to get one like 'ya-all's.

Am facing the same situation.., but am P-B spraying, as RangerRick suggests, a few times over the course of over a month, while driving, and now every other day as it is parked for a couple of weeks.., waiting on some OME leafs, etc. I've read here on this site, that upon replacement, you need not reweld a new nut in place to receive a new bolt, just insert a new nut in wiggle it up to obtain purchase with the new bolt. If you get bolts without the flange, then you might have enough room to add two flat hole washers, on both ends, etc. I have no hardware store in my area in which to obtain an alternative to the 14-20x120mm needed. The hole saw technique, as RangerRick suggests, I think is best, and if I run into the same problem then that is the way I will go as then with the socket a new one will go together much more easily, etc. However, such a hole will permit sludge/salt/moisture, etc., get in there. So, since you do not weld, a simple procedure of drilling 4 little holes in a plate, then marking the plate, and drilling corresponding holes will allow you to use some self tapping screws to utilize the 'patch' as a cover plate. Might want to use some locktight, or something to help prevent the screws from backing out, and causing someone a flat, lol, but then this might be all academic since you seem to be going at it from below. After your installation, you might consider arranging with any welder to patch up what you have. Don't forget to 'clean area' from tar, rust, etc., to make the welding job go smoother, and quickly. Only looks like a 15 minute set-up, and 15 minutes of welding. Both sides.., 1 hour charge. Best luck.

 

[Tryfan]

I have never done this but I have heard that you can remove the rear bumper (PITA) and you should be able to get access to the frame section and you should be able to pull it out

 

[Sidewinder CC]

Hey USFS, really appreciate your postings as to this problem area. Photos are huge, though, and take forever to load up on dial-up, lol, but they are nice and clear, too!!! Same to you Cottontail!!!! What kind of cameras do you guys use.., I'd like to get one like 'ya-all's.

Am facing the same situation.., but am P-B spraying, as RangerRick suggests, a few times over the course of over a month, while driving, and now every other day as it is parked for a couple of weeks.., waiting on some OME leafs, etc. I've read here on this site, that upon replacement, you need not reweld a new nut in place to receive a new bolt, just insert a new nut in wiggle it up to obtain purchase with the new bolt. If you get bolts without the flange, then you might have enough room to add two flat hole washers, on both ends, etc. I have no hardware store in my area in which to obtain an alternative to the 14-20x120mm needed. The hole saw technique, as RangerRick suggests, I think is best, and if I run into the same problem then that is the way I will go as then with the socket a new one will go together much more easily, etc. However, such a hole will permit sludge/salt/moisture, etc., get in there. So, since you do not weld, a simple procedure of drilling 4 little holes in a plate, then marking the plate, and drilling corresponding holes will allow you to use some self tapping screws to utilize the 'patch' as a cover plate. Might want to use some locktight, or something to help prevent the screws from backing out, and causing someone a flat, lol, but then this might be all academic since you seem to be going at it from below. After your installation, you might consider arranging with any welder to patch up what you have. Don't forget to 'clean area' from tar, rust, etc., to make the welding job go smoother, and quickly. Only looks like a 15 minute set-up, and 15 minutes of welding. Both sides.., 1 hour charge. Best luck.

Here's a place you can buy the M14X2.0X120 bolts:

http://www.pointe-products.com/itemclass/Metric-Hex-Head-Cap-Screws-Grade-10.9

And M14X2.0 nuts (a little pricy because to you have to buy in quantity):

http://www.pointe-products.com/itemclass/Metric-Hex-Head-Cap-Screws-Grade-10.9

I think these dudes have metric washers as well.

 

[ehall]

you can use a nut from the LCA too, just grab one at the junkyard

 

[RichP]

As for closing up a hole drilled with a hole saw, just get a rubber plug grommet thing of the appropriate size. I'd probably spray the snot out of it with rust proofing too while it was open.

 

[Sidewinder CC]

Here's a place you can buy the M14X2.0X120 bolts:

http://www.pointe-products.com/itemclass/Metric-Hex-Head-Cap-Screws-Grade-10.9

And M14X2.0 nuts (a little pricy because to you have to buy in quantity):

http://www.pointe-products.com/itemclass/Metric-Nuts-Prevailing-Torque-Locknuts

I think these dudes have metric washers as well.

Added correct link to the nuts in the quote.

 

[USFS91XJ]

Success!

Thanks for the help from everyone!

I took the advice of:

would it be possible to stick a small pry bar in through the opening in the pocket and pry the pocket open more? Maybe this would allow the piece of bolt to rotate and fall out. Then you could just pound the pocket back into shape again afterwards. What a PITA.

...and pryed out the pocket, pulling it forward to let the bolt fall down.

It wasn't easy tho' because of the chunks of bolt on the back and front. In order for the bolt to flip around in there, I ground down the face of it and ground down as many edges as I could by using the dremel. Without grounding down the remaining bolt face sticking out, or the nut edges it wouldn't rotate all the way around.

After going thru a dremel grinding disc and a couple of hours, the face and edges were gone. The nut dropped down, but wouldn't fit outside of the pocket hole.

If I hadn't pryed the pocket forward, it wouldn't have rotated enough.

Here is a view of how much I pryed it forward. If you compare it to the earlier pic, it is quite a lot. It pisses me off to have to deform the mount...

Since it wouldn't come out, I rotated it around so that the back part of the bolt was sticking out of the hole. This way I could take a dremel to it. I stuck needlenose pliers inside the pocket, and behind it to brace it in place.

I held braced the bolt with the needle nose, put a cutting disc on the dremel and cut at the bolt. Since it is a weird angle, I had to make 45 degree angle slices. It was working okay, then the dremel died. It was a chicago tools cheap version...

I wedged a bolt from underneath, to stabalize the nut and then took the angle grinder to it. That cut it right off.The nut fell wight down to the bottom. It still wouldn't come out all the way.

So I took the angle grinder to the pocket, a little bit above the opening and made it bigger.

You can see that the nut was almost all the way out now from these two pics. You can also see the extra cut.

That looks like maybe a whack or two from a deadblow hammer and a prybar would get it out right? Not until they were rage hits with the crowbar and deadblow hammer.

Of course at this exact time, my neighbor Mr Goldberg (or Goldstein) I can't remember walks up and says:

"that's why I just pay professionals to do stuff"

Being pissed at the work that went into this the only thing I could muster was:

"well, my dad was the head of my household. so he taught me to diy...I suppose tho' that all those bumper stickers on your subuaru would take some professional consultation to get applied correctly."

Just thought I'd throw that in there. I'm sure other diy xj folks run into those kinda folks all the time, lol

Here is a close up shot of the bolt that I dremeled. You can see where I ground down the edges so it would flip around a little.

Back side that was sticking into the frame that I ground off:

 

[Sillyfast]

I bet your starting to save money for more tools...

 

[USFS91XJ]

After your installation, you might consider arranging with any welder to patch up what you have. Don't forget to 'clean area' from tar, rust, etc., to make the welding job go smoother, and quickly. Only looks like a 15 minute set-up, and 15 minutes of welding. Both sides.., 1 hour charge. Best luck.

That's exactly what I'm going to do.

 

[USFS91XJ]

I bet your starting to save money for more tools...

LOL exactly!

I need to learn how to weld.

 

[crimsondragon]

Throw the jew down the well.

 

[USFS91XJ]

My Parts List for this swap, maybe it'll help someone.

I wanted near factory replacement leafs, heavy duty.

2 Rancho RS44148 Leaf Spring

The eyelets on each leaf are the same size, so you can't use a factory rubber kit for replacement bushings.

For Ubolts I went to NAPA.
U Bolt Grade 5 Steel Part Number 650-4023
7/16" thread 2-3/4" width 6-3/4" Length (Slightly longer than stock, good for the heavy duty thicker rancho leafs)
They come with high strength nuts.

Leaf Spring Shackle Bolts and rear stabalizer bolts to be replaced.

I went to Tacoma Screw and they matched them nearly exactly w/ grade 10.9 bolts, nuts and washers. They didn't have anything with a nipple tip...

For the new leaf spring bolts I used MOPAR M14 replacements
PART # 34202118

The biggest problem was finding bushings for the rancho RS44148. I talked to the reps and they had no idea, they offered the part number for a bushing kit. The bushing kit they mentioned was for a DANA 35 axle (my axle), but it is no longer available! The bushings will fit the RS44148 leafs, but can't be found anywhere.

The only bushing kit that had everything, and was available was RS746. It is the same, accept the U-Bolts that come with it are for a Chrysler rear end. I bought it, because I don't need the U-Bolts. The Bushings fit.

The stupid thing is that the rancho engineers gave me the bushings part number needed, but it isn't serviced by anybody.

So part # RS476 works (bushings) U-Bolts that come with it are NOT for Dana 35, they are for the chrysler rear.

The second problem with RS476 is that there are multiple bushings and nothing to tell you where they go. There are 6 bushings with a thin lip and 4 with a thick lip. That is the only difference. I called Rancho again to ask them about it, they called me back. The rep said that, after talking to the engineers, they came to the conclusion that the different ones (thick lip) are "probably for the leaf spring shackles. Probably? It made "sense" because the leaf spring shackle bushings would be the only ones that are different. If you take all the eyelets into account. So that's what I am going with.

Kind of a nightmare. Hopefully that helps someone out.

I ordered the leafs off of Amazon, they mentioned that they came with bushings, but they don't.

Thanks for all the replies on this thread and good luck to anyone else with this problem.

 

[USFS91XJ]

Last question is, is the strength of the mount I cut a hole in compromised?

 

[USFS91XJ]

Try a C-Clamp and a bolt. Tighten the clamp with the extra bolt on one side. Line the extra bolt up end to end with the lodge bolt. Line it up so you can get the sawzall up there to try and cut it. When its lined up tighten down and cut away. It may or may not work. But from just looking at the picks I would give it a shot.

Good Luck

Matt

Thanks Matt, I tried it and it ended up not working.

 

[bails85]

i havent read this entire thread just the first page so if this topic has already been covered then sorry. my leaf bolt busted the nut as well. i cut a huge hole like you did but just looking at the skinny ass factory leaf mount just seems a little scary to me. if you have a little extra coin you might consider the leaf mounts from poly performance. it looks like a huge improvement to the front leaf hanger. especially after cutiing and welding the stock mount. its only sheet metal. not a whole lot to work with. and applying heat by welding would only seem to weaken the mount.

 

[USFS91XJ]

i havent read this entire thread just the first page so if this topic has already been covered then sorry. my leaf bolt busted the nut as well. i cut a huge hole like you did but just looking at the skinny ass factory leaf mount just seems a little scary to me. if you have a little extra coin you might consider the leaf mounts from poly performance. it looks like a huge improvement to the front leaf hanger. especially after cutiing and welding the stock mount. its only sheet metal. not a whole lot to work with. and applying heat by welding would only seem to weaken the mount.

How has that held up overtime?

I just found the brackets you were talking about here:
http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Poly-Performance-Jeep-XJ-Rear-Spring-Hanger-Bracket-p-20685.html
I'll have to look into those, thanks man.

 

[Fornstar]

Thanks Matt, I tried it and it ended up not working.

Wasnt sure if it would or not. Just trying to give ya an option with some tools around the garage. I figured it would be a hooker to keep that bolt tight enough to cut with the sawzall. Oh well, glad ya got it.

Matt

 

[Cottontail]

Last question is, is the strength of the mount I cut a hole in compromised?

I'm going with "NO" on that one. I've DD'd and wheeled mine with the hole I posted several posts back with no adverse affect.