How do I remove these Chrome Bolts on Original Rear Bumber? (3 Viewers)

[Landshark]

I removed my rear bumper once but that was about 15 years ago, I remember taking it to a garage and asked them to remove the two middle top bolts. They just ground it off making scratches to the chrome.

So I want to do it myself. They been soaking in penetrating oil for the past week. I cannot see how to get to the nuts underneath

. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Bob

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, May have to remove the trailer hitch. Mike

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Those are carriage bolts my friend. Remove the nut on the opposite side.

McMaster-Carr

 

[SteveH]

Pad the bumper top and carriage bolt head with a scrap of leather. Apply a C-clamp (big clamp) to the bolt head (spanning to the bottom of the bumper), to keep the bolt head from spinning - this is critical. Apply a pneumatic impact wrench from underneath, and spin off the nut. Continue to soak with penetrating oil along the way. You will need long socket extensions, and may need to remove the hitch. I'm not surprised that a show just ground off the heads and scratched up the bumper.

If you just try to spin off the nut underneath with a socket set (and no clamp), the carriage bolt will partially loosen, and then spin out of the square hole, and then 'wallar' out the hole (the technical term) and scratch up the chrome. This clamp-and-impact method has been discussed in another forum post, but I'm just repeating the gist of it here.

Use anti-sieze compound liberally on any carriage bolts you install.

Steve

 

[4Cruisers]

Pad the bumper top and carriage bolt head with a scrap of leather. Apply a C-clamp (big clamp) to the bolt head (spanning to the bottom of the bumper), to keep the bolt head from spinning - this is critical. Apply a pneumatic impact wrench from underneath, and spin off the nut. Continue to soak with penetrating oil along the way. You will need long socket extensions, and may need to remove the hitch. I'm not surprised that a show just ground off the heads and scratched up the bumper.

If you just try to spin off the nut underneath with a socket set (and no clamp), the carriage bolt will partially loosen, and then spin out of the square hole, and then 'wallar' out the hole (the technical term) and scratch up the chrome. This clamp-and-impact method has been discussed in another forum post, but I'm just repeating the gist of it here.

Use anti-sieze compound liberally on any carriage bolts you install.

Steve

I used the clamp approach successfully many years ago - I think I ran across it on Pirate4X4.

 

[CenTXFJ60]

Great tip with the clamp. I screwed it all to hell the first time I removed a perfect OEM bumper from my sons 60. I got so frustrated I ground off the head of the bolt. Total novice mistake. Never did I know I'd have too many cruisers one day and could have reused that sweet stocker bumper. $200 mistake, but will get her rechromed

 

[Landshark]

Great tip on the clamping of the top of the carriage bolt head. The hitch is not in the way. The two bolts on each end I can access the nuts underneath, it is the two bolt nuts in the middle shown in the picture, the inner "C" channel is in the way to fit a socket. I think I can fit a ratchet box end wrench and see if I can get it off after clamping.

Thanks for the help, I will degrease the top of the carriage bolts before I try and turning them.

Bob

 

[4Cruisers]

For clamping I used a heavy duty wooden clamp, the wood is soft enough to deform slightly over the head of the bolt but hard enough to apply good clamping force. You can crank these down very tight:

Wooden Handscrew Clamp

 

[Landshark]

Removing rear bumper update.

So I found out I could remove the chrome bumper without removing the hitch and also I did not need to remove those 2 middle chrome carriage bolts. There was a black mount that was bolted to the inner rear cross frame, so I just had to remove 2 bolts. I had no problems getting the bolts out using the "clamp" method to hold the top of the carriage bolt down to prevent it from spinning in the square hole.

Anyways, I am looking for a new stock chrome bumper because I want to apply for Collector's Plates and the vehicle must no rust visible. My bumper has holes right through in many places.

The cross channel is rusted pretty bad, right through both the sub parts of the rear cross piece. Now I will need to remove by hammering out the 8 rivets that hold the angle pieces on the open channel frame. I tested how hard it was to remove a rivet and found it easy using the method of making a cross cut "X" in the top and then drilling out the center and then hammering with a chisel.

Note, about 15 years ago (might have been only 10) I had the rear bumper off and used POR on that black mount you see in the picture. It is still rust free and I wish I had of POR the entire rear frame. I remember I had tried a stop gap measure of using short fibre body filler and POR Silver to seal the small holes in the bumper and that all failed so know I have big holes.

If anyone in BC has a good rear cross or chrome bumper, please PM me.

thanks

Bob

 

[Tin basher]

Where in bc are you ? I will look at my parts truck and see what shape the bumper is in

 

[Landshark]

Hi Tin B, I live in Prince Rupert. But I will be coming through the lower mainland mid May. Send me a pic of your bumper when you can. Also really need the sub cross frame as you can see mine in the picture is toast. I was going to remove it and get it welded up if I cannot get one from somewhere. Really tempted to get a Mig/flux welder Canadian Tire has on for $300 this week. But reviews are that it is really only good for sheet metal welding. I don't need the plastic end caps but if they are there so much the better.

I have been fooling around with my chrome bumper and have ground out the holes and then just for "Sh*ts and giggles used POR Silver with two layers of fibre glass (first non wove, second wove) over the holes from the backside. I soaked the fiberglass in POR. Next I am going to fill the slight depression on the good side with Evercoat short hair body filler and sand then paint using a Chrome spray. It might look ok for a little while but it might not fool ICBC for a rust free vehicle for Collector Plate status.

Thanks for looking, good rear bumpers are pretty rare in BC.

Bob