Suspension & Brakes - HELP.... strut mount bolts FUBAR...

So I've been posting a lot of suspension threads lately. This is because the IDIOT that owned this car before me decided it was a good idea to use red loc-tite on basically any and every bolt he ever removed from the car. So I've had a HELL of a time changing all my suspension parts out without having to cut bolts.

So I'm doing my whole front end, and installing the new front struts/springs now. Red loc-tite. On everything. Even with the torch, PB blaster, breaker loc-tite nothing helps. I got everything out BUT the shock mount bolts.

The 2 T-50 bolts in the engine bay on top of the fender well. The torx bit pretty much rounded it all the way out, so then I tried using a hex bit (cool trick, any stripped torx bolt basically turns into a hex), but that didn't work either... head is totally rounded. I tried getting a vice grips on it but the bolt is round and obviously if I couldn't bust it loose with a breaker bar the vice grips wont work...

The position the bolts are in makes it impossible to cut them. My sawzall and grinder both wont fit. The only thing I can think of is the air chizel but again that won't really fit flush enough to get the head of the bolt off, I'd have to go in on a downward angle and would probably punch a hole through the wheel well and would really be screwed then.

What the hell am I supposed to do... someone save the day! I've been trying to finish this for the last few days, I'm getting ready to light a match lol :bang:

grind the bolts off from the wheelwell?

Get a drill bit slightly smaller than the bolt size and drill those bastards out. If it rounded out then you have a guide for the bit. Red I can't believe anyone is that Stupid!!

Can't fit a grinder or sawzall anywhere, the top OR bottom it sucks. The bolts go through the right/back side of the shock mount which leaves like 3 inches of space to fit a tool.

Damn that's a good idea LS1121, I definitely have to try that. You think I should start with a smaller bit then use the bigger (bolt size) bit or can I just use the big one right away?

Tell me about it man RED loctite is used for stuff you basically never want to come apart... he used it on EVERYTHING. It took me over a week to change my lcas, panhard, and torque arm, and now it's taken me like 5 days just to do my front end and struts, and I haven't even gotten them out yet. My car has barely any rust on it too!

Cut the head of the torx bolt. I had to do that with mine

did you get the master cyln out of the way?

Yeah the master cylinder is out of the way. How did you cut the head off the bolts? There isn't enough room to fit anything in there... I spent an hour drilling through 1 bolt and haven't gotten all the way through yet... and that's just with the small bit :(

dremel tool with a cut off wheel?

Yeah the master cylinder is out of the way. How did you cut the head off the bolts? There isn't enough room to fit anything in there... I spent an hour drilling through 1 bolt and haven't gotten all the way through yet... and that's just with the small bit :(

If you have any sort of a power tool, get a cut off wheel, and cut an "X" in the head of the bolt, then use a wrench or vise grips. The head should then break off, at least allowing you to drop the mounts out of the car.

If that works, you'll probably stuck having to buy new mounts, though, if the jackass used red loctite....

use a dremel and a cut off wheel, cut an X into the top and hit it with an air chizel. replace the torx bolts with hex heads, thats what i did. If someone was in there already with red loctite have fun with the shock bolt. I spent 4 hours with a hammer and chizel on that one.

Omg great idea guys... I never thought of doing that. Guess I just wasn't thinking outside the box.

That would work perfect, I have new mounts and all new parts I was going to use anyway. AWESOME :D I'm going to go pick up a new cutoff wheel now and get this done!

If you can't get that to work break out the drill again. remember to use some good pressure and keep the drill speeds low. You can use motor oil to lubricate the bit in a pinch.

Cutting the X worked like a charm :) Thank you guys so much... I'm going to post up a thread after I get everything back in... I painted everything and got all new parts.. looks so sick :)