Rear cradle bolt question
 

For those who have removed their rear cradle did you put a load on the cradle to help with loosening the bolts? Or did you just use an impact and say f^€k it?

I've done it by hand and with an impact. Never loaded the cradle. With impact, I broke them loose with breaker bar first. That may seem counterintuitive, but there have been times the impact messed up the bolt head breaking bolts loose.

Seem to be my go to source lol. I tried by hand just had no luck I'm going to have to try it again I guess.

Breaker bar did it for me...

-Don

You need a longer lever or an impact can be used, no loading of anything is needed.

Breaker bar, and add an extension. I used my jack handle to add another couple feet to the breaker bar. Those bolts are 177 ft lbs. At least on one of the documents I have in my list.

I just replaced my cradle bolts with new ones after I installed solid bushings. I replaced them because the originals had been in and out around three times. I torqued them to 130 lbs. I've seen torque specs of 100 lbs (Pfadt's directions for their bushings) to 130 lbs (BMRs directions for theirs).

bolts should be replaced. I used a impact. Zipped them right off but it's a good Mac impact

Going to try a breaker bar I need an impact and had all intentions to buy a new one here in a few weeks just didn't want to buy one if I didn't need it right now.

Impact them out. If you're messing up the heads of bolts removing them, you need a new set of 6 point impact sockets. Just did mine with the Pegasus billets. very nice setup. torch and a jack and your all good. Less than an hour to do them.

When you guys use the jack and torch to press the bushings out what are you using against the body a large socket?? Any one have any problems melting the old rubber bushings on the inside or does it not take that much heat to push them out?

thats how i did it. wasnt hard at all. use a 1" socket

large socket.
you need to apply enough heat to get the bushing plastic sleeve to melt just a bit and get slippery.

Harbor Freight has a 1/2" impact with a 700 ft-lbs claim, and is commonly available for under $100. Even with one of the little pancake compressors - certainly undersized for operating this impact anywhere near continuously - it'll break pretty stubborn bolts loose with very little effort. Do use quality impact sockets, standard or deepwell as necessary.


Norm