seized track bar bolt

desertrunner

desertrunner

Hooked
I could use some help with this one im running out of ideas

my frame side track bar bolt is seized in the bushing and for the life of me i cant get it out. here are some pics

This is how it is stuck in there
IMAG4811[1].jpg

I have a shouldered bolt like this stuck in a RK flex joint like this
IMAG4812[1].jpg
Flex_Joints-2T.jpg


The shoulder of the bolt is seized in the metal sleeve inside the flex joint. I have soaked the bitch in PB blaster, i have hit it with every material hammer i have as hard as i can with the space im working in, i have tried heat, and so far it wont budge. It will spin when i put my impact to it but all that is spinning is the metal sleeve inside the rubber bushing. my next guess cut the head off the bolt and drill it out and run the risk of damaging the flex joint? Anyone else with any ideas?

and before someone else says it yes i know i am a giant :asshat: for putting a grade 8 shouldered bolt in there 2 years ago.
 
piginajeep said:
Have you tried heat? Get a propane torch.
Click to expand...

yup as said in the original post i have tried heat. I have olny heated the bolt though and i know heat should expand it i was hoping after cooling again it would break free but that didnt work unless i didnt heat it enough. dont really know if i could try to heat the joint itself if that would ruin the bushing
 
Now that you have relieved the tension on the bolt/sleeve, maybe it is worth starting the Jeep and cycling the steering back and forth. Maybe even quick jabs left/right. Maybe the trackbar moving back and forth against the bolt would help wiggle it loose from the inside. Just a thought.
 
ERAUGrad04 said:
Now that you have relieved the tension on the bolt/sleeve, maybe it is worth starting the Jeep and cycling the steering back and forth. Maybe even quick jabs left/right. Maybe the trackbar moving back and forth against the bolt would help wiggle it loose from the inside. Just a thought.
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smart, ill give that a try. I had a thought in my head of taking it for a spin down the street without the nut on there see if it would death wobble itself out but that sounded dangerous ;)
 
desertrunner said:
yup as said in the original post i have tried heat. I have olny heated the bolt though and i know heat should expand it i was hoping after cooling again it would break free but that didnt work unless i didnt heat it enough. dont really know if i could try to heat the joint itself if that would ruin the bushing
Click to expand...

If it didn't ruin the bushing, it was not hot enough. Buy a replacement before you destroy it.
 
as already mentioned, start it up and just move the steering lock to lock.

If you have a helper or have room, put an impact gun on it (yes I know it'll just spin) but hit the bolt end with a hammer while it's spinning - put the nut on it loosely to get more surface to hit.

did you heat the bolt at both ends?

if you have a ball joint press you might try pressing it out. I've used mine to push bolts out before, they weren't as rusted as yours looks but it worked for me
 
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Usually when I have a bolt rusted to the sleeve I have had to cut off the bolt with a grinder or sawzall. You would want to go between the bushing and mount. Then after getting out the track bar tap out the old bolt. It is a lot of work but will get it. Unless it is just pinched from the weight of the jeep then just wiggle the steering wheel as someone else tries pulling it out.
 
Try using a little wintergreen. It will break the corrosion loose. Also as mentioned take some pressure of the track bar, if you can remove the axle mount and try rotating the whole track bar up. If the bolt moves then find a place to support the wrench and use the leverage of the trackbar to rotate the bushing on the bolt.
 
With the nut loose, go drive 50mph over a bump and get death wobble to sort it out :cheesy:

Jokes aside, have you tried a "power bar"
Put the socket on and put a LOOOONG pole over the ratchet for a lot of leverage, if anything its should at least snap it off at the head.

only other thing I can think of is to grind that sucker off on the insides of the bolt. the the trackbar should slide out and you can hammer out he bush and replace it.
 
desertrunner said:
yup as said in the original post i have tried heat. I have olny heated the bolt though and i know heat should expand it i was hoping after cooling again it would break free but that didnt work unless i didnt heat it enough. dont really know if i could try to heat the joint itself if that would ruin the bushing
Click to expand...

You can add heat then apply a bit of bees wax (yes, bees wax). It works amazingly well (better than PB in some applications). Hope this helps.
 
ball joint press did the trick!!! :rock: it didnt come out without a fight though took my 3' breaker bar to break it loose. this is what it left behind

IMAG4815[1].jpg

bowed out the mount a little
IMAG4814[1].jpg


now the next question is, i only pulled it out to see if it could adjust short enough to fit with the EVO drag link flip kit, is this end even worth putting back on my jeep or is it shot??? i tried to put grease in the zerk and nothing would get in. maybe a way to change the zerk too???

IMAG4817[1].jpgIMAG4818[1].jpg
 
If you know what the thread is you can get a Johhny joint from Northridge for $50something, then you can rebuild it in the future too
 
use the ball joint press to push out the inner sleeve. get a socket just smaller than the bushing so it doesn't bind and crank away.

you can use an impact wrench on the press to make it easier at this point
 
MarkW13 said:
Stock track bar looks like a good option.
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a buddy and i have been trying everything we can think of to un thread the joint out of the track bar and we still cant get it to budge so im kinda with you there ditch the RK one and put a stock one in with the EVO flip kit
 
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