#BuyPartsEveryDay Trans Am Moving Plan Day 3 and 4

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
03/03/2018 at 21:00 • Filed to: Trans Amess, wrencheveryday, Trans Am

I didn’t really get a chance to wrench on the Trans Am yesterday but I did buy parts. And took off one bolt so technically I did work on it.

Tonight after a long day doing Dance Dad stuff, I almost didn’t make it to the garage but did just to slap on the shocks.

While under there I checked the bolts that mount the spring hangers to the car and some were missing, some were loose, and some were wrong.... When I originally saw the car on Craigslist as a shell only the rear axle was completely removed along with the subframe. After negotiating with the seller for all the parts, plus making it a roller, he reinstalled the axle and subframe. Haphazardly it seems. I also think the rear end is not original to this car, as he had another complete Trans Am he had sold prior, and all these extra parts.

The rear end, namely the springs and hangers/shackles are a LOT crustier than anything else under the car. It IS a Posi and has a sway bar so it’s no big deal, but I think that’s why it wasn’t on the car, haphazardly installed, with wrong bolts, cross threaded bolts, and the dreaded BROKEN CAGE BOLTS. Oh yes. More work for me.

Hopefully thats the LAST surprise I find before it’s together for the move.

DISCUSSION (11)

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit
03/03/2018 at 21:05

dreaded BROKEN CAGE BOLTS.

Bad but not the worst. Telescopic magnet will help a lot.

You had the subframe off already- those bolts are the bastards. Spin one of those and out comes the hole saw.

My bird IS the word > Takuro Spirit
03/03/2018 at 22:32

Goddamnit. I am doing the subframe soon, do any of these cars not have broken cage nuts?

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Takuro Spirit
03/04/2018 at 02:12

Yeah, I am pretty sure I have at least one broken one of those on my car : /

Bandit > Takuro Spirit
03/04/2018 at 11:38

Yeah cage bolts are not fun. I had to remake all the ones for my front subframe because every single one was rusted and frozen solid. If you have any questions on any of that, let me know.

Edit: wow that was a long time ago. https://oppositelock.kinja.com/i-made-cage-nuts-1450291927

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/another-sort-of-stupid-question-1449646092

crowmolly > My bird IS the word
03/04/2018 at 12:23

You can get lucky. The firewall ones can be reached from above with Kroil.

Really the only shit ones are the rearmost ones back under the cabin area. You can soak those with penetrating oil too, and do a couple heat cycles with a torch.

My bird IS the word > crowmolly
03/04/2018 at 13:35

I an going to try the candlewax trick as well. Is propane hot enough or am I wasting my time?

crowmolly > My bird IS the word
03/04/2018 at 15:21

Might be better than nothing. Won’t get a bolt glowing hot but maybe hot enough.

Takuro Spirit > Bandit
03/04/2018 at 23:34

So far my subframe cage bolts and cage nuts are a-okay. It literally seems like the front 3/4 of my car are in great shape, mostly redone, then the PO gave up when he got the rear end.

Takuro Spirit > crowmolly
03/04/2018 at 23:36

Fronts are a-okay. The rears... well I got one out, the other I will work on. The front two for the rear spring hangers that are not accessible without cutting holes in the floor worry me. One is for sure stuck, but not broken... I will very very careful.

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit
03/05/2018 at 09:52

Been a while, but I want to say I cut the heads off of the bolts and fished out the j-nut and bolt remains with the magnet.

Takuro Spirit > crowmolly
03/05/2018 at 10:25

That’s my plan for tonight, for the ones that can be fished out.