Getting frustrated

[JimT]

I have my 03 TJ project on jack stands in the garage. We worked thru multiple setbacks but I have finished installing the front end of my lift kit. For the last 3 weeks I have been treating the bolts on the rear end with a variety of penetrating oils twice a day hoping to avoid some of the struggles that I encountered on the front end.Result: lower shock bolt slid off, lower sway bar link, no problem, foreword bolt on lower control arm came off with a 3/8 rachet. Now: aft lower bolt won't budge with a 2 ft breaker, upper sway bar link just says "no" , and I broke off one of the upper shock bolts using a standard 3/8 wrench hoping that I wouldn't put enough torque with the "little wrench" to do what I have done.

Wheels and tires come in this week but I am afraid that I won't need then till June. AAAARRRGGGHHH

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The suspension is probably pushing the control arm against that bolt, binding it. Jacking the axle up or down a tad to take the pressure off the bolt will probably help.

Also, penetrants are not created equally. Kroil is the most effective, WD-40 is the worst (since it is not a penetrant) with PB-Blaster nearly as bad. Liquid Wrench is very good though not as good as Kroil.

 

[Chris]

Jerry pretty much hit the nail on the head. I would take some of the stress off the suspension by jacking the axle up. That always helps me.

In addition to that, apparently Kroil is the best penetrant ever.

 

[TJ4Jim]

I started using Kroil years ago when working on my TR6. Made the transition to using it on Jeeps. Great stuff.

 

[JimT]

I found Kroil last week. I have been using it twice a day on these bolts. I felt motion tonight on the shock bolt. The motion was apparently the bolt twisting. Rust sucks.

 

[Ahoragi]

Do you have an impact gun? If not, get one. They greatly reduced the chance of breaking a bolt. If you are tight on $$ then harbor freight has one for $50 that's pretty decent. Their coupon makes it cheaper.

The sway bar bolts are usually a dead end in the rust belt. They usually break or they magically come off but then the stud is stuck. This requires removing the bar from the jeep and placing it on a solid surface and attacking it with a B-F-Hammer.

It would be wise to replace the broken bolts with grade-8 or the strongest metric bolt you can find with PLENTY of anti-seize.

Rust-Belt-Jeeper must-haves:
Kroil
Anti-seize
Impact gun
Beer
Punching bag

 

[Stinger]

A side note: Several years ago Consumer Reorts did a side by side of several different name brand penetrates.
Then they added their own. It was a mix of ATF and acetone. (I think a 3 to 1 ratio.). In the side by side the special blend did better that all of the name brand products. I mixed up some and found it did what CR said it would do and a hell of a lot cheaper that say PB Blaster. The only issue was keeping the acetone on solution . The container must be sealed to prevent evaporation.

 

[JimT]

I had been using ATF/acetone (50/50) for several days without much success. I found a can of Kroil Last week. Today after work I got the other upper shock bolt off without breaking as well as upper and lower control arm bolts and that last sway bar link bolt. (all on the driver side) My faith is restored and in a day or two I will attack the passenger side. I will continue twice daily Kroil. Now I need a strategy to remove the broken bolt. My plan is to drill it out and drop a new bolt down from above and use a new nut from below.

 

[Stinger]

Glad it worked for you.Wonder what a stronger solution of the acetone/ATF would have done?

 

[Chris]

Kroil to the rescue! Going to have to pick up some of this stuff.

 

[JimT]

The 50/50 mix is what I had seen. I suspect a higher percentage ATF may work better. Two issues with the mix, how to apply ( I used an eye dropper), and the smell (I thought PB Blaster smells bad). That said, I am lazy enough that the tube attached to the Kroil makes it easy to hit the target.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

50:50 ATF-acetone may have come out on top according to Consumer Reports but it's sure not convenient enough for me to choose it over Kroil which is damned effective AND convenient. I'll stick with Kroil until they put that ATF-Acetone mix into an aerosol can with a long spray nozzle which I would bet big $$$ on never happening.

 

[Turk]

You could get a generic spray bottle that has a "stream" setting and put the ATF/Acetone into that!

 

[Stinger]

You could get a generic spray bottle that has a "stream" setting and put the ATF/Acetone into that!

Acetone eats plastic!!!!! Even the little pieces I the spray head. I ruined a couple before stopping that. Ya'll are correct I that it is a PITA to mix and apply. I tried it and found that it works but not worth the effort. However, if you don't have anything else handy............

 

[Turk]

Acetone eats plastic!!!!! Even the little pieces I the spray head. I ruined a couple before stopping that. Ya'll are correct I that it is a PITA to mix and apply. I tried it and found that it works but not worth the effort. However, if you don't have anything else handy............

Ah, good point. That explains why he is using glass jars and a glass eyedropper, haha!
What about something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C4NQSQ6/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[RaymondT]

I use an interesting alternative. AC Delco Rust Penetrant and Inhibitor, p/n 88862628. It's also marked "Heat Valve Lubricant" and it's used on waste gates and back pressure valves on diesel exhausts (think VW Golf TDI). It wicks up the shafts very effectively and works great on threads. Foams and has a slightly dark appearance similar to Moovit. I have found this to work the best so far.

 

[jgaz]

The "heat valve lubricant" is not a bad penetrate. I started using it in the early 70's when I worked in a Chevy/olds dealership. Back then it was called heat riser solvent.
It's an excellent choice when something needs to be cleaned as well as lubricated. Back when rustproofing cars was popular in the mid west, the rustproof coating used to foul the door locks. This solvent was great at cleaning the "tar" out of the cylinder without removing and disassembling the lock cylinder.
It was my go to choice for years until I found kroil. Maybe partly because it was supplied by the dealership?

IMHO, Kroil is better on rusty fasteners.