How the heck do i get this bed bolt out....or in...or anything!

Put in 3 d rings in 3 of my bed bolts today, but this 4th little bastard. Grrr.

Had to use the impact gun on him, and he came out this far, and stopped. The bolt doesn't spin. Won't come out anymore, and won't go back in either. Already doused him in an entire bottle of pb blaster. I was gonna take it to a buddies house and try an air impact gun, but was hoping maybe you guys had some other advice too.

 

can you heat it from below (assuming you are not near the gas tank)?

sometimes pb blaster has to soak for a day or so to be effective. i'd hit it with more of that stuff and give it time to work in.

 

The nut underneath isnt spinning is it?

 

I think we were gonna try that tomorrow too, heating it up I mean.

 

i can't imagine it is. Isn't is welded to the frame? Besides, the bolt isn't spinning either. It won't budge.

 

Die grind two flats on the bolt head and use whatever size wrench it takes.

Buy new bolt...install with anti-sieze.

Be prepared to weld the nut back on the frame if necessary.

 

sawzaw !!!

 

I saw Esaw swingin' on a sawzaw ?

Cut the two flats and work it back and forth like a it was a tap.
With a BFW.....big fukkin wrench.

 

sorry, i'm retarded. what does "die grind two flats" mean?

And if the nut has to be welded back onto the frame, I will have to have someone do that. I don't know how to weld.

 

I had the torx on mine strip out, the star pattern in the head was pretty soft if you ask me. I got it out about as far as yours before it stripped the head.

I live in chicago the land of salt in the winter (rust) so I let it sit for a day with penetrating oil (spray from top and bottom) and then went at it the brute force way since the bolt was toast anyways. I used a 18" pipe wrench. Toss it on the large diameter of the head and give it hell.

Bolts are about 8 bucks at the dealer.

 

Loosen all the other bolts... It may just be bound up. ??

If the bolt threads are jacked up when you do get it out, I would replace the nut as well as the bolt.
If you can access the nut to replace it, welding probably will not be required - so long as you put some thread lock (Loc-Tite) on the bolt upon install.

Edit -- "die grind two flats" means to flatten out opposing sides of the round bolt head, making it easy to put a pipe wrench or large vise grips on it for turning.

 

OK, the bolt head is round, right ?
You are attacking it with a Torx bit and probably (guessing) a battery impact driver, right ?
It doesn't have enough balls to back the thing out, capiche ?

So it was suggested that you take a die grinder (Dremel for example) or a peanut grinder (4" angle grinder) and grind (cut) two oppsing "flats" on the bolt head so that a wrench can bite on it and allow you to deliver more torque to the bolt.

This bolt on the bottom side is probably exposed to road grit, salt, etc and when you try to back them out, they bind when the crap hits the threads in the captive nut.

Hey, if this sh!t was easy we could get a hamburger flipper to do it

Now go earn yer money

 

What size impact did you use, 3/8" or 1/2"?

 

No, don't replace the nut unless unless a tap won't clean it up.
If a new bolt hangs up in it, stop and "chase" the threads clean with a tap of the correct size.

No, don't put and LokTite on these !

Correct.
You could also get a pipe wrench to bite on it without any grinding.
Either way, and you will have to trash the bolt if the Torx bit and impact can't handle it.

 

i tried it with the electric impact gun, and actually broke my impact gun. the bolt head and the torx bit I was using was actually smoking from getting so hot from trying to get it off for so long.

 

i put anti seize on the 3 other bolts so that they are easier to get out in the future.

 

1/2"

 

I'm assuming that once I get the bolt out, it's ok to drive around without a bolt there till I can buy a new one at the dealer?

 

Bingo !
A guy could even put a dab of grease on the exposed threads underneath.
Old concrete form builder's trick....nothin' sticks to grease.

 

Get a big ass breaker bar. Sometimes an impact won't move it, but a breaker bar will. It might snap off, it might come right out. At this point it does not look like you have a choice.