Using a soldering iron to loosen nut?

[coldie123]

Hi,

I'm trying to install springs and I've stripped the endlink nut. Haven't got a blow torch, so I'm thinking of trying a soldering iron to heat up the nut to loosen it. Has anyone tried this before? Think it'll work or would it not be hot enough?

Also how do you know when you've heated the nut enough? Will it make a cracking noise or something like that? And would heating the endlink bolt too much have any bad consequences, such as weakening the bolt? I'm planning on keeping the existing endlink bolts and just put new nuts and washers on them. I'd hate to think what would happen if that endlink bolt broke during hard cornering...

Cheers,
coldie.

 

[bazooka joe]

ya, it won't get hot enough. have you tried any of the spray on stuff like pb blaster?

 

[Sir Nuke]

using a soldering iron is a waste of time, by the time the nut got hot enough to do any good, all the heat would have been transfered to the bolt as well and it will have just expanded to match the nut....and using a torch to heat it up is not a good idea either...as if you get the bolt up to as much as 350 degrees you will weaken it to the point it could fail....so that isn't a good idea either......your best bet is to get some sort of penitrating oil like Liquid Wrench or something like that and soak it overnight....then go at it with wrenches again.....if that doesn't work....you may have to get new end links....

 

[Glowmunkey]

Torch is your best bet. A simple MAP gas torch will work fine, it's hard to overheat enough to fatigue the metal. The endlink will just laugh at the soldering iron. Heat that nut up cherry red and go at it like an angry dingo.

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

I use an impact gun to spin that sucker till it gets really hot, then just pop it off with a prybar. After that it's easy because you can put a pair of vice grips on it.

 

[coldie123]

Thanks for the tips guys. I've soaked it in wd40 overnight but it didn't help. Haven't tried pb blaster, don't think we have it here in Australia.
Heating the nut sounds like it might be risky... so I might try cutting through the nut with a dremel. Any tips on cutting the nut without damaging the bolt threads?

 

[RyanJayG]

yeah, cut it twice length wise, but not all the way through the nut... just enough to weaken it enough to break the nut off. not all the way down to the threads. theny ou might want to run a die over the threadson the studs before using new nuts to reinstall them. also, some anti-sieze wont hurt when reinstalling.

 

[KzA]

antiiisieze is your friend use it wisely....how bout you try jut holding the nut still with vicegrip and turning the inside with an allen driver...that could work

 

[Glowmunkey]

Don't fear the heat... get over it and start using it.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Don't fear the heat... get over it and start using it.

(mswerd) That's what I did, and eventually ended up splitting the nuts on both sides, to get them off.

Ran the die down the bolts, and put new washers and nuts on.

 

[Sir Nuke]

Torch is your best bet. A simple MAP gas torch will work fine, it's hard to overheat enough to fatigue the metal. The endlink will just laugh at the soldering iron. Heat that nut up cherry red and go at it like an angry dingo.

you are so WRONG here....if you get the metal red hot, you have ruined any hardened properties of the bolt...believe me, red hot is WAY over 350 degrees and that is where you CAN AND WILL start effecting the properties of a metal that has been hardened......

as Dino mentioned...splitting the nut will work and you won't damage the bolt...if you wanted to....you can actually buy a nut splitter....and it is made for doing this...however if you have the dremel tool.....use that....its not going to cost you any more money for a tool you will only use once in a great while.

 

[TampaSport20]

actually most parts stores will let you just rent a nut splitter

 

[wagonwhatmp5]

ehh **** it you dont need no stinkin endlinks lol wen i didn my springs i jst broke the ****** endlinks off to get the struts out i still gota replace em but the car still drives good jst dont handle as good as it did

 

[RyanJayG]

you have to be very careful if you do that though... if you get the rear sway bar off and back on, but not the front you'll oversteer like a mofo. especially if you push it hard.

 

[Boston5761]

when i get my coilovers installed should i warn them of this problem or should they be able to take care of it

 

[Glowmunkey]

you are so WRONG here....if you get the metal red hot, you have ruined any hardened properties of the bolt...believe me, red hot is WAY over 350 degrees and that is where you CAN AND WILL start effecting the properties of a metal that has been hardened......

Dude, you might not have this issue in Texas, but anytime your car goes into the shop for suspension work, chances are the techs are using oxy acet torches on any problem stuff. The idea is to get most of the heat into the nut itself... talk about it all you want, I've done it plenty of times, and I'm no pioneer in this practice. It's been done, it won't be a problem unless you're totally going wild with the torch. Give it a rest, you probably haven't dealt with half of the rust-frozen stuff that us Northeasterners cope with on a daily basis.

 

[garretts77]

antiiisieze is your friend use it wisely....how bout you try jut holding the nut still with vicegrip and turning the inside with an allen driver...that could work

Exactly. This was what I did... Held the inside (bolt) with an allen wrench, and turned the the nut with a box wrench. Once it broke loose, it came right off...

 

[Sir Nuke]

Dude, you might not have this issue in Texas, but anytime your car goes into the shop for suspension work, chances are the techs are using oxy acet torches on any problem stuff. The idea is to get most of the heat into the nut itself... talk about it all you want, I've done it plenty of times, and I'm no pioneer in this practice. It's been done, it won't be a problem unless you're totally going wild with the torch. Give it a rest, you probably haven't dealt with half of the rust-frozen stuff that us Northeasterners cope with on a daily basis.

I AM talking on a subject of which I have had plenty of experience.........for starters I have been working in an industrial industry for 26 years that deals with plenty of RUSTED AND CORRODED materials, bolts, nuts and the like....and as for you being in a northeastern state....just because you have salt on your roads in the winter time don't mean JACK...try dealing with salt and salt water laden atmospheres 365 days a year....not just your winters.....

As for your original comment you stated that its it's hard to overheat enough to fatigue the metal......AND Heat that nut up cherry red and go at it like an angry dingo........... go ahead....if you think you have not altered the hardness properties of the bolt by doing so....I sure hope you never put your life or anyone elses in the hope of the fastener that you just heated up in that fashion will hold up under the stress....and just because some nitwit at a shop does it does NOT make it right....for if they had a brain in their head....they wouldn't be doing it either...as its VERY POOR CRAFTSMENSHIP, but hey....its not THEIR car, or their ass out there pushing it through a corner now is it?. but I would guess no one has ever taught them any better.

 

[TampaSport20]

(mswerd) funny too, i thought shops usually use impact wrenches on stuff like that rather than a torch ??

 

[Glowmunkey]

(mswerd) funny too, i thought shops usually use impact wrenches on stuff like that rather than a torch ??

Depends on how badly it's rusted in place.

And Sir Nuke, I will gladly do it, not like these bolts are hardened to 59 Rc or anything, it's ******* spring steel or a damn grade 8.8 bolt/nut. This is why people get bored of these forums, overly anal people overthinking simple things. Heat, if used properly, will not cause problems. The car remains safe, and I've never had a bolt or anything shear off after heating it.

I'm giving up now, this thread has become just plain goofy.