How to remove Torx bolts?

Summer Coleman

Summer Coleman

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This is my first post hope I did it right.. Anyway, What is the best way to remove torx bolts (that have never been removed before) without stripping them. I've been messing with them all day and I'm going to end up stripping them. It's driving me insane. They're the bolts that need to be removed to relocate my mirrors. Thanks
 
Those particular torx bolts that hold on the mirrors are a bitch to get off, they were on my TJ as well.

The best way I can tell you to get them off is to take the correct torx bit, hammer it into the bolt (the hammering makes sure it's in their really good), get a big breaker bar, and break it loose while holding the head of the ratchet / socket so it doesn't move out of place.

The hammering technique I've found works very nicely for those stubborn bolts.
 
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I will add to Chris's comments. I believe that there is a factory type sealer (locktite) . When you have that bit in there apply heat! At least 350 degrees to lossen the sealer. Let it sit a bit to spread the warmth.
 
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They're held in by Loctite and they're not meant to come out just by being unscrewed. What will make the job easy is to get the bolt HOT enough to soften the Loctite. That is easier than it may sound.

Assuming you don't own a torch, hold the tip of a hot soldering iron into the bolt's torx opening. Give it a good minute or two for the heat to work its way into the Loctite on the bolt threads and then see if it'll back out with the torx bit and wrench. If you don't own a soldering iron, try inserting just the torx bit into the bolt and heating it with a heat gun which is like a hair dryer on steroids. The heat will work its way down through the torx bit into the bolt and eventually to the Loctite on the bolt threads.

I am not a fan of the brute force method for any bolt held in with the permanent/heat type of Loctite. Odds are better of breaking or damaging something that way instead of heating the bolt as that form of Loctite requires.

To add a note how effective heat can be on a seized bolt. I stripped 3 of my 6 tcase skidplate allen head bolts trying to get them out years ago. They WOULD not budge. Then I tack-welded bolts onto the top of the 3 stripped bolts. The heat from welding loosened them so effectively that they spun out with nearly zero effort which left me pretty impressed.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
They're held in by Loctite and they're not meant to come out just by being unscrewed. What will make the job easy is to get the bolt HOT enough to soften the Loctite. That is easier than it may sound.

Assuming you don't own a torch, hold the tip of a hot soldering iron into the bolt's torx opening. Give it a good minute or two for the heat to work its way into the Loctite on the bolt threads and then see if it'll back out with the torx bit and wrench. If you don't own a soldering iron, try inserting just the torx bit into the bolt and heating it with a heat gun which is like a hair dryer on steroids. The heat will work its way down through the torx bit into the bolt and eventually to the Loctite on the bolt threads.

I am not a fan of the brute force method for any bolt held in with the permanent/heat type of Loctite. Odds are better of breaking or damaging something that way instead of heating the bolt as that form of Loctite requires.

To add a note how effective heat can be on a seized bolt. I stripped 3 of my 6 tcase skidplate allen head bolts trying to get them out years ago. They WOULD not budge. Then I tack-welded bolts onto the top of the 3 stripped bolts. The heat from welding loosened them so effectively that they spun out with nearly zero effort which left me pretty impressed.
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I think there is an echo in here. ;);)
 
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I wonder why those mirror bolts are held on with loctite in the first place... Man those were a pain in the ass to get out. I replaced them with stainless steel ones though.
 
I have a collection of sockets and worn bits that I stick on or into and then apply heat via a mini torch. That way I don't need to get the flame so close to paint and I don't need to apply real force to those sacrificial sockets/bits. Expensive? Nope they all came from HF.
 
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I have repeated this over and over ad infinitum on the various boards over the years and why it isn't common knowledge is beyond my comprehension.
Thread locking compounds are NOT the problem with difficult to remove flat head fasteners used on Jeeps. By the way, they are not Torx, Torx is a description of the driver used to remove any of the various fastener styles they are used on. Our Jeeps have flat head Torx, Pan-head Torx, and a couple of others.

The problem is the very large amount of contact between the countersunk hole and the head of the fastener. It is simple too much for such a small driver size especially when compared to the shank size. If you look at a normal hex head cap screw in 5/16", the head size is 1/2" or about 80% larger than the shank diameter. Inversely, a flat head Torx in the same size has a driver that is smaller than shank diameter and when you combine that with the high surface contact under the head in the countersunk hole, you have to have every thing perfect to remove them and typically only with some sort of impact for the stubborn ones.

I use a good socket driver on a small impact and if you aren't tapping it into the hole to get it past the paint, you're very likely using the wrong size.

Further, I've demonstrated the thread locker not being issue many times to folks by drilling off the head with a sharp 5/16" drill bit and then screwing the threaded section out with my fingers.

There is also the issue of a bit of galvanic corrosion that occurs between the zinc plating on the fastener and the corrosion inhibitor they use on the hinges and sheet metal.

As to the ones on the hinges at the windshield. Be very careful with them. There is a threaded nut plate they screw into inside the windshield frame that is only held in place with some bent over tabs. If you get the fastener half way out and push on it too hard, it will pop the nut plate out of the tabs and you will be cutting a hole in an obscure place to get it back where it belongs. You can not do it with the frame installed so don't do that.
 
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Chris said:
Never even knew about these, very cool! Definitely going to pick one up.
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Get the Milwaukee 18volt Fuel 3/8" Impact. It is not fun to figure out how to use that hand tool and drive upwards with a hammer to remove belly skid bolts etc where you are out of position and can't get a good swing on something. That and I've watched a lot of folks use hammers that really should leave them in the drawer.
 
mrblaine said:
I have repeated this over and over ad infinitum on the various boards over the years and why it isn't common knowledge is beyond my comprehension.
Thread locking compounds are NOT the problem with difficult to remove flat head fasteners used on Jeeps. By the way, they are not Torx, Torx is a description of the driver used to remove any of the various fastener styles they are used on. Our Jeeps have flat head Torx, Pan-head Torx, and a couple of others.

The problem is the very large amount of contact between the countersunk hole and the head of the fastener. It is simple too much for such a small driver size especially when compared to the shank size. If you look at a normal hex head cap screw in 5/16", the head size is 1/2" or about 80% larger than the shank diameter. Inversely, a flat head Torx in the same size has a driver that is smaller than shank diameter and when you combine that with the high surface contact under the head in the countersunk hole, you have to have every thing perfect to remove them and typically only with some sort of impact for the stubborn ones.

I use a good socket driver on a small impact and if you aren't tapping it into the hole to get it past the paint, you're very likely using the wrong size.

Further, I've demonstrated the thread locker not being issue many times to folks by drilling off the head with a sharp 5/16" drill bit and then screwing the threaded section out with my fingers.

There is also the issue of a bit of galvanic corrosion that occurs between the zinc plating on the fastener and the corrosion inhibitor they use on the hinges and sheet metal.

As to the ones on the hinges at the windshield. Be very careful with them. There is a threaded nut plate they screw into inside the windshield frame that is only held in place with some bent over tabs. If you get the fastener half way out and push on it too hard, it will pop the nut plate out of the tabs and you will be cutting a hole in an obscure place to get it back where it belongs. You can not do it with the frame installed so don't do that.
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Blaine wouldn't drilling a screw head off cause enough heat to soften loctite?
 
Omgosh ive been trying to take these damn things off all day, i even used a blow torch for 40 secs & impact driver and....nothing, zip!
Things a chick does for roof racks 🙄 (any other ideas guys)??
 
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