A Little Help Here....

So I'm trying to get my original factory tube steps off after 10 years, and surprise, surprise, I'm having an issue with one of the bolts. Rather than rusted solid, one of them is spinning loose in the body (They mount to the threaded holes in the body by the pinch weld). I'm pretty sure the only thing I can do at this point is to drill out the bolt head to allow me to get the tubes off. The only problem is that now the bolt will be stuck in the body, and I'm trying to pull the old ones off to replace them with new ones. I could just leave that one bolt out, there are enough other bolts to support the new tubes, but ideally I would like to repair/replace that thread/bolt.

I figured I would check with the hive mind to see if anyone has another idea.

 

Grab the bolt with vice grips and back it out while pulling.

 

Yeah, I tried something similar. It's in a tight spot, so I got a pick like device, and wedged it behind the bolt head, so I could pull on it while turning. No bueno.

 

If you can spin it freely with your fingers spin it while pulling down. See if you can feel it drop slightly and catch. Sometimes you can get them to seat back down into their spot welded position and have a bit more support to hold the loose nut.

If so find a way to pry downward for more friction and back the bolt out. A heavy dose of PB blaster or a good penetrating oil with about 20-30 minutes soak will go a long way as well.