Removing seatbelt bolt - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**Yukon Jack** · 08-23-2002, 09:58 AM

I'm having a heck of a time removing the floor seatbelt bolts from an 89 truck to put the seatbelts into my 69. I'm using an 18" breaker bar with a T-50 socket (kinda star shaped). I've dosed the bolts with penetrating oil and can't get any of them to budge. Ended up breaking the T-50 socket last night.

Any suggesstions?

I don't need the bolts so I'm thinking about just drilling the bolts out unless anyone else has a good idea.

JimKshortstep4x4 · 08-23-2002, 11:00 AM

Have you tried heating the bolt? They are using a Loctite thread
locker in the threads so you need heat to break it down. I really doubt if you can drill the bolt. They are pretty hard!

Jim

johnnyp · 08-23-2002, 11:02 AM

Just removed the bolts from mine. I found it worked better to use a boxed end wrench. The bench seat was out so there was room for leverage. Just couldn't get enough leverage with a socket, even with cheater bar.

**Yukon Jack** · 08-23-2002, 11:08 AM

I thought about heat but it would be about impossible to heat up without melting down the seatbelt plastic housing. Can only get to one of the bolts from underneath the truck which doesn't help much.

As for using a boxed end wrench, this bolt has a sort of star pattern recessed in the center of the bolt head and the outside of the bolt head is round - it won't accept a normal socket or wrench. I'm sure that is to make it more difficult for someone to mess with the bolts - hmm . . . they got that right!

**Yukon Jack** · 08-23-2002, 11:10 AM

The seat idea was my last step last night before breaking the socket. Scary thing is, there was only one of the four seat bolts holding the seat down. The other three were gone! Scary.

The seat is now out of my way, but I'm still not able to get the bolts to budge.

O'l Buck · 08-23-2002, 11:44 AM

I feel your pain, man......those bolts can be a real bear, the only thing that has ever worked for me is patients, panther pizz won't work on locktite and they used alot of locktite.....i've found a good stout impact wrench works pretty well on them, but you might end up breaking a few more of those T-50 sockets.....something you might try is heating it from the bottom, if you can find the bolts underneath.

**Yukon Jack** · 08-23-2002, 12:04 PM

Blazerboy is going to come over this weekend with his healthy impact wrench. I will pick up a few more sockets and see what happens. Maybe I will drop the catalatic converter to see if I can get at the rest of the bolts too.

stmoore · 08-23-2002, 12:05 PM

if you have the room, try a small (12"-14") pipe wrench on the o.d. of the bolt head and a cheater bar on the wrench handle.

palallin · 08-23-2002, 12:54 PM

Be careful! My brother tried to remove the seat belts from one of our trucks, but the floor was a little rusty. He put the torque to the wrench, and the threaded holes twisted right out of the floor.

Of course, they probably weren't much use as restraints in that condition, anyway. . . .

johnnyp · 08-23-2002, 02:57 PM

SLAP ME! I read the post wrong - thought he was talking about the bolts in the 69.

Huck · 08-23-2002, 05:22 PM

Just went crazy trying to get the big Axel U bolt nuts off. Finally got my handy-dandy little 3 inch air driven cutter and cut down the side of the nuts. Even though they were #8s, that 3 inch high speed cutter did the trick. Might work for you with a lot less effort. Good luck---Huck

jostrans68 · 08-23-2002, 08:55 PM

The bolts go through the floor heat them from bottom with propane torch should loosen loctite and still leave plastic unharmed....my .02 Jack

08-23-2002, 09:58 AM	#1
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,683	Removing seatbelt bolt I'm having a heck of a time removing the floor seatbelt bolts from an 89 truck to put the seatbelts into my 69. I'm using an 18" breaker bar with a T-50 socket (kinda star shaped). I've dosed the bolts with penetrating oil and can't get any of them to budge. Ended up breaking the T-50 socket last night. Any suggesstions? I don't need the bolts so I'm thinking about just drilling the bolts out unless anyone else has a good idea. __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14

08-23-2002, 11:02 AM	#3
johnnyp Keepin' It Stock Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Grand Island, Nebraska, USA Posts: 554	Just removed the bolts from mine. I found it worked better to use a boxed end wrench. The bench seat was out so there was room for leverage. Just couldn't get enough leverage with a socket, even with cheater bar. __________________ 72 Sierra Grande - Maych Forget about "do it right the first time". Do it wrong the first time to learn how, then do it right the second time.

08-23-2002, 11:08 AM	#4
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,683	I thought about heat but it would be about impossible to heat up without melting down the seatbelt plastic housing. Can only get to one of the bolts from underneath the truck which doesn't help much. As for using a boxed end wrench, this bolt has a sort of star pattern recessed in the center of the bolt head and the outside of the bolt head is round - it won't accept a normal socket or wrench. I'm sure that is to make it more difficult for someone to mess with the bolts - hmm . . . they got that right! __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14

08-23-2002, 11:10 AM	#5
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,683	The seat idea was my last step last night before breaking the socket. Scary thing is, there was only one of the four seat bolts holding the seat down. The other three were gone! Scary. The seat is now out of my way, but I'm still not able to get the bolts to budge. __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14

08-23-2002, 11:44 AM	#6
O'l Buck Recovering Truck Driver Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Orleans, NE USA Posts: 1,883	I feel your pain, man......those bolts can be a real bear, the only thing that has ever worked for me is patients, panther pizz won't work on locktite and they used alot of locktite.....i've found a good stout impact wrench works pretty well on them, but you might end up breaking a few more of those T-50 sockets.....something you might try is heating it from the bottom, if you can find the bolts underneath. __________________ 67 K-20 350, SM465, Eaton rear, 4.56 no spin option 00 Dodge 2500 4x4, 24V cummins, 5 speed Chad South Central Nebraska

08-23-2002, 11:00 AM	#2
JimKshortstep4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Muskegon,MI,USA Posts: 6,026	Have you tried heating the bolt? They are using a Loctite thread locker in the threads so you need heat to break it down. I really doubt if you can drill the bolt. They are pretty hard! Jim

08-23-2002, 12:04 PM	#7
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,683	Blazerboy is going to come over this weekend with his healthy impact wrench. I will pick up a few more sockets and see what happens. Maybe I will drop the catalatic converter to see if I can get at the rest of the bolts too. __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14

08-23-2002, 12:05 PM	#8
stmoore Registered User Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 129	if you have the room, try a small (12"-14") pipe wrench on the o.d. of the bolt head and a cheater bar on the wrench handle. __________________ steve moore

08-23-2002, 12:54 PM	#9
palallin Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: St. James, MO Posts: 1,239	Be careful! My brother tried to remove the seat belts from one of our trucks, but the floor was a little rusty. He put the torque to the wrench, and the threaded holes twisted right out of the floor. Of course, they probably weren't much use as restraints in that condition, anyway. . . . __________________ '69 Longstep K-10: 327/SM465/T-221/Closed Knuckle Dana44/12-bolt.

08-23-2002, 02:57 PM	#10
johnnyp Keepin' It Stock Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Grand Island, Nebraska, USA Posts: 554	SLAP ME! I read the post wrong - thought he was talking about the bolts in the 69. __________________ 72 Sierra Grande - Maych Forget about "do it right the first time". Do it wrong the first time to learn how, then do it right the second time.

08-23-2002, 05:22 PM	#11
Huck Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Shelbyville, KY Posts: 3,269	Just went crazy trying to get the big Axel U bolt nuts off. Finally got my handy-dandy little 3 inch air driven cutter and cut down the side of the nuts. Even though they were #8s, that 3 inch high speed cutter did the trick. Might work for you with a lot less effort. Good luck---Huck

08-23-2002, 08:55 PM	#12
jostrans68 Jostrans68 Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Bloomington indiana Posts: 1,182	The bolts go through the floor heat them from bottom with propane torch should loosen loctite and still leave plastic unharmed....my .02 Jack __________________ [CGTW Member former 67-72 now with a 96 silverado



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