steering box removal problems

[eagle87]

so its time to repair the frame on my project eagle, and im attempting to remove the steering box, and after trying several times with a 600+lb impact i have resorted to grinding the heads of the bols off, i only have one left, and then i am hoping to insert a bar thru the frame and hammer the box out of the bracket, what im asking is has anyone had to do this before and will it work, so that i can then remove the box and place it in a vice and remove the bolts? and then repair the frame and reinstall the box

[tougeagle]

so its time to repair the frame on my project eagle, and im attempting to remove the steering box, and after trying several times with a 600+lb impact i have resorted to grinding the heads of the bols off, i only have one left, and then i am hoping to insert a bar thru the frame and hammer the box out of the bracket, what im asking is has anyone had to do this before and will it work, so that i can then remove the box and place it in a vice and remove the bolts? and then repair the frame and reinstall the box

Stock Eagle subframe or custom full frame railing? If subframe, those bolts all come from through the fenderwell and subframe, like most pickup trucks. You shouldn't have to hammer it out, though you will need to insert a flat blade screwdriver into the steering shaft knuckle after removing the small retaining bolt, and spreading it to slide the shaft off of the gearbox input shaft. To be honest, you would have probably been better off trying to use a cheater bar on a good socket wrench or breaker bar, you'd be surprised what kind of force you can generate with that. It's helped me break bolts loose when my boss' 1000+ lb impact couldn't do it. If the bolts are that stuck into the box, you are probably not going to be able to remove them from the box, to be very honest with you. You can try drilling them out, but you still will not be able to break them free of the threads and will have to overbore the holes on the box, then thread them and use larger bolts.

[shaggimo]

Do the eagles have an aluminum spacer between the box and the body? If so, I ran into a similar problem on a jeep. We busted the bolt heads off, trying to get them out. The aluminum spacer that jeep used corroded and fused to the bolts  . Once we got the heads boken off, we were able to remove the box, smash the remaining pieces of the spacer off, then an extractor socket removed the broken bolts very nicely, and easily.

[mudkicker715]

Can't recall for 100%. Its cast metal

[eagle87]

it appears to be rusted so im going to assume its metal the spacer that is, I can see the spacer as my frames that rusted out, lol, so from what you guys are saying once i get the heads all removed the box should come free from the car?

[mudkicker715]

Steering shaft power steering hoses. And those bolts that go through the frame

[eagle87]

yeah those bolts that go throught the frame are the worst things ever, especially if your frames rotted, i tried everyting before i started cutting the bolt heads off, the heads are too rusted to use a breaker bar as it slips off, and a impact isnt powerful enough to even budge them.

[mudkicker715]

Dependson your impact. And psi available.

[carguy87]

If you were able to get an impact on the bolts, you should've been able to use that same socket on a breaker bar.  If you put the front end on jackstands and use a good 1/2" breaker bar with a 24-30" handle, a standard floor jack handle will fit over it, and makes for a mighty sturdy cheater bar, makes those bolts come off mighty easy.  Helpful tip for future attempts.  Also, you might want to soak the bolts going through the frame with a good penetrating oil, as well as that power steering hose and the pinch bolt.