Tricks to removing body bolts

ilovemaui · Nov 10, 2011

I just received my 1" body lift kit from WH and was wondering if anyone had any tricks to removing the body bolts and installing the kit?

I was checking out the front bolts last night and I could not see a nut on the bottom side of the bushing. Is the nut welded to the frame and hidden by the lower bushing? I put a 3/8" socket on one of the bolts and it was not budging so it looks like it's going to take a bit of effort to get the old bolts out. They don't look rusty or anything from what I can see.

j.blakeslee · Nov 10, 2011

ilovemaui said:
I just received my 1" body lift kit from WH and was wondering if anyone had any tricks to removing the body bolts and installing the kit?

I was checking out the front bolts last night and I could not see a nut on the bottom side of the bushing. Is the nut welded to the frame and hidden by the lower bushing? I put a 3/8" socket on one of the bolts and it was not budging so it looks like it's going to take a bit of effort to get the old bolts out. They don't look rusty or anything from what I can see.

the bottom washer is press treaded PB BLAST crap out of them.....and then if that doesnt work ......Heat...and if that doesnt work.
break out the fire wench....i skip op.1 and 2 and go
right to three...

bknbronco · Nov 10, 2011

All nuts should be accessable. Some times guys say that removing the old body mounts are a pain in the ass. Id maybe try a sawsall, grinder, or a diegrinder with a cutoff disk. Good luck! Lift up on the front one and see if its even bolted down. For the most part id go with a sawsall.

70_Steve · Nov 10, 2011

ilovemaui said:
I just received my 1" body lift kit from WH and was wondering if anyone had any tricks to removing the body bolts and installing the kit?

There's no trick. Just use a sawzall and plenty of WD40 to lubricate the rubber bushings.

I had a length of 4x6 that I put under the rocker on one side. Jacked it up until the frame just started to move, to take the weight off that side. Cut and replace the 4 mounts on that side, leaving the bolts a little loose. Then did the same for the other side. When I had the full body weight back on the frame, I juggled the body around a little to even it up on the frame (you'd be surprised how much play you can get out of those body mounts), then tightened everything up.

Broncofan76 · Nov 10, 2011

x2 PB baster the crap out of all of them, let em soak overnight and go to work with sockets, grinder, cutoff wheel, and sawzall. It took all of the above for me to get all of mine done.

Greg_B · Nov 10, 2011

I didnt have any problems with the bolts after I soaked them in wd40 for days before I started to remove them. I used an air impact wrench on all but one of them and they came right out. One on the passenger side floor had a rusty head so it just rounded off. I welded a piece of angle iron to the head and twisted it out.

The hard part for me was the rubber busings themselves.. they are stuck to the frame. I used an air chisel and a short sledge hammer to get them out.

BTW... mine did not have nuts on the bottom at the front either.

Greg

Ethansdad73 · Nov 10, 2011

we used PB blaster, soaked over night I think, some came out others we had to cut with a sawsall.

BicksBronc · Nov 10, 2011

blubuckaroo said:
When putting it together, lay the bolts out where they will go. There are three different lengths in the kit. I ended up putting a couple in the wrong place and had to backtrack a bit.

We actually used a felt pen during mock up and numbered the bolt heads. It made it so easy.

ilovemaui · Nov 10, 2011

BicksBronc said:
We actually used a felt pen during mock up and numbered the bolt heads. It made it so easy.

I was thinking of doing that. I thought of labeling the washers A,B,C.... and then labeling the section shown in the instructions.

lonesouth · Nov 10, 2011

PB Blaster for a night. Remove the bolts, then reinsert to engage about 4 threads. Then BFH the bolt to separate the bushings. Any that are unwilling to budge with the BFH, use an angle grinder/cutoff wheel to cut off the bottom washer portion of the bushing. If the mounts behind the seats are stuck, then you will need the sawzall. I found cutting the washer with the angle grinder/cutoff wheel easier than cutting through the rubber mount and the bushing. YMMV.

techlaf · Nov 10, 2011

I had a hell of a time with the ones just behind the front seats that are in a "box" sitting on the frame. Neither one of those were successfully wrenched off. It's really awkward to get a sawzall in there (especially the passenger side because the floor is lower closer to the box), but I got it.

I had to take the heat shield off my stock muffler. I also had to take my dremel with a cutoff wheel and cut the little tabs that face inward inside the box. Once I cut those tabs off I was able to get a sawzall blade in there. Even then it didn't come out easy. I went through a few blades.

I had to cut the front ones off with a sawzall.

Good Luck. In my best WaterBoy Bobby Boucher, "You can do it!"

*Don't forget to try opening and closing your doors to check alignment BEFORE you tighten the bolts up. You may need to shim with a washer to get rid of a slight crown as the new body mounts can make your striker post sit "proud" and not align like they did before. And don't over tighten the ones behind the seats or you'll see your floor around the bolt start to sink down into a dip.

NGABronco · Nov 10, 2011

Ain't nobody going to tell him to put duct tape over the holes in the frame??????%)%)%)

dirtslinger · Nov 10, 2011

Thinking about ordering a 1" BL soon. Is this a one man job, how may hours on an average is the job, and what are some things I'm going to encounter besides these PITA body bolts?

barronj · Nov 10, 2011

it's a one man job, made substantially easier w/ air tools, or a sawzall.

I didn't have to use a sawzall, but I did have to use an impact wrench on the set behind the seat. On the set in the front floor pans, and the ones by the tailgate, rust had rounded the heads, so I drilled them off, and used an air chisel to drive them down. Worked like a champ.

I can't remember if I HAD to disconnect my clutch rod (pedal to equalizer) and lengthen it before reattaching it, but I want to say that's how it went down.

dirtslinger · Nov 10, 2011

Oh yeah, Mines an Auto, on the column

lonesouth · Nov 10, 2011

NGABronco said:
Ain't nobody going to tell him to put duct tape over the holes in the frame??????%)%)%)

I had too much dirt on my frame, duct tape wouldn't stick. I found it far easier to tape the nut into a boxed end wrench, tape the washer on there too. Keeps the nut and washer from falling in.

71massbronco · Nov 11, 2011

Greg_B said:
I welded a piece of angle iron to the head and twisted it out.

Greg

That's just simple genius. Wish I would have thought of that before I blew thru 2 sawsall blades and that many more cutoff discs! And yes, It was a PITA.

ransil · Nov 12, 2011

NGABronco said:
Ain't nobody going to tell him to put duct tape over the holes in the frame??????%)%)%)

I like using this kit from ebay, there are similar to the factory mounts.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/early-bronc...DefaultDomain_100&vxp=mtr&hash=item1c206a968c

fetorino · Nov 12, 2011

My thoughts

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176620

ilovemaui · Nov 12, 2011

The passenger side bolt just in front of the seat is in real bad shape. Put a socket on it and it rounded it in no time. I'm now having second thoughts about doing this right now. I will do it eventually, but after all the time I've just spent doing the engine and efi conversion by myself I'm just not up to tackling what is looking like a PITA project. I think I'll wait till spring when the weather gets better or until I can snag some help.

Tricks to removing body bolts

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