Shock bolt question

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jcbrock
Getting Hooked!
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Shock bolt question

Post by jcbrock » Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:57 pm

I'm replacing the shocks on our '76 bus. The rears went fine. When I got the front upper bolt out, it looks like it has two shoulders, a 17mm one and a 12 mm one. Is the big shoulder supposed to be there? I'm thinking I pulled the metal sleeve out of the shock bushing, but it is really welded on there. The bottom stud went the same way, I wiggled the shock off and this bigger shoulder stuck there. Here's a picture of the top bolt:
Image

If these should come off, suggestions are always welcome! I hit them with some penetrating oil and left them. The top bolt I can always turn down in a lathe, but the bottom one looks like a tougher deal.
'76 Type II Station Wagon - in the family since new!
Corvallis, OR

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Amskeptic
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Re: Shock bolt question

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:00 am

jcbrock wrote: If these should come off, suggestions are always welcome!
They need to leave. The worst rust-bonded one I came across, I had to dremel a groove down the sleeve and chisel it off the bolt. A vise is nice for the upper, the car serves as a vise for the lower one. Good luck!
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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jcbrock
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Re: Shock bolt question

Post by jcbrock » Fri Aug 01, 2014 6:38 pm

Got them loose. I took a "large-behind" pipe wrench and got the bushings to start spinning. The top one I then just held in a vise and tapped the bolt out. The bottom I used a small-shaft bearing puller (1/2 to 3/4 or so) to get into the side of the bushing. I got it to budge by pushing off the casting, then repositioned the puller behind the bushing and pulled it off. I'd be done, if I hadn't had one of the nuts run off somewhere. This was all on the right side. The left side just came apart like it was supposed to.
'76 Type II Station Wagon - in the family since new!
Corvallis, OR

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