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Roll Bar Removal... with a grinder?

jsteed

CJ-8 Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
Probably not going to happen this summer, but when I replace panels over the winter in the bed area, I need to remove the rollbar. For laughs I picked up a couple T40 bits, and fed them to my impact gun. There are 16 torx bolts holding that rollbar in place. 0 moved. I soaked the best looking ones in penetrating oil from above and below. waited 2 days. nothing. Used a couple adapters on a breaker bar and broke the bits, as expected. So, when I replace the bed panels, I'm *considering* just grinding all the heads off... since the crossmembers will likely need to be replaced (at a couple hundred bucks a peice *groan*).

Has anyone else had to do this? I'm certain I'm not alone here...
 

jsteed

CJ-8 Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
Should also note the following:
1) some of the bolts are so corroded, that they're filled with paint and rust and will never accept a bit.
2) whoever invented torx bolts should be tarred and feathered.
 

rubclt

BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Charlotte
State
NC
I have used torch to heat bolts with success followed with slow speed impact gun with heavy downward pressure. A cutoff wheel making slot in top for big screw driver for damaged heads and finally cut head off and drill bolt out starting with small bit and working up... others may have more ideas, good luck.
 

jsteed

CJ-8 Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
I was afraid to use heat on rear ones because of proximity to fuel tank and filler hoses, but I suppose those can be removed (PITA!) Thx for ideas!
 

CJ8Rockcrawler

The FABLED 8
Lifetime Member
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
I have used torch to heat bolts with success followed with slow speed impact gun with heavy downward pressure. A cutoff wheel making slot in top for big screw driver for damaged heads and finally cut head off and drill bolt out starting with small bit and working up... others may have more ideas, good luck.

The only other things I would add are long soaks with PB Blaster, welding a nut on and attempting to tighten slightly before trying to remove. I've had success with each of those methods in the past.
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
If you are going to be replacing panels, remove the fuel tank and you will be miles ahead with all the sparks that are coming down the line.

Only thing that gets torx bolts out of the rollbar is heat (and a lot of it) up here in New England.
They are always corroded and never want to come out nicely.

cb
 

TravelnMan

Legacy Registered User
City
Granby
State
CT
I had better luck grinding the nut off the bottom on the ones that I couldn't get out. The nut is welded onto the bracket, if you go that route you'd have to decide whether or not to weld them back on.
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
I had better luck grinding the nut off the bottom on the ones that I couldn't get out. The nut is welded onto the bracket, if you go that route you'd have to decide whether or not to weld them back on.
The new panels would have the nuts on them if he gets them from classicent

cb
 

Belizeit

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
River Ridge
State
La
I was lucky also, but then again that was the 3rd time I removed them. Replaced them with different hardware this last time also. Something I could use a socket on image.jpeg
 

Mancunian

Lifetime Member
Lifetime Member
City
Bridgeport
State
WV
The two at either outside edge on the front are fun.
I resorted to using a cutting torch centered on the head for one side - just have to be steady8-)
Try grinding the washer out at one side with a dremel - if you can loosen and remove that it reduces the torque required.
 

KandE

Basic User
City
Petaluma
State
CA
When I'm pulling parts at the salvage yards, I use PB Blaster and then shock the bolts or screws by hitting the tool with a sledge, HARD!. I've been pretty lucky getting things off that way. If that dosent work I would normally grind a slot then move to heat if that fails. With the drought in Cali the yards won't let us grind or torch anything, they have to drag the carcass to the shed and do it for you.
 

barrys

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
East Norriton
State
PA
Yards around hear never let you use a torch, probably no cordless grinders either, drought or not(drought hear are NOT like Cali droughts)
 

ag4ever

Average Nut
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Silver Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Richmond
State
TX
No torches or cordless grinders in yards around here either. And some yards don’t allow jacks either.
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
Here is an interesting question... I got some parts the other day and in it was a bag of supposed OEM rollbar bolts... the person that I got the parts told me that they were the "true triangular" type bolts.

I just stared and was like, "ummmmmmm".

So, never having heard this before, I took a picture of the shaft of it and these bolts appear to not be perfectly round.
Seeing how I never heard of this, figured I would throw it out there.

I have no idea if it is true or not... and I claim to know nothing of this.

20200607_165456_resized.jpg

Hard to get a good straight on picture, but this is what I have.
I need to get out there tonight and find one that I removed and see how it looks on the bottom... I don't recall ever looking at it like this, nor do I recall a dimple in the bolt, but the memory... she is old now...

cb
 

KandE

Basic User
City
Petaluma
State
CA
The bolt heads are always Torxs but the threaded shaft has a slight triangular shape to it. At least my bolts are like that. I think helps to keep the bolt from loosening.
W
 
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