Loctite - how open bolt?

[azjl#3]

Ugh. Red thread lock. I sometimes think a prescription should be required to purchase the stuff, particularly if I'm the one that has to deal with someone else's work.

An induction heater, like the one previously linked, is well-regarded if the working end can make proper contact with the fastener(s) in question. Said differently, the user will need unencumbered access.

Otherwise, lashings of penetrating oil and patience. A 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone, properly blended, has served me well if I'm out of Aerokroil at the moment.

Alternately, torch heat and leverage. Go straight to Mapp gas; this is one instance when propane heat may not be enough.

Induction heater, $200 on amazon, my new best friend. Be careful, my 2023 body bolts, both rear ones had no locktight, but did have 4 stake marks on the threads making them sort of locking.

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[chrisswank]

I have a 2024 392 and mine had blue on the front bolt.

 

[Jackiemohro]

I have a 2024 392 and mine had blue on the front bolt.

I love how inconsistent the builds are ????

I now ordered something else that doesn’t require the body bolts to be removed. Then I don’t have to worry if they used blue or red or no Loctite … ?

 

[AC77]

I followed the advice in this video by @Northridge4x4 and had no issues. YMMV.

have a set of Gen2's for sale

 

[ColonelSanders]

I put sliders on my ‘23 JLUR last week. Definitely had concerns about the bolts. Back 4 bolts come out easy. Front passenger bolt required a good bit of effort to get started, then I would turn till resistance built up then backed off a turn to clear threads and started again. Front drivers side bolt required a pipe on my wrench to get started.. then I broke a cheap socket adapter. I grabbed a cheap socket wrench I thought would break before the bolt and put a pipe on it. It was a struggle after the bolt started moving.. full turn loose, half turn back, repeat till done. It was also a struggle getting it back in. Job done with no heat applied. I’d suggest anyone considering buying and installing rails themselves just get under there and try these bolts. If you can take em out and put em back in 30 minutes you are golden.

 

[JP52]

........I’d suggest anyone considering buying and installing rails themselves just get under there and try these bolts. If you can take em out and put em back in 30 minutes you are golden.

+1 to testing before buying. I tried to take mine out using a torque wrench as suggested on other posts to avoid breaking the bolts. They all came out fairly easily so now I can order without worry.

 

[Heimkehr]

+1 to testing before buying.

+1 to getting the lay of the land in advance.

Some months ago, I wanted to remove the rear tow hook in order to clean and paint it a complementary contrast color. As I attempted to remove the first bolt (which was also the easiest one to access), it became plainly evident that it was cross-threaded during installation. Ugh. I can just picture the assembly line drone ramming it in with whatever torque wrench he's been issued.

Not wanting to discover that the tow hook's remaining bolt(s) might also be cross-threaded, I re-snugged the bad bolt and left things as is.

That's really the only assembly deficiency that I've discovered to date. Well, that and an observably crooked UAW decal on the tailgate...which even my OCD agrees should be left as is.

 

[richk225]

I went through this with my first 392 and didn’t listen. For my 2nd 392 I did use hear and also tried an cheap induction heater from harbor freight.
i had posted elsewhere about this and what can happen if you don’t lister. The broken bolt was snapped by a 1/2 drive 12“ ratchet. Be careful with a impact gun!!!
Thats interesting that the 24`s have blue loctite on them.
It was a nightmare on the first one that I did. There is NO WAY to get to the nut and I have seen pictures of where the dealer had cut the firewall to get to the nut on a snapped bolt. Between the various correct drill bits and the cost of a tap (not cheap) and the time it took to drill the bolt out I swore I would never make that mistake again and try to tell forum members that it’s easy if you just apply heat to the head of the bolt and let the heat travel up the bolt to get the Loctite to go semi liquid and take the Bolt out without any issue. If you look up loctite`s site you will see the melting point of each product. I used blue on all of the bolts when I put them back in. Here is a picture of the bolt and another bolt that a friend had tried without heat and finally came over and put heat on it and it came out

 

[Heimkehr]

That must have taken some real effort, Rich. The flats on those bolt heads...aren't.

 

[richk225]

That must have taken some real effort, Rich. The flats on those bolt heads...aren't.

James I nearly shit myself when the bolt snapped. Thank God it snapped with a completely flat surface so I was able to center punch it dead nuts in the center. I`m sure you know what a bitch it is to try to drill straight up a bolt that was over an inch long. It took hours to do and the right drill bits and tap were close to $100 and this is hard to believe but the dealer had them in stock and they were only $5 or $6 dollars
My friend had used an impact gun on his and kept going out and then in to try to get it to break loose. You can tell by the color of the head and washer that heat was applied, mapp gas this time and hammering on a old socket on it and he could not believe that it ame out like the rest of the bolts with nothing on them. We used a lot of different Loctite products at work anything from wicking for a bearing starting to spin on a shaft as a band aid fix to every other color for electrical terminal screws to the keyhole in a co workers tool box, he was mad that he did not think of it first Always used Primer N or T
I still do not understand why they went with red Loctite on just the 2 front bolts, I wish they didn't use any at all, but the others had nothing on them.

 

[Vinman]

Or find a shop to do it and let them be accountable if a bolt does get broken.

And charge the customer accordingly since it’s not the shops fault for breaking the bolt.

 

[Nash_Dj]

Geez, I was lucky, I guess... Roughly 2 years ago, not knowing any of this I used a Dewalt Impact driver, yes had some resistance, but removed all bolts without snapping them and installed new sliders myself... Thanks God!

 

[Terrymo]

And charge the customer accordingly since it’s not the shops fault for breaking the bolt.

Interesting. Has this been your experience? The few shops I have dealt with on past vehicles would take responsibility for any damage they caused. Not arguing with you, just surprised. So far nobody besides me has worked on my Jeep.

 

[autotragic]

Jeez, I was lucky, I guess... Roughly 2 years ago, not knowing any of this I used a Dewalt Impact driver, yes had some resistance, but removed all bolts without snapping them and installed new sliders myself... Thanks God!

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss

 

[richk225]

Interesting. Has this been your experience? The few shops I have dealt with on past vehicles would take responsibility for any damage they caused. Not arguing with you, just surprised. So far nobody besides me has worked on my Jeep.

Same here for all of them

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