Frozen front sway bar mount nut

[tyrenta]

I'm pulling my front sway bar to refinish it and replace the bushings since both links were rusted off anyway, but I can't get the passenger side bracket forward nut to budge. Its a 12mm spec'd to 21ft-lbs and I'm flexing my ratchet extension a decent amount after a few rounds of PBBlaster and its not moving. Any more and I figure its going to round off on me, and there is no room to get an impact in there.

Any suggestions? I want to try heat but I don't see how I could get the socket on a red hot blind nut without some part of me getting a 3rd degree burn. I was going to try a ratchet strap around the frame and wrench handle and pray for the best, but what are the options if that thing rounds off? cant get a cutting where in there except maybe a dremel and even then it would be a blind cut...

Do I pull the other two bolts and nuts and bend the hell out of the bracket, then try and cut that out? Other nut is off, I'm pretty sure I can get the other two rear side bolts off with heat since the weld nut is on the bottom so I can hit it with the torch with the socket already attached on top...

 

[tyrenta]

Would it help to hit the bracket from the bottom with the torch until red hot? maybe that would heat the post enough to get it to move (or snap off)?I dont give a crap about the bracket I just don't need a rounded nut I can't see or access....

 

[bdjcl]

I just pulled mine a couple of weekends ago and the bolts broke off on both sides. Luckily the sway bar just fell off after that so I bought new mounts and bolts to go along with the bushings.

 

[tyrenta]

I just pulled mine a couple of weekends ago and the bolts broke off on both sides. Luckily the sway bar just fell off after that so I bought new mounts and bolts to go along with the bushings.

What bushings did you go with? I was looking for the energy w zerks but they don't seem to exist anymore?

 

[MStudt]

Would it help to hit the bracket from the bottom with the torch until red hot? maybe that would heat the post enough to get it to move (or snap off)?I dont give a crap about the bracket I just don't need a rounded nut I can't see or access....

Heat will help it come loose. If you don't want to heat it until it's red you can just heat it some, and hold the candle to the threads. The heat will draw the wax in, and that should help loosen it up too.

Mike

 

[bdjcl]

What bushings did you go with? I was looking for the energy w zerks but they don't seem to exist anymore?

I'm all OEM, all the time

 

[tyrenta]

A torch 6 inches from your face isnt fun but heat is just great -- 60-90secs and got a few turns out of it, and some vaporized PB at the same time, before it locked on the rusty threads above and snapped. Bracket off without filling my swear jar and losing a Saturday with a spun bolt head.....