[4Rnr4Evr]

I have already "fixed" one by drilling it out but I have 2 more, I'm wondering if there's a better way to do it. I'm now leaning towards just cutting off the welded nuts and replacing them with normal nuts.

How do you guys usually deal with this? I'm sure it's a common issue in rust states.

[blackoutt]

Originally Posted by 4Rnr4Evr

How do you guys usually deal with this?

Cussing. Alcohol. Spending more money on more drill bits. Skid plate bolts, brake line brackets, they're all an "easy job" that turns into an all night affair. Lots of PB blaster ahead of time then healthy dose of torch then quenched with more PB where safe to do so might help.

[dta1984]

Originally Posted by blackoutt

Cussing. Alcohol. Spending more money on more drill bits. Skid plate bolts, brake line brackets, they're all an "easy job" that turns into an all night affair. Lots of PB blaster ahead of time then healthy dose of torch then quenched with more PB where safe to do so might help.

Lol so true. i did both CV axles a few weeks ago and getting the freaking skid plates off was the worst part! Two bolts snapped, and one rounded head that had to be cut off. Needless to say new bolts, thread chase and anti seze when going back on.

[T4R_RA]

Usually a day or two before I plan on doing any wrenching on the T4R, I'll soak all the fasteners I need to remove with "Kroil", maybe even hit them twice the day before.

Great stuff, I haven't had to drill a bolt out yet, although the PO snapped a few bolts before I could get to them on the factory skids...

[Jim_A]

If you can't find Kroil, equal parts transmission fluid and acetone work very well.

[Wild Thing]

Ugh. Dealin' with this right now. Funny thing is, neither the bolts or the nuts welded to the BS bracket look rusty. Soaked with PB Blaster and they still won't budge. Tapped with a hammer and soaking again as we speak.

Warning - the metal used in the rear bump stop bolts is soft and the heads round easily. Fortunately - so far - the factory nuts welded to the BS bracket and the welds themselves seem solid on mine.

In agreement with Blackoutt about the cussing and alcohol...

The latter not being for the 4R.

$%#^&@!!

[firebirdguy]

heat is the best thing for stuck nuts & bolts. if you can get to the nut, concentrate a propane torch or other gas right on the sides of the nut for about a minute, then right away try & turn the bolt or the nut. the idea is to heat & expand the nut or metal around the threads & not the bolt itself, that breaks free rust & also expands the nut or metal to help break free the bolts. i had 2 of the 4 front skid bolts brake & used heat on the rest that came out. ive been using heat on stuck bolts for many years & it works better than anything. you can use penetrating oil too but it will smoke when you heat the nut, not a big deal & it will help.

if you can't get to the nut or area around the threads then heat the head of the bolt for 2-3 minutes to get it hot, then let it cool a couple minutes & put as much force on it as possible, heating the bolt/threads then letting them cool expands & contracts the bolt to help break free any rust or corrosion.

i hate rusty stuck bolts & heat is your friend. also if you have an impact gun it can help too. & i drilled out the stuck bolts to just under the size of the bolt then used a thread chaser to clean out the threads & the nut was ready for a new bolt & lots of anti seize!

[y=mx+b]

Originally Posted by Wild Thing

Ugh. Dealin' with this right now. Funny thing is, neither the bolts or the nuts welded to the BS bracket look rusty. Soaked with PB Blaster and they still won't budge. Tapped with a hammer and soaking again as we speak.

Warning - the metal used in the rear bump stop bolts is soft and the heads round easily. Fortunately - so far - the factory nuts welded to the BS bracket and the welds themselves seem solid on mine.

In agreement with Blackoutt about the cussing and alcohol...

The latter not being for the 4R.

$%#^&@!!

I also like atf/acetone mix that was mentioned. Could be a coincidence, but bolts treated with it were the only 3 out of the 8 skid plate bolts I didn't break. I tried various penetrants on all the other bolts, nothing worked as well as the atf/acetone

[Wild Thing]

Thanks, guys. I also ordered a set of metric bolt extraction sockets from Harbor Freight to try... along with a small pipe wrench and a larger set of channel locks for the front bumps. Figure I'll need 'em again as I get further into this rig. Rust won't win!

If it does, I can always crack myself over the head with the pipe wrench.

[Syr4RinNC]

I think im gonna have to pick up a propane torch for future work.

Anyhow - what sort of work would require removing the bump stop bolts - for future reference? I havent had to do this before

[Wild Thing]

Originally Posted by Syr4RinNC

I think im gonna have to pick up a propane torch for future work.

Anyhow - what sort of work would require removing the bump stop bolts - for future reference? I havent had to do this before

I'm just replacing old, stiff, short bump stops with upgrades, while I'm installing wheel spacers. Each front bump stop has only one bolt that is integral to the top center of the bump, while the rear bumps each have two bolts that are independent and slip through holes in each side of the top flange of the bump stop. Bolts in front and rear OEM bump stops screw directly into the vehicle and don't have separate nuts.

Don't know of a reason to remove 'em for other work. But if needed for some reason during XREAS removal and suspension installation later this year, at least it'll be one helluva lot easier.