views on best way to get steel bolt from aluminium

[Guest765]

I was going to suggest slightly loading that side of the suspension and wiggling the arm while applying pressure to the bolt. +1 on the mechanical binding. Hate having to agree with such a horrible poster but when somethings right its right.

[MrTibbs]

Well, against my better judgement I did go out for a test drive when I fitted the sway bar (and have driven it a couple of times since). That doesn't seem to have shifted it so I think wiggling the arm's going to pop it out but might give it a try.

And I'm not keen on loosening the other bolt given this one sheared off (and I actually could have left it alone if I'd bought a gear puller sooner.

Will have a try in a bit and let you know how I get on.

Mike

[MrTibbs]

Success!!!

Took me a couple of hours trying different things. This obviously isn't very scientific, but what I did was:

Put a bit of paper towel soaked in vinegar on it over night.

Tried pushing it out with a gear puller - put a lot of pressure on and it didn't move, but couldn't get it dead straight.

Mixed up a combination of nail varnish remover (the girlfriend's not mine!) and ATF and put some of that on it.

Tried the '2 nuts' method of removing a stud as the thing was threaded the whole way, making me think the hole was threaded too.

Eventually, while trying to get the nuts to tighten up on each other enough to turn the bolt rather than just both turning I tightened the nut up against the trailing arm as much as possible (to give me as much bolt as possible for the second nut). As I was doing this I thought I'd stripped the thread - what was actually happening was that by tightening the nut I was pulling the bolt through the hole. Why it didn't spin I don't know as it's just a bolt in a round hole.

Anyway, by tightening the nut more and more it dragged the bolt through - wasn't until it was nearly out that the bolt started turning in the hole.

Just have to track down a replacement bolt (which I'll install with some PTFE grease or something, so when I need to undo it in another 25 years it'll come apart) and I'm good to go.

I'm very relieved. When it stops raining I'll start on wiring in my headlight relay upgrade.

Mike

[vdubr928]

One of those angels singing moments im sure. Great job.

[alfadoc]

Congrats!
"He conquers who endures." Persius

[944 LSX]

Glad to hear. You sure that nail polish remover wasn't yours, LOL (j/k)? BTW, I learned a new term from you this week after posting the "bees wax" suggestion. I hadn't known that this was also referred to as the "candle method" until you replied. So, thanks for that & again Congrats. These things can be a real source of STRESS until they are resolved.

[MrTibbs]

I'm thinking about trying to do a more realistic experiment than the one in the article that gets quoted a lot on the acetone/ATF mix. That article compared the torque needed to undo rusted bolts that had been soaked for 8 hours in various fluids.

I think the candle method might depend on buying high quality candles that have bees wax in them (cheap ones probably don't).

I'm thinking try to get some aluminium and put some steel bolts in it - keep spraying it with salty water for a week or so then see what the unbolting torque is after a relatively quick treatment with various penetrating fluids/potions.

Just thinking it would be interesting and helpful to know what works best in freeing stuff up.

I think in this case it was actually the bolt corroded into the steel section rather than the aluminium part.

Mike