Body lift from hell.
 

Well last weekend me and my buddy attaempted to install a 2inch body lift on my 95 lt 2 door. It was going smoothly untill it came time to remove the body mounting bolts. One of the bolts snapped off, and another had a head so coroded that no socket would go on and grip. We tried hammering a socket on, using a bolt graber type socket...nothing would grab. So after about 4 hours of attacking the bolt with a drill, and dremmel then trying a hammer and chissel its still in there. So finaly I said screw it and decided to put the thing back together, it was getting late and I had to drive it the next day. While putting it back we had alot of troble getting the body bolts to go back in, lots of squeeking and screeching metal. I thought that we were going to snap more bolts. I am going to attempt round 2 tommorow. I'm hoping that once I get the body and frame seperated there is enough of the snapped bolt left to get some vice grips on to and work out. My question is this, if the bolt has snapped flush with the body, and or we can not get it to spin what can we do? could we cut it flush with the body and drill out and tap the hole? is it possible to acess the area where the body bolts srew into the body from inside the cab? I guess if all else fails I could drill through the old bolt, through the floor bords and get an even longer bolt put it all inplace and weld a piece of plate with a hole for the bolt into the floor. Maybe use a nut on other end of bolt, or maybe weld the bolt to the plate. But that seems like a **** ton of work. Any suggestions?

Not sure about the s10s with the fullsizes they used a nut inside the floor that was caged in. You would have to cut a access hole into the floor to get at it theb u can just use a nut and bolt

The rears would use bolts that faced down. So those were nice if they broke you could just smack them up and thet came right out. Whatever you end up doing its gonna suck

When I had problems on a body lift we used these. Number 9 was the one. All we had to do was take a hammer and pound on the socket.

With the one that snapped off I would imagine you could get vise grips on like you said if not I would drill it out and throw on and nut and not mess with retapping anything. That was you'll only need to get a nut for your new bolts.

Just got back from a 10 hour attempt at round 2. What a cluster ****. Now have 6 mangled holes in the floor of the truck, but pretty much all the original bolts out excpet for one. Every bolt in the cab of the truck either snapped, or is a huge rust ball. Pulled most of old bolts out from the top, still got one that we need to drill out. Hopefully tommorow the damn thing will be back together. Then the fun of repairing the carnage in the floor begins.

Wow at least you're getting them out. Do you mind taking some pictures of what you've had to do? I'd like to see what you've had to do for future reference.

try some heat and wd-40 or something that penetrates rust

WOW... you have my sympathy sir!.. sounds like you are already doing what most of us would recommend... good luck!

If you still have the bolt situation to where the bolt head is snapped off and you have some bolt sticking out of the body. Lift the body up enough to where the bolt is out of the body mount enough to where you can get a nut that fits comfortably over the bolt and carefully weld (If you have access to a welder) the nut to the bolt and wrench it out. Some persuasion with a little Pb Blaster makes things easier also.

This is what I had to do when I had a bolt head snap off when doing my body lift and it worked great.

Hope this helps.

Also try cussing and throwing stuff. That helps sometimes

some pics of the crazyness
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...2_169192_n.jpg
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...3&id=507348072
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1129848_n.jpg
Before
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6088265_n.jpg
after, had to heat nut with torch then attatch vice grips while my buddy turned the socket from underneath.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._4830550_n.jpg
mangled floor....looks bad and it is lol. But I should be able to patch it up pretty easy. This mount had to be pulled out from above, the bolt snapped deep inside the nut and we had nothign to turn. Actualy we removed all but 2 by just pulling them up through the new "access pannels" I made.
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1146219_n.jpg
frame and body seperated.....one mount on driver's side left to be drilled out....then should be smooth sailing.