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Labor Day Putting down your wrenches or time for
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| | | | Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 81 Member | | Member Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 81 | I'm preping my truck for paint and decided to start with the bed first. I took the fenders off no problem and I'm now working on the bed sides.
The bolts are rusted of course and the carriage head portion just spins in the hole when I try to turn off the nut from underneath. I'm looking for any tips that anyboby has to offer. Should I lift the bed off the frame 1st? and what's the best approach to the carriage bolts.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Kevin | | | | | Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 438 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 438 | If you have a cut off wheel there are a couple options: 1) try to cut a slot in the carriage bolt that fits a large flathead screwdriver, 2) use cutoff to cut bolts from the bottom. 3) third option firewrench. #1 above is suspect if bolts are really rusty. Bed on or off is personal preference and amount of room you have.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison
Things may come to those who wait...but only the things left by those who hustle."-Abraham Lincoln
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,068 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,068 | Tack weld the heads down and remove or break the nuts off. Then use a die grinder or cut off wheel and cut off the welds. Sometimes the heat of welding breaks loose the rust,
Scott | | | | | Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 81 Member | | Member Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 81 | Thanks for the ideas. I had considered the gas wrench, but figured I might catch the wood on fire or some of the old undercoat that was sprayed everywhere on this truck - except for the places where it might have really helped  I like the slotting approach, I think I'll try that 1st. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 68 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 68 | I had the same problem removing the bed from my 50 longbed. I just used a drillbit the same diameter as the bolts and drilled out the heads. Once you drill through the head it will just spin off. I drilled a small pilot hole in the center of each head to make sure I didn't wabble off center with the large bit. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 196 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 196 | i just took a 4 inch grinder to mine on the fenders to takes about 5 minutes for each one | | | | | Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 43 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 43 | I did what 32fire did and just grinded them off. Didn't take too long.
rebuild not replace
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 272 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 272 | | | |
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