Tips To Remove a Stuck Leaf Spring Bolt

Leaf spring bolts can seize onto the leaf spring bushings because of vibrations and rust. If this happens, elbow grease won’t be enough to separate the bolt from the bushing. In this scenario, you might be wondering if there are any tips and tricks when it comes to removing seized leaf spring bolts. In this article, we’ll discuss some tricks for how to remove stuck leaf spring bolts.

Use an Air Chisel or Impact Driver

An air chisel or impact hammer is the perfect tool to push the bolt stuck in the leaf spring bushing. The vibrations can break the rust that forms around the seized bolt. When using these tools, you should use a bit that directs the vibrations onto the bolt’s tip, which is the part where the nut screws in. This will push the bolt head backward.

Sometimes, you might be able to move the bolt head backwards but the bolt will refuse to budge afterward. When this happens, you can try to direct the vibration towards the head, pushing the bolt back in. Repeating this back and forth motion can be sufficient to remove the seized leaf spring bolt.

Use an Acetylene Torch

This process involves directing the torch onto the bolt’s head. Once the bolt becomes red hot, put your socket on there and spin it off.

You shouldn’t heat the bolt too much because it can cause the rubber bushing to catch fire. That said, the bushing can create some smoke, which is fine. After letting the bolt cool, you can use an air chisel or air hammer to break the bolt free from the leaf spring bushing.

Jack the Leaf Spring

If the vehicle is raised with a jack that’s mounted on the chassis, then the vehicle’s suspension is sagging. Trying to remove the leaf spring bolt while the suspension is unsupported can be more difficult. The suspension’s weight can create friction on the leaf spring bolt, which can make it more difficult to remove. 

You can put jacks on the leaf spring and raise the leaf springs a little to relieve some of the weight on the leaf spring bolts. This should lessen the amount of friction on the bolt, which makes it easier to remove. 

Cut the Bolt 

If the aforementioned methods don’t work, your last resort is to cut the leaf spring bolt using an angle grinder. Making the cuts at the bolt head and the nut should allow you to remove the entire leaf spring with the leaf spring bolt still inside the leaf spring bushing. 

Removing the stuck bolt stuck inside the leaf spring bushing can be easier, since you’re guaranteeing that there isn’t any weight on the bolt that could be creating friction. 

This also allows you to place the removed leaf spring to an easier work area like a table, which might give you more leverage to push the stuck bolt out of the bushing. You can use a hammer and chisel or an air chisel to push the stuck bolt out of the bushing.

What’s a Leaf Spring Bolt?

The leaf spring bolt is a fastener that connects the vehicle’s leaf spring bushing to the leaf spring hanger. The leaf spring bolt is inserted through one side of the steel leaf spring hanger, into the leaf spring’s bushing, and out the other leaf spring hanger where a nut secures the bolt in place.

Why Are Leaf Spring Bolts Hard to Remove?

Leaf spring bolts seize onto the leaf spring bushing and leaf spring hanger because of a process called galling, which is sometimes called cold welding. When a bolt is screwed in, the friction causes a small amount of metal to become microscopic grit or metal particulates. If there’s vibration, the bolt can create more grit that accumulates until the space between the bolt and the other surface gets clogged, which can clump up and practically weld together. 

Since the leaf spring bolt and leaf spring bushing surfaces experience a lot of vibrations and friction, the two parts can eventually fuse. Additionally, galling is more likely to happen when ductile metals are under heavy load, which is exactly what occurs to the leaf spring bolts and leaf spring bushing. 

Leaf spring bolts can also seize onto the leaf spring bushing because of rust. Bolts aren’t always made from stainless steel. Rust can easily build up since the suspension is constantly exposed to moisture, dirt, and road salt. 

Once removed, seized leaf spring bolts can be noticeably narrower in the middle where they seize onto the bushing. Meanwhile, the bolt’s edges are significantly broader. This discrepancy in width is created by rust and galling, and it ultimately makes seized leaf spring bolts very difficult to take out.

Finding Replacement Leaf Spring Bolt Kits For Your Car

If you’re careful and lucky while removing a stuck leaf spring bolt, you might leave it sufficiently intact to reuse on the leaf spring. However, stuck bolts often break when you remove them from their bolt holes. You must replace the damaged leaf spring bolts before you can drive safely. Fortunately, CarParts.com makes it easier to find leaf spring bolt kits that contain compatible fasteners for your car or truck.

At CarParts.com, finding the right product in our extensive catalog is fast and simple. Enter your vehicle’s year, make, model, and engine in our vehicle selector. You’re sure to find a product that meets your vehicle’s unique requirements. You can filter the selection to find a leaf spring bolt kit from a brand or price range to your liking.

We always source our auto parts from brands trusted by drivers across the US, ensuring you get leaf spring bolts that you can rely on. Furthermore, our strategically located distribution centers ensure that your order takes only several days to reach your doorstep.

Stay safe on the road by replacing damaged leaf spring bolts. Shop for leaf spring bolt kits at CarParts.com today.