Alright, wantin to take the old bed off my truck, course the holes for the lag bolts are rusted through so they don't grab to run the nut off. sooo, cut them?
What do yall use to not cut through the bed and where do yall cut them at etc?

 

My rear four came off like they should. My front two just spun so I cut the heads off and pulled them through. IIRC I had to finish cutting them after the bed was off because the shoulders passed through the bed okay, but were too thick to pass through the frame.

 

So you cut them off from the top? All of mine spin so im gonna have to cut all of them.
i can't make my grinder flat because theres the ridges in the bed and i don't wanna cut into the bed. Did you just cut an X into the top of the head? or what?
thanks

 

Cut the heads off with a torch, or grinder, or you could drill them.

 

Only way i see doing it without totally screwing up the bed is to drill them? i mean the bed aint completely flat and if you try to grind them i'd be hitting everything around the head and i've never torched anything offi would assume it torches everything around it too haha. guess i'll try drilling them

 

Get a small (4 inch ish) grinder, lots of face and eye protection, maybe some leather welding sleeves, turn the guard to the side, and using the edge of the grinding wheel only, start going side to side, whittling away at the head a paper thin pass at a time, thereby keeping away from the corrugation. Be very patient, BARELY slowing the motor down, so you do not dig in and have it stop on you.

 

Hmm. okay. i understand what your saying. i'll give it a atry

 

I just drilled 5 out of the 6 on a 97 the other day. They were T50 head bolts with a speed nut on the frame for them to screw into. It took a little bigger than a 1/2" bit to get them, but I have some good sharp bits. On the carage bolts, I'd probably grind a flat spot on the top, center punc it, then drill them, but an angle grinder will work. The sparks that fly off of the angle grinder can stick to the paint and rust, so point them out the back of the truck as opposed to haviing them blow right into the side of the bed, then sweep it all up real good. Blow with compressed air if you can.

 

Good call Bashby, I took that as a given...

 

If the paint around it was pristine, I'd mask it off and protect surrounding area, but not on anything I own! (I've seen people scrap better looking trucks!)

 

Yep, that's the ticket.

 

I welded a nut to the bolt head so I could hold it with a wrench and got a buddy to remove the nuts.Ron

 

Thought about taht idea a hundred times...
missing a welder though hahaha

 

Hey bashby whatcha mean carriage bolts?
You say grind just a flat spot on the head and center punch it with what like a slot ? just for the bit to grab?
just makin sure i understand haha.

 

Weld a nut on the head of the bolt..my.02