Towbar bolt removal?

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itchyfeet
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Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

Got this bolt in my tow bar that won't come out, bush is spinning, not been able to weld it any other suggestions welcome?

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bigherb
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by bigherb »

Use a power file and grind the head off.
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itchyfeet
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

bigherb wrote:Use a power file and grind the head off.

I suppose if the head is off the bolt would fall out as the bush is no longer attached :idea: Might work :ok
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itchyfeet
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

itchyfeet wrote:
bigherb wrote:Use a power file and grind the head off.

I suppose if the head is off the bolt would fall out as the bush is no longer attached :idea: Might work :ok

thinking again what's left of the bolt may not move enough to release the tow bar, I need to measure?
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itchyfeet
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

I had the idea of drilling a hole and using it pin the bush or help welding
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by mshaw1980 »

This same thing happened to me. Grind a bit of rust off so you get shiny metal, take off your mig gun shroud and stick it in with some decent amperage. After a few goes doing this it eventually welded and was able to remove the bolts. The inner ones further inside the chassis rails though I had to angle grind an access hole in the engine bay and do the same with the welder before welding the hole up again. To think I said to my wife, 'just taking the towbar off, wont take long'. A right pain in the jacksy.
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itchyfeet
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

Hacksawed off the bush and bolt but it still won't come out because the bush goes through the arm, no option now but to cut the tow bar off and beat the arm off then saw whats left of the bolt, shame to ruin a tow bar but hey ho.
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itchyfeet
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

it's off.
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The Hairy Camper
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by The Hairy Camper »

Sorry to hear you had such a pain removing your tow bar itchy. Hope you can salvage it!

Plenty of rusty bolts on mine when i removed it, but plus gas and an impact wrench got them all out 8)
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itchyfeet
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Re: Towbar bolt removal?

Post by itchyfeet »

The Hairy Camper wrote: Hope you can salvage it!


No it's dead, I cut it off, I certainly would not weld one back together :shock:

One of the reasons for taking it off was to replace it with a Westy swan neck so the only real loss is it's resale value which is not much for the ugly ones, maybe 25 quid.

I discovered yesterday why my welds were not holding....gas has run out...lesson learnt....flow gauge on order :D
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