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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: Steve Crum on May 18, 2008, 10:05:30 pm

Title: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: Steve Crum on May 18, 2008, 10:05:30 pm

I'm going to pull the rusty box off my 87' GMC and replace it with the redone box off my 84' Chevy. I don't want to have to torch the 8 bolts on this like I had to on the 84' box. I've been soaking the nuts and lower end of the bolts every day or so with PB Blaster for the past week. I had hoped to have Bad Brad stand on the bolt heads while I hammered them from below with an IR Thundergun but it rained and BB sneaked back off to college. Anybody have any neat tricks to this, or are these just a ball buster any way you do it?

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: hotrod24 on May 18, 2008, 10:51:04 pm

Well i had to grind the heads off of two because thay just turned in the bed floor and the rest come out with a bracker bar and wrench it was not hard to get them out. have you tryed to turn them yet?



p.s a sawzaw is handy to

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: Blazin on May 19, 2008, 05:44:55 am

I almost never waste my time, I fire up the blue wrench right off the bat!

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: 87GMC2WD on May 19, 2008, 08:21:18 am

my bolts turned too, so  i welded took the flat bar from a chain link fence and welded it between two of them and then they came right off with a breaker bar.

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: HAULIN IT on May 19, 2008, 11:55:38 am

Steve, Something I've done is this: Get a big (3/4" or so) washer standing up or a short piece of pipe. Weld it to the top of the bolt. Insert a prybar through the hole, bucked up against the bedside to keep them from spinning. Cut if off, go to the next one. A little heat on the nut will help greatly also. Have fun with that! Lorne 

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: Steve Crum on May 21, 2008, 10:11:34 am

Thanks for the suggestions, I guess I wasn't too clear on removing these. I would like to save these, but since I don't have anyone around to help I think I'll just cut them and replace them with chinese bolts from TSC.

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: Captkaos on May 21, 2008, 10:26:27 am

If you have a welder, I have tack welded them to the floor to get them out.

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: N2TRUX on May 22, 2008, 07:53:30 am

Maybe some of this...:0

(http://www.davesfireworks.com/brev_files/dynomite.jpg)

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: 78 Chevyrado on May 22, 2008, 08:14:14 pm

^ That'll get the truck right off that bolt! ;D

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: DnStClr on May 23, 2008, 02:36:53 pm

If you can reach the nuts with a die grinder, you can make  pie shaped cuts til a wedge is removed, then chisel the rest of the nut off. Careful grinding can save the bolt.
If you have a welder you might also weld a 3/4" nut to the top of the bolt head and remove the bolt with an impact gun while holding the bottom nut from turning. 

Title: Re: Box removal, best way to remove the bolts
Post by: werewolfx13 on May 27, 2008, 10:56:59 am

I've done it by grinding a notch in the bolt head, as close to the bed floor as possible, tack welded the nut underneith, and used a chisel and hand sledge to spin the bolt..This only works after the bolt has spun in the hole and rounded the hole out.