uh-oh u-bolt nuts don't like me... (1 Viewer)

[mathblaster]

So I started to take apart the front suspension on my '71 fj40, but then I realised that its going to be a lot harder than the back was. The plate on the bottom of the u-bolts had gotten bent and tight against 3 of the nuts I need to get off. Take a look at the pic and tell me what I can do to get the nuts off. I don't think I'd be able to cut the ubolts off. There's almost no way to get a saw in there, and it looks impossible to pry the plate back to normal... ???

I think I'll order one of those u bolt flip kits now.

 

[73lndcrsr]

I had the same issue. Use a short pipe wrench and bend them back. It was really not that hard. I used a 14" wrench. You will be able to get a socket on there with a little luck.

Have fun!!

 

[CruisinGA]

I had the exact same issue last night. I used a combo of screwdriver in between the nut and plate, and visegrip attached to rope that I pulled on. Good luck. My last resort was going to be to cut the u bolt with my die grinder, luckily I didn't have to do that.

 

[Gus]

I'd try a BFH/hammer and a beefy flat head screw driver, if that didn't work I'd use a torch to heat up the bent plate and then use the BFH tobeat it out of the way. You'll only need to bend the plate a little in order to get breaker bar to those bolts. Good luck :G

 

[CruisinGA]

While on the topic of u-bolts, is it safe to cut an inch or two off the end of my newly installed u-bolts with a die-grinder? They protrude pretty far down, I know cutting would screw the threads up a bit, but when I pull off the nuts some time in the future it would kinda straighten them back out a bit right? :dunno:

 

[scruffydawg]

I'm with GUS on the BFH and heat. On the cutting of the u-bolts I plan on cutting mine off this week I dont see how it could hurt anything. I just installed an OME on my 62 and the bolts are to long also.

 

[denis]

a BF chisel with a BFH should do it...
as for cutting... sure... I did mine, but now they're not all the same... I had to take my axle off, and after reinstall, they're all funny lengths...  

 

[kc_chevota]

While on the topic of u-bolts, is it safe to cut an inch or two off the end of my newly installed u-bolts with a die-grinder?  They protrude pretty far down, I know cutting would screw the threads up a bit, but when I pull off the nuts some time in the future it would kinda straighten them back out a bit right? :dunno:

no problem just leave 1/4 inch of bolt about 2 rows of thread

 

[Brog]

As a mechanical engineer, I feel it's my duty to point out that if you grind the bolts off, the subsequent heat could weaken the bolts, particularly the engaged threads. But, I don't really think that there is that much axial force on them in the first place...so go ahead and cut 'em.
Okay, I feel like all six years weren't wasted now...

Brog

 

[bernefj60]

Cut them with your sawzall. &nbspon't even waste your time. You'll o doubt break half of them anyway getting them off and all you'll have to show for it are sore elbows.

buy new u-bolts. you'll thank yourself. Oh, and buy the big yellow sawzall blades - the little white ones are for crap.

Rob

 

[ScottFJ40]

Cut them off with a grinder or recip saw. I always use new ubolts whenever I remove my axles.

 

[denis]

As a mechanical engineer, I feel it's my duty to point out that if you grind the bolts off, the subsequent heat could weaken the bolts, particularly the engaged threads.

Not if you don't spend hours with the grinder heating the thing up... The tempering you're talking about needs quite some time... I've been cutting bolts and stuff (some big, cherry red-hot heated during the cutting), including heat-treated and all the fancy stuff, with a chopsaw, and didn't notice any difference in the materials structure... mind you, that was for preparing samples for microexamination, to control the material structure...

Now if he was torching them off, that would be another story...

bye,

 

[TOYOTADRUNK]

ITS A LANDCRUISER FOR GOODNESS SAKE NOT THE SPACE SHUTTLE,PLEASE DONT OVER THINK . THINK SIMPLE,WORKS ALMOST EVERY TIME.

 

[kstatecruiser]

If you end up cutting the u-bolts off of the axle, watch out so they don't nail you in the face. When I cut mine off for the SOA the nut/leftoverbolt flew halfway across the shop and put a big dent in the wall.

 

[1973Guppie]

Cut that corner off with an angle grinder that has a cutting wheel, you can then get a socket over the nut. that is if you aren't going to be reusing the plates.

 

[Chef]

That last one is a good tip, they will "sproing" when you cut them. You should be able to bend that plate back easy tho...

 

[mathblaster]

I finally got everything off, well I got done with it a few days ago, anyway I had to cut the ubolts of. then I had to grind the plates so I could reuse them. It really wasn't much fun.