Dismantling Rear Beam

[stutto 0]

I am currently trying to strip a 309 rear beam which will, hopefully, end up on my car.

 

I got both ARB plates off with little fuss and was happy until I uncovered the torx bolts. One of the heads crumbled and was therefore too shallow to even attempt to undo and the other rounded.

 

Would I be best trying to drill them out or should I try to get someone to weld some nuts onto them for me?

 

(I do have the draper equivalent of easy outs but after my experience with a rear caliper it really is my last option)

Edited July 17, 2007 by stutto

[boldy205 74]

this may sound like a piss take, but buy yourself a left handed drill bit (cuts when the drill is in reverse gear) and drill it out. i did this on mine with the intention of using easy out/re tapping the thread and the bolt came out just by drilling as the action of the drill is turning the same way as the bolt will undo. if it does not come out just by drilling i would try tapping before easyouts.

Hope that makes sense.

Matt.

[taylorspug 7]

I presume you are talking about the ones on the torsion bars ends? I usually drill them a fair way with a 13mm drill, then chisel them round right at the end and they unscrew fine.

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

yip

 

drill the buggers through, then they should turn out.

 

Also, heat can be good if your strippig down a beam and are not too bothered about nackering the rubber/plastic bits

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Air chisel get's them loose in second's, as it's only the initial turn that free's them off then it undoes with your finger's, Then you;ve got the fun and games of removing the torsion bars

[dale205mills 39 7 Cars]

I had enough of trying to tap the torsion bars out with a hammer, so i used my press popped them out in seconds, but there again i did use 4 ton on the press whoops. With the torx's bit i used a drill then used a chisel to tap them round, that was my weekend's fun.

[stutto 0]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Anyone know what size the torx are, so if i drill central(ish) how big can I go whilst minimising chance of damage to trailing arm?

[pug_ham 242 3 Cars]

Anyone know what size the torx are, so if i drill central(ish) how big can I go whilst minimising chance of damage to trailing arm?

T40.

 

Once the head of the Torx bolt is drilled deep enough to take the head off & get the washer out the remains can be un-screwed by fingers.

 

Graham.

[stutto 0]

Torx bolts now out after much drilling, one even spun slightly in the direction of the drill so I just reversed it and out it came!

 

Now to clear out the off centre washer grooves, which seem to contain many small stones...

[Edp 67 3 Cars]

Small screwdriver and wd40 are you friends with regards the offset washers.