Any suggestions on a tool to use to help get rusty bolts off suspension parts? People have been telling me a torch but not sure what kind I need? do I heat it up until the bolt/nut is red?? Hmmm....

 

Always keep a can of PB Blaster on hand when working on these cars. Great stuff. Quick spray, wait 5, and give it a try. Bad bolts, wait overnight. You can use propane...better, use mapp gas..in a small bottle, with a nozzle, buy at any hardware store for $10, maybe $20. You want to heat the area the bolt or nut is attached to.. it will expand from the heat, and release the bolt/nut (in theory) when you start unscrewing it. Be careful, most bolts will snap simply due to age, so be prepared to cut, drill, and rethread. If you can afford it, buy a GOOD tap&die set, it's a wise investment because it'll always maintain a good sharp edge and won't bind or break.

 

If you have an air chisel, I recently saw they make a hammer attachment for it. (I believe it was at Northern Tool.) Anyhow, smacking the bolt in conjunction with PB Blaster is enough for some stubborn bolts. You're really just trying to break the adhesion for the lubricant to penetrate further.

Good luck.

 

Ya I was going to also suggest an air chisel. Supension parts like shackle/leaf spring bolts are a bitch to get off.

 

Mapp gas burns at over 5k F which is pretty damn flippin' HOT.

Not really a good thing in inexperienced hands. Especially around gas and oil.

Try the propane. Make sure whatever you may have sprayed on isn't flammable before you use a flame. Have an extinguisher and another set of eyes on hand too.
Watch where you aim that thing.

As Elmer says, "Be vewy, vewy careful."

 

i usually try with an airgun as tey're great for 'knocking' them out. that together with PB blaster .... on occasion (when the whole bolt and nut are about to be replaced) i try to break them on purpose. break, pull out, replace ....

 

A big *** breaker bar (and a cheater) works sometimes if you have enough *** to break the bolts and the heads don't round off....

I have managed to "remove" bolts as big as 3/4" with this method at times....

But I agree with Kalli on the impact for bolts up to 3/8" or sometimes a little bigger...

 

Lots and lots of PB Blaster, 6 point impact sockets and cheater bars.

 

PB Blaster and breaker bar did the trick!