Wishbone Help

[TourerSteve]

Originally Posted by BillyRover

Whilst you lot have been debating the finer points of torque wrenches two things have happened:

1. Most poignantly I broke my torque wrench. I've never really used it as a torque wrench - more a breaker bar as I picked it up in a lightening sale on amazon for a pretty penny and have my Dad's 60 year old one I use for when it matters. It's on the highest setting but with 5 foot of box steel over the end trying to undo these wishbone bolts from the subframe the ring spanner held up (despite looking like a bend it like Beckham) and then the wrench went WHACK! and the innards fell out in pieces. Don't make em like they used to eh?

2. I bought a hexagonal socket for the rear bolt and after two days of penetrating oil gave it a good tug with the torque wrench, swivel head and shorter length of box steel for leverage. I could swear I felt it shift and was so convinced it moved I took the box steel off as I thought I was about to just unwind it but alas the socket had slipped

3. When the socket slipped it damaged the bolt head - only slightly and nothing to worry about just yet but I checked my extractor set just in case and I only have 17 and 19mm

I've got a breaker bar coming tomorrow on Prime and am running out of options. Any issues me getting the blow torch on these suckers??? Can't think of anything else to free them - I don't think the bush would be affected but my new wishbone has a new one anyways

Not had a good day then ! If your socket slipped has your bolt head wasted away ? and as a result your socket a loose fit over the bolt head ? If so can you fit a smaller socket eg 17 mm or an imperial 11/16 which is approximately 17.5 mm as the tighter your socket or spanner the better chance of undoing the bolt ! Heat can be applied to the subframe but obviously will have to check for any combustible material within the area heated . I would advise fitting new bolts when rebuilding