Main Eye Bolt, ever have this sucker stick on you? no fun help please

[sled_dog]

taking suggestions on how to get the main eye bolt out of the stock springs. Stuck fast to the bushing it seems. I tried cutting with the sawzall but it just cuts forever through the rubber and doesn't seem to do much else. Only other problem I've had all day is my upper shackle bolt on the passenger side hits the header so I can't get it the heck out. Have to cut her. Not a problem since I have 3 new bolts for all the front springs with greasables and ORD shackles.

 

[Seventy4Blazer]

my cheap air hammer makes them come out easy. big hammer and a punch and some PB or WD-40. if worse comes to worse use a sawzall and cut the bold out then replace the bushing. torch the bushing out after the bolt is cut on both sides and the spring is out.
Grant

 

[sled_dog]

I was working with the sawzall for a bit but like I said didn't seem to do crap. Tried the propane torch to burn the bushings. Now the one bolt spins but still not budging. Our air chisel is at my dad's jobsite presently so thats not happening.

 

[gravdigr]

you need a cutting torch. A sawzall will not do crap on those bolts as it seems you found out. I had to burn off both ends of the bolt then burn out the bushings when I did my springs and new bushings.

 

[sled_dog]

I'm dead on my feet after 9 hours at it. I went to work shaving the 14 bolt a little more and tomorrow I will break out the torch(if its not raining) and attack those bolts. Yeah the Sawzall is just pointless in this instance.

 

[tRustyK5]

Use a thin cut off disc on a grinder. Grind between the inside edge of the hanger and the spring eye until the bolt is cut. Shouldn't take more than a minute or two. Burn the bushing out after the springs are out.

I used a 1/4" drill and drilled through the rubber bushing all around the steel sleeve until that part came out. Then all that is left is a thin steel outer sleeve you can pry and mangle until it comes out.

Overall it's a crap job...but the way I described is about as painless as it's going to get.

Sawzall is for thin steel...

Rene

 

[sled_dog]

yeah that was the other option I was leaning towards. All I have to do yet is remove the upper shackle bushing on the driver side sleeve doesn't want to go), and these 2 damn bolts. Then the new front suspension is ready and easy.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

I did what Rene did. I don't have a torch, but if I did, I'd have blown them out that way. Grinder works great though!

 

[tRustyK5]

Grinder makes it a one hour job to get springs and diff out from under the truck. I count on new spring eye bolts...and skip the whole wrench turning, knuckle busting, tool throwing cussfest.

Rene

 

[sled_dog]

i took it all apart like I was planning on it all going back in(except I just threw the nuts wherever) and it went real smooth. I just planned ahead and kept a wirebrush and wd40 next to me. I might have gotten lucky but all of it except these damn main eyes were no problem. One Upper shackle bolt hit my header so I had to cut it and them hit it and it bent over the header and out it went.

 

[gravdigr]

torch > grinder /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[sled_dog]

yeah but cut off in the grinder did the trick. Couldn't cut right through but it cut the sleeve and that broke the one loose to pound out. The other took more persuading and had to be bent out of the way.