• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Frozen Spring Bolt Removal

Share this page

W

Whitephrog

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
I almost have the "new" Whitephrog stripped and ready to take to the blasters. Only hold up is a frozen spring bolt (pn 2A7279, VB pn 18-105). Three of the four came off easily but the last one won't budge. I've tried PK Blaster for several days and now CRC Freeze-Off. Lots of hammer strokes. Still, not a sign of movement. Suggestions? What else can I do?
 
Use a thin cuttoff wheel on a die grinder to cut the bolt on both sides of the spring eye, inside the bracket. Deal with it after you get the spring out.
Jeff
 
<span style='font-size: 17pt'><span style="color: #3366FF">SAWZZZZaLL!!</span></span>


or like Jeff said. Its a little bit neater.


mark
 
Think ya gonna have to cut that turkey off.

Pat
 
If that bolt is on the Spring Mount two of those bolts that are accessible from the inside of the cockpit are captive nuts that are welded on. Ask me how I know.
 
Jim

These are the bolts that attach the 1/4 eliptical springs to the rear axle assembly.
 
Ray:

I am confused again hehehe, do you mean the ones in front by the body (four bolts, two u bolt, two captive)?

Is it one of the ones closest to the front (captive)?

Please let us know. BTW, I know that I am stupid.

Thanks,
Pat
 
Those are tough to get to when trying to cut them. I did mine after the axle was removed.
 
I was referring to 1/2 elliptic springs. Sorry. Bugsy is a '68 Spridget.
 
So I gather it is one of the ones that bolt trough the spring itself then. I would cut it, as per above and then bang it out. Hmmm I never had one of those cease up before, but it is more common in a BE, when in the front drilling is necessary and the back it can be cut. Sorry for the confusion, good luck, and let us know how it goes.

Pat
 
have you tried heat? I had to cut one bolt for my springs (1/2 elipical) heated and poured Water for two or three rounds - the last time touched the hot bolt with a wax candle and let it wick into the threads and it finally came out. I had cut the head earlier so I had to use an extracor but the heat & wax seemed to do it.

Are you using an air wrench? that can be a huge help in knocking things loose
 
The problem(most likely) is that the bolt is seized to the steel insert in the bushing. Carefully, cut it with a "cut off" wheel and you'll be done in 5 minutes.
 
Those front two bolts on the 1/4 elipic springs actually screw into a removable plate on top of the spring.

You can not get the spring out with the plate in place unless.............

The only answer is to drill upward the offending bolt till you can get the plate free from the spring leafs.

Now that said. cut off the head of the offending bolt, drill up till you can pull the bottom leaf out. Drill a bit more and pull the second leaf. Now you will have room to pull the entire unit out as the removal of the two leafs make room for the spring to drop down and make space. Takes a bit of wiggleing even at that point. This means of course the rest of the spring clamps and Ubolts and such must on the spring must come out first as well.

Been there done that. Took me three days to learn.
 
Ohhhhh. all that typeing.


Cut the ends off and knock it out.
 
Back
Top