**** those bolts!!

I got the driver side bull bar mount on fine but the passenger is being a PITA. It's currently soaking in WD40 but I doubt it will do anything overnight. I'm gonna try to get it loose in the morning. If that doesn't work, I'll take it to the shop and have a tech put an impact wrench on it but I bet I'm going to have to cut it.

 

WD40 is an awesome product but it is not a penetrating oil. Try Deep Creep instead. I have impact tools and a 60 gal compressor, so I don't need to do this anymore: get some steel pipe large enough to slip over the handle of your 1/2" ratchet, leverage is a good thing. I also have a MAP gas torch, which is pretty cheap at Lowes or HD. Soak the bolt with penetrating oil overnight, heat that b!#@h until it glows, then use the ratchet and cheater pipe. I've flattened the pipe a little to fit the wrench handle better.

 

I broke 2 craftsman 1/2" ratchets trying to remove my lower strut bolt using a cheater bar...wear eye protection because when those things break, pieces start flying...lol

 

thanks for the tips! I'm going to get a big c-clamp and tighten that nut/bushing thing down to keep it from spinning. I was able to break the bolt loose a little using penetrating oil but now the entire bolt-bushing assembly spins. Gotta love those Chrysler engineers for not just putting a nut up there....

 

Hmmmmm... This thread has got me thinkin'; maybe I should take mine out while it's still easy and re-install them with anti-sieze goobered all over them. The truck has 6,000 miles on it, hasn't seen a real winter yet (Florida truck).

 

Great idea. My Westin bull bar instructions actually advise putting bolt grease on when you reinstall the frame bolts...



I GOT THE SUCKER OUT!!!!

I bought a $15 600lb clamp, tightened down on the bushing and, with the help from PB Blaster, wrenched the POS outa there!! Here's some pics!!


clamp.jpg
clamp2.jpg
boltout.jpg
bullbarin.jpg

 

a hell of an idea!!!

 

Looks GOOD

 

Good work, looks bad ***

 

Great idea. Need a picture of just the clamp so I know what I'm looking for. What's it called and where did you get it? $15 beats all that cutting or paying mechanics. I'll get a nut welded to the top of those bushings if I ever get them out. Are those rubber feet on that clamp and did they come with the clamp?