REALLY tight bolts in my A arms...

[jaidedeye]

ok fellas

i am swapping my a arms out due to damage when my lower ball joint broke. the bolts are really tight. i dont have an impact gun or compressor. so how should i get them out? they are the bolts that connect the a-arm to the k-member

 

[Viking88]

A breaker bar or try putting a length of pipe on the rachet you have now. Spray lots of wd-40 on it too. Good luck

 

[281pony]

pb lube and a torque wrench? have you tried that?

if that doesnt work i would try a 1/2" ratchet with a breaker bar

 

[jaidedeye]

i got them damn bolts!!!!!!!!

i used a 1/2 inch breaker bar one side and my 1/2 inch torque wrench on the other....

now..i have to wait for my parts to come in next week....lol

 

[TIMMY2734]

For future reference, you really shouldnt use your torque wrench to loosen stuff...
Ive been told by numerous people not to do that.

 

[ECU5.0]

using a torque wrench to loosen bolts isnt an entirely bad idea....it would be like using the torque wrench for the highest possible load. but anyways, next time try some pb blaster or a torch

 

[jaidedeye]

For future reference, you really shouldnt use your torque wrench to loosen stuff...
Ive been told by numerous people not to do that.

i use torque wrenches every day at work. im an f-15 strike eagle weapons system craftsman......you are right about proper use of the torque wrench. but i needed something to give me leverage and besides my breaker bar its all i had at the time......and technically there is zero drop tolerance on torque wrenches also, so if you drop your torque wrench even 2 inches you should have it re-cal'd

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Next time, and pretty much any time you're working with the lower suspension parts or like a K member bolt, soak the heck out of the bolt and where it contacts with whatever it's bolting on with PB Blaster....it's the best penatrating lube type stuff i've ever used...and it's WAY better than WD40, but that'll work too if you can't get any PB Blaster.

 

[Michael Yount]

Is it possible that the same thing that damaged the A-arm slightly bent the mounting points, and the bind the A-arm was in is what was causing the bolts to be tight? Hate to see you get your new stuff here and find that you can't get them on/back in because mounting points have moved.

You should never use a torque wrench for breaking loose bolts.

 

[Idwitheld-1`]

Use your breaker bar and a bottle jack. Fluid power baby, fluid power!

 

[jaidedeye]

the bolts were tight because when i put my springs in like a month ago i used an impact to everything back together.and actually they werent really all that tight . i didnt actually try loosening the bolts until after i made my first post. my k member is fine. the ball joint broke in a parking lot. there was nothing binding the a-arm it just drug across the ground for like a foot.

i just like asking questions and getting advice before diving into something.

 

[jaidedeye]

once i got the nuts off the bolts slid right out.