'02 Silverado Back Bumper

[ngrysen713]

I may be certifiably moronic for asking this question, but is un-bolting the back bumper of my silverado as hard for everyone as it is for me? The main problem I am having is keeping the bolt from spinning and I try to get the nut off. Because they are carriage bolts, I can never seem to grab onto the other end to keep them from spinning. I've tried cutting them with saw-zaw (sp?) and the bi-metal blades just get dull really fast. I tried putting weight down on the bolts, but there is only so much you can do by yourself. There must be a better, easier way that I am just not figuring out. The bolts are so rusted that they are hard to turn, PB blaster just doesn't loosen them up enough for me.

 

Feel free to lay into me for my stupidity. If I had a cutting torch, I'd just do that considering my current bumper is junk anyways. Any help, even if elementary, is much appreciated!

[beave84]

I may be certifiably moronic for asking this question, but is un-bolting the back bumper of my silverado as hard for everyone as it is for me? The main problem I am having is keeping the bolt from spinning and I try to get the nut off. Because they are carriage bolts, I can never seem to grab onto the other end to keep them from spinning. I've tried cutting them with saw-zaw (sp?) and the bi-metal blades just get dull really fast. I tried putting weight down on the bolts, but there is only so much you can do by yourself. There must be a better, easier way that I am just not figuring out. The bolts are so rusted that they are hard to turn, PB blaster just doesn't loosen them up enough for me.

 

Feel free to lay into me for my stupidity. If I had a cutting torch, I'd just do that considering my current bumper is junk anyways. Any help, even if elementary, is much appreciated!

 

Use a pair of Vise-Grips on the bolt and cut off wheel on a 4 or 6 inch grinder and cut the bolt heads off. Make sure the Vise-Grips are as tight as you can get them and let them spin untill the rest up against something and they'll hold the bolt like an extra hand well you cut the head off. Just an idea.

[ngrysen713]

That's something to consider, however, I can't even loosen the bolt enough to be able to get a vise grips around it. Those carriage bolts have a square right under the head that goes into the bumper that are supposed to keep it from spinning, however, after turning the nut hardly a couple times, it just wants to pop up and spin around once there is enough room for it to do so. Oh well, I'll figure something out. Thanks for your help, and any more would be greatly appreciated.

[ajbardo]

That's something to consider, however, I can't even loosen the bolt enough to be able to get a vise grips around it. Those carriage bolts have a square right under the head that goes into the bumper that are supposed to keep it from spinning, however, after turning the nut hardly a couple times, it just wants to pop up and spin around once there is enough room for it to do so. Oh well, I'll figure something out. Thanks for your help, and any more would be greatly appreciated.

hit it with a sanding disk to clean it up then weld a a nut to it, that way you'll have something you can put a wrench on to hold it still. or just weld it to the bumper then cut the welds off when your done

[Georgebaumann]

i soaked mine the night before with pb blaster then took the vise grips on it and wedged it in somewhere and used a breaker bar on the other end.