Okay~ True story. I have tried soaking them for a l-o-n-g time. No good. I've tried heating them with a torch. No good. Now what? The nuts I'm talking about are on the u-bolts of my back axle. I'd love to keep them, but if I have to cut them, I guess I'll have to cut them. It's way past time to get that big a$$ed axle out to make room for the new one. Evan mentioned the Colorado as maybe a metric pattern? I guess I'll just need to take a wheel in and see if it fits. ...Metric~ that would figure...
You should have new ones if you are changing the unit, have you try tightening it? Or taking a cold chisel and trying to cut the nut off, sometimes that alone starts the nut to turn. Worst case there is you cut the nut off and the bolt is saved.
Rusty bolts and nuts ! I would say kick it but that wont help a bit . Next is to heat it up the nuts until their mighty warm , next is to use some penetrating oilspray and finally shock them with a powerfull air compressor wheelbolt drill. Tighten first and then loosen up. If there condition is bad you could cut them away and buy aftermarked or NOS parts.
try a nut splitter? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200396173_200396173?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Hand%20Tools-_-Nut%20Splitters-_-9094281&ci_sku=9094281&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw={keyword}
Shackle Nuts Did you try tightening them a bit ? that often helps the penetrant to wick in.... I don't know what penetrant you used , wd40 is CRAP , not any sort of penetrant . Heating them up to cherry red then quickly quenching with water or a can of penetrant usually works well , turning them whilst still hot to the touch , will ruin them and might snap them off . Be aware that exuberance with the "HOT WRENCH" impressive fires involving your truck as you run around looking for the too short garden hose . SEARS and other places sell " Nut Splitters " that are easy to use , once you have the nuts cracked they'll zip right off and you can wire brush the threads clean before replacing them and the split lock washers too . In total desperation , you can use a 6 point deep socket on a long 1/2" drive Flex Handle (misomner : breaker bar) with some pipe slipped over it to increase the torque , this will get them off one way or 'tother either breaking the nuts free or twisting the threaded shackles off.... Finally , I never really had nut troubles , not even before I met SWMBO .
u-bolts When I removed my rearend, I used some brute force. Leverage is the key, I think. I used a boxed-end wrench with a length of pipe (the pipe extends the lenght of the wrench). I figured I would have a hard time, but they came off....I used about 3 ft of pipe on the wrench. Roger
Thanks, guys! I feel so... so... Okay, I forgot all about the friggin' nut splitters I bought w-a-y back when. I'll go that route. I was thinking about quality, and I figure these old "U" bolts are probably still as good as new ones, so why hack them off if I don't need to. The length of pipe trick was on my list of things to try~ Just hadn't found one that fit the wrench. Thanks again! Time to split my nuts! See? GMC tough!
If you can get 2 hammers on both sides of the nut, (cringe here), and whack 'em a few times on each flat, they sometimes come loose better. This breaks the crud in the threads. If an impact wrench is available, that helps a lot, (again, the hammering effect). There's my 2cents...
Vnate's knowledge is very good. Heat up the nuts and then quench with a penetrating oil. This usually produces a lot of smoke, so be prepared for the neighbors or somebody else to respond about a fire in the garage. Last time I had to resort to that method was at work, a hot jet engine. Good lock.
You'll get it Paul! Glad to hear you are working on the truck! I can almost hear that beautiful 228 run!!!
Spring U-Bolts FWIW ; I agree that the old ones are prolly 2 X better quality than any you can buy now , I live in So. Cal. so I have plenty of places that'll make them up while you wait , those are O.K. and all but , I find the Metallugy in older hardware is vastly superior , that's why I'm always looking for new nuts on the ground at my local Pick-A-Part Junkyard...... Right now I need a few waffle stamping GM 7/16~20 lug nuts for my '69 C/10 , so after I yanked the high speed MG pumpkin out yesterday , I walked around a while and found a few , as it's a dirt & gravel yard all the various hardware is pressed into the dirt , I'l clean 'em up and de rust 'em , run a tap through to chase the threads and , sooner or later I'll have a complete set of 27 waffle stamp GM lug nuts on my rig . Yes I know , brandy new ones are about .25 CENTS each but I am picky , so sue me .
