Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

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Chief
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Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

Many years ago I had to get the rear bumper off my car, failed to manage it and took it to a (at the time - I've moved since) local garage.

They used some form of long extension bar in addition to (I presume due to the limited access) a spanner and some penetrating spray (brand unknown).

Years later and once again I'm failing to get those nuts to turn, so does anyone actually know how they did this?

The extension bars length was wider than the Minor with a rubberised handle, and still took a few failed attempts swinging on it before they got the nut moving - seem to recall a few slipped attempts.

Expecting even with plus-gas (already sprayed the nuts) to have a similar issue, does anyone have any suggestions for how I can accomplish a similar method or any tips and tricks to get them turning with the bumper blade etc. still in place?

Thanks :)
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by mogbob »

Wire brush the bolt / nut combo to get rid of as much rust as you can. Apply heat , either a blow torch or boiling water ( lay a few sheets of newspaper underneath the area to prevent splashes and exploding concrete / paving slabs... ask me how I know sometime ).You may need to direct the flow of water to the nut using a wooden stick , dribbling it down. Don't lower stick horizontally otherwise the boiling water will trickle over your hand.
A big breaker bar / long extension bar plus additional heat sessions / Plus gas should do the trick.
If not either a suitable size nut splitter ( you will need need new nuts and possibly bolts to replace ) or angle grind off the nuts.
On reassembly use coppa ease of the fixings to prevent future problems.
Bob
P.S ensure there are no petrol tank leaks before igniting the blowtorch !
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Chief
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

Thanks for the reply.

It shows that current lack of sleep is having an effect since not that long ago I'd have instantly known I was describing a breaker bar :oops:

I do actually have one from my socket set, however I can't get a socket onto the nut because the opposite facing bumper blades bolt is so close to the end of the bumper mounting stud.

I know that they didn't have to remove the bumper blade before, so do you have any recommendations for a bar that would work with a spanner, or know of any way they got round this lack of access?

Thanks :)
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by philthehill »

Find the correct size flat ring / open ended spanner and either cut the open end off and use a tube over the shank or hook another ring spanner over the open ended jaws to increase the leverage and undo; or use a spanner as per links below.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COLLLECTABLE ... AOSwkeVfGb

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TIPCO-C17-7- ... SwNZRffikx

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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

Thanks, hopefully I can have a go over the weekend :)
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Tea »

In the past I've use a thick walled hollow bar that can fit over a well fitting spanner and had good success with what seemed like an impossible nut. One of the bars is 3 feet long and made fairly light work of them. Not sure if this one is good practise, but giving it a shock treatment with a ring spanner and a hefty whack with a hammer can also help to loosen it (and possibly break the bolt, although that has not happened during the many times that I've done this).
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by mowogg »

As above just use a long bar. Mine in the van fron bumper were tight but a long bar made it very easy.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

So, it's been a while since I last tried to loosen these, as at the time I couldn't afford any spanners. I've recently got one and started trying to do it the other day.

Trouble is that the spanner is just rolling round the nut, and the nut staying firmly still - so has anyone got any suggestions to stop the spanner rounding off the nut? This was with the above suggestions being used.

Thanks.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by philthehill »

Further to above - if there is the slightest hint that the nut or bolt is going to give trouble use a six sided ring spanner. With the six sided spanner there is more grip on the nut so reducing the possibility of rounding the corners off the nut.
Smear copper grease on the threads when assembling which will help if ever you need to remove the nuts again in the future.

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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by jagnut66 »

I must have been lucky up to now then (4 Minors in), as I ususally find that my long combination spanner (size 21) and a bit of elbow grease has them off in no time, even when they were stiff.
Then, as Phil says, plenty of copper grease on reassembly and they'll never give you an issue again.

You watch, now I've said this the next ones will be a complete bitch! :lol:
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

"use a six sided ring spanner."
Unfortunately I was only able to afford an open ended one, but I hoped for more luck with the correct size. I've just mentioned in my other thread about owning a mini jet gas lighter, I'd not thought of using it (in place of a blowtorch since I don't have one) so maybe I can try the heat treatment (kettle water had failed - no exploding concrete at least :) ).
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

As an update since the weather is better now, I went out and had a go with the gas lighter, didn't get the nut cherry red but did get smoke from somewhere.

On the plus side it did heat the nut enough to allow me to turn it partly just by hand with the spanner, until it refused to and I resorted to hitting the end of the spanner with a 4lb lump hammer.

I can turn the nut back again with a screeching noise to shatter glass, so it appeared to have freed some, however after maybe 30 minutes I gave up for the night and decided to compare the length of the thread exposed to the opposite sides nut, and they were the same length so I'm wondering if it's actually working, didn't feel like much space behind the nut either.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Matt »

If you can get it to move at all, thats the battle 90% won

Douse it with penetrating oil, and just keep working it back and forth, every time you go back and forward you should be able to move it just a little bit more - that will help get lubricant in the threads and the rust thats blocking it from moving out.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by James k »

I once had a wheel bolt on a car that had been done up with a pneumatic impact gun and wouldn't come off with a long bar. I put a socket and non-ratcheting bar on it and put a hydraulic jack under the end. Raising the jack used the weight of the car to get the bolt moving and it could then be undone with a long bar. This was on a front wheel on a Vauxhall zafira so much heavier that what you've got over the rear bumper of a Minor but it might be worth a try.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

That certainly sounds a great solution for a stubborn nut.

In my case I just tried to use my nut splitters to get rid of the nut, sadly the nut splitters shattered (though I had already had to cut a chunk out of them for it to work on the sill bolts due to the limited space).

I then tried the vise-grips, but as with a spanner, they just slip round and come off (both flat and round toothed versions) now.

I decided I could maybe (now I have a hacksaw blade) cut off the opposing bumper blade bolt and then get a socket on there, but a measurement of the socket before starting showed that the socket and ratchet wouldn't have fitted anyway.

Do have one nut splitter left though it may be a bit big (would have to hacksaw off that opposing bolt to get it on) though since the nut had been moving it seems a bit wasteful - that said I have new bumper nuts in the post to me anyway.

Also our aerosol of plus-gas has decided to give up the ghost with probably 75%+ liquid still in it. :roll: Did spot my old non-aerosol can in the garage yesterday, but it may be empty anyway.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Mick Lynch »

Have you tried the counter intuitive try to tighten it before loosening it? Works more often than you think.

Also if the nut is going to be sacrificed by splitting it anyway, weld a bit of bar to the flats and bray the hell out of it with a big hammer. The welding will have put a lot of concentrated heat into it and you will be able to get more mechanical effort on to it

You won’t be able to do more than half a turn before you have to cut the bar off but it will have started it.
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

Mick Lynch wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 1:59 pm Have you tried the counter intuitive try to tighten it before loosening it? Works more often than you think.
Yes I did, but with things slipping as they were it did nothing. Also, I'm not a welder :)
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Myrtles Man »

Chief wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 1:26 pm
Also our aerosol of plus-gas has decided to give up the ghost with probably 75%+ liquid still in it. :roll: Did spot my old non-aerosol can in the garage yesterday, but it may be empty anyway.
You might want to give this a try:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mimSDtqljMA
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Sleeper »

" Also our aerosol of plus-gas has decided to give up the ghost with probably 75%+ liquid still in it. :roll: Did spot my old non-aerosol can in the garage yesterday, but it may be empty anyway. "

decant , is the word you're looking for..

John ;-)
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Re: Removing the bumper nuts - long extension bar?

Post by Chief »

Well yes, but I'm not sure how to decant it :) I know some people have no qualms about sticking sharp objects in aerosols but I have to admit I'm not one of them :wink:
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