Rich
24th July 2005, 20:37
Grrrr, I need to remove both rear bumpers on my van, then the bumper support bracket things so I can remove the flat bar which runs along the back which makes part of the towbar up.
The flat bar is bolted onto the back with the bolts that the bumper support bracket things use.
So, this evening, I attempted to remove this lot. The rear bumpers I had off about a year ago, as I re-painted them. One of the bolts on them had rusted in so badly I had to resort to drilling it out, then re-tapping the hole.
So then I tried the bolts for the supports, you know what coming next. One of them on each side (the inside bolt) undoes nicely. The outside bolts on both sides just turns. I am assuming that there is a nut welded onto the panel behind, which these bolts go into, and the weld has broken.
As its the same one on both side, I just thought I would ask if there is an access for a socket to get to the other side, or somthing I am missing here?
If it is the case of a snapped weld on a nut, then the only thing I can see to do is to cut the bolt off, push the remains inside the panel, then drill a hole through the panel on the other side, and then putting a new long bolt in with a nut on the other side? Problem is, I don't like drilling panels.
I should have known this would happen really, this is the WORST vehicle I have EVER known for bolts to be rusted in and refusing to come out. As a brief list of moans, the rear spring shackle bolts had to be cut off, the rear shock bolts had to be cut off, the front shock lower bolts had to have the nuts split, then driven out with a hammer, even then one wouldn't budge despite beating the living :censored: out of it, and remained firmly in the hub. I then cut the other side off and tried it that way, still it was stuck. Left it in plus gas over night, still wouldn't budge. Heated it up, still no joy. Removed driveshaft and hub assembly, drilled the :censored: out in the end!! Steering rack replacement took a day, an hour to fit the new rack, rest of the day working the rack bolts lose! Anti roll bar mountings - don't even go there. When the original water pump was changed the pully bolts were so stuck they rounded off, and required a weld on each one to turn with a pair of pliers, and as for the crankshaft main pully bolt, its still stuck in there, laughing at me while the NEW water pump drips onto it:rage: Moan over, time for a beer me thinks!
Any advice with the bumper bit most appreciated though,
Rich
The flat bar is bolted onto the back with the bolts that the bumper support bracket things use.
So, this evening, I attempted to remove this lot. The rear bumpers I had off about a year ago, as I re-painted them. One of the bolts on them had rusted in so badly I had to resort to drilling it out, then re-tapping the hole.
So then I tried the bolts for the supports, you know what coming next. One of them on each side (the inside bolt) undoes nicely. The outside bolts on both sides just turns. I am assuming that there is a nut welded onto the panel behind, which these bolts go into, and the weld has broken.
As its the same one on both side, I just thought I would ask if there is an access for a socket to get to the other side, or somthing I am missing here?
If it is the case of a snapped weld on a nut, then the only thing I can see to do is to cut the bolt off, push the remains inside the panel, then drill a hole through the panel on the other side, and then putting a new long bolt in with a nut on the other side? Problem is, I don't like drilling panels.
I should have known this would happen really, this is the WORST vehicle I have EVER known for bolts to be rusted in and refusing to come out. As a brief list of moans, the rear spring shackle bolts had to be cut off, the rear shock bolts had to be cut off, the front shock lower bolts had to have the nuts split, then driven out with a hammer, even then one wouldn't budge despite beating the living :censored: out of it, and remained firmly in the hub. I then cut the other side off and tried it that way, still it was stuck. Left it in plus gas over night, still wouldn't budge. Heated it up, still no joy. Removed driveshaft and hub assembly, drilled the :censored: out in the end!! Steering rack replacement took a day, an hour to fit the new rack, rest of the day working the rack bolts lose! Anti roll bar mountings - don't even go there. When the original water pump was changed the pully bolts were so stuck they rounded off, and required a weld on each one to turn with a pair of pliers, and as for the crankshaft main pully bolt, its still stuck in there, laughing at me while the NEW water pump drips onto it:rage: Moan over, time for a beer me thinks!
Any advice with the bumper bit most appreciated though,
Rich