Stripped nuts on the driveshaft...

[dmarchand]

Okay, keep your comments on the straight and narrow...

I was attempting to pull my front driveshaft this afternoon to replace with a GBR unit. Found the the nuts to the bolts for the TC side of the driveshaft are un-budgable and nearly stripped clean. I soaked them in lube, but to no avail. I just end up stripping them more trying to get them to loosen.

Any recommendations on how to get the bolts undone? I don't ahve access to anything but hand tools. So I'm looking for more scholarly advice than I know of. I came very close to running down to HD and buying a grinder to rip them off. But would like to find a better method...

[rover4x4]

drill them out?

[Chris Cox]

They are always a PITA to get off. Burn or grind them off.

Chris

[dmarchand]

Drilling is out of the question, the space in there is too tight.

Any recommendations on a grinder? I guess I'll be buying myself one...

[Chris Cox]

If you will not be using it much, get the cheapest one you can buy. If you want a decent one, get a Dewalt or Metabo. You could use a grinding wheel or a cut-off wheel. Depends on wether you want to grind the bolt heads off, or cut through the nut and bolt, whichever you have room for.

Chris

[dmarchand]

I'm going to have to cut through the nuts and the bolt. I'd have to pull the y-pipes and cat to get at the heads.

[ron]

dave, i have a whizzer you can use, it will cut the bolts without a problem. any night this week works we can use my friend joe shop. Its 2 miles from you. you have my cell
ron

[TDI Guy]

Grind or do what I did and cut them off with the oxy torch..

Randy

[dmarchand]

I think if the people I share my garage with saw me with an oxy torch, they would have a coniption.

As it is, with all the work I do in the garage, they constantly make comments.

They just don't understand...

[Mike Hippert]

Dave, I have had the same problem. Most of the time I only have hand tools and as you know this is my DD. I hammered a socket (14mm) onto the Nut and then turned the nut without anything on the Bolt. This frees the hole thing, or If you are lucky just the Nut. If you want I'll come down, Park my 90 in the Driveway, and you can ask everyone if they would rather have my 90 in the garage.

PS you will have to hammer the nut out of the socket once you get it off, and you cannot get the bolts at HD.

[dmarchand]

Thanks Mike. Are you sure you can't get them at HD? Looks like I'll have to head to West Marine then...

[Mike Hippert]

When I looked I could not fine a bolt with small enough head (14mm) and a large enough shaft. I may be wrong but HDs bolt selection kinda sucks anyway.

[dmarchand]

I see, I was thinking that they do have the metric bolts. But I can see that they wouldn't have the correct shaft size. No big deal Lowes and WM are close by.

[dmarchand]

Thanks for all of the help. I ground the bolts down today. I must say, the GBR driveshaft is a very nice unit. Install is easy except when your putting in a GBR, you need to get 1/4" longer bolts on the TC side for the adapter plate it comes with.

When I say the GBR unti is nice, I mean it's SWEET. No more vibes at all. Period.