Posted by Gordon on Thursday, August 22, 2002 at 4:56AM :
In Reply to: Headless bolt tool for springs??? posted by Terry in Bozrah on Wednesday, August 21, 2002 at 11:32AM :
The thread that's there is fine for grease nipples but not up to real work on an old, stuck, bolt. I use a screw tap extractor (like a really dull thread LH self tapping screw) as it does less damage to the nipple threads.
Jack the chassis to get the weight off the spring.
Remove the clamp bolt.
Stick a screwdriver into the clamp bolt slot to spread it a fraction.
Stick the screw tap extractor into the nipple thread and wind it in - keep going until the headless bolt turns.
If the headless bolt is REALLY worn, it'll have a wear ledge on it that sticks against the mounting you are trying to pull it through, so rotate the bolt once or twice to see if the spring end rises and falls due to a wear flat.
Grab the tap extractor with vice grips and just pull the bolt out, rotating as you go.
It's worth fitting new spring bushes while the bolt is out, but don't replace the bolt itself unless you can see real wear.
Gordon