Sway Bar Perchs

I have a sway bar for my Truck, but how do you remove the bolt from the axel that supports the sway bar perch and the lower shock absorber mount so you can redo the rubber dampeners and replace the perch. Ive beat on it, heated it and soaked it.

Have you tried heating it then using a big ass breaker bar to break it loose? I've had some I couldn't remove and had to take the axle to a shop and have them pressed out.

Even pressing one can be an issue per the diameter of the bolt. I have had great success by carefully center punching and drilling them out. Its not really that hard to do if you are careful.
In order to guarantee that I can find and mark the EXACT center of a bolt, I cut and grind both sides of the bolt off flush with the axle, and using a sharp center punch I LIGHTLY mark of where I think the center is,, Then with a light you should be able to see a parting line of where the outer round diameter of the bolt is. You can see it when you look very carefully, if not hit it lightly with a torch to make things move so you can see it.
Look at your light mark and see if you like it, if so,, hit it again hard with the center punch and if its off angle the punch and re mark it so that it is in the center.
Then I drill in steps starting with a small diameter bit to watch to make sure of it coming out the other side in its center also. If it is off, (usually so) its no big deal as the next size drill bit can be angled to correct it. Then when you have it pretty straight, drill almost all the way to the other side leaving an area that a large flat center punch will go into the bolt and stop at.
Use as large a punch as you can get in the drilled hole still leaving as little a margin as you can... By having a stop on the other end of the stuck bolt, the punch can or will be trying to pull the rest of it out, and if the margin is thin enough it will suck right down and shrink.
Old Skool

Thanks for the insight, right now drilling out the center seems like it would be the most effective, this would allow the release of some of the pressure on the outer walls of the bolt.

I have heard that the aerospace guys drill a hole in the middle of the bolt to be removed and then use liquid nitrogen to freeze the bolt, shrinking it and it practically drops out. I don't know how you get liquid nitrogen or how to handle it, but if this is true it might be a solution.

I've got one bolt that is stuck in mine and one that slides out. I'm dreading dealing with this when I get a sway bar. Good luck stanyon!

Drilling dead center makes a huge difference, done 4 of them all successful.
If I had some cryo spray I'd use that on the pin, and propane torch on the surrounding metal.

Best regards,
George

THANK YOU GEORGE
OLD SKOOL

Sorry Vic, I didn't mean to sound redundant (you description is Spot On by the way.)  My thought was to add that cryo spray.  After drilling.  Heat the outer area with propane really well, then stick the straw of the Freeze Off into the drilled hole and spray for about 8-10 seconds.  At that point I've had the pins/bolts fall right out... (not affiliated)

Best six bucks I've spent in a while...

Best regards,
George

George,,, No worries, its refreshing to hear that it works from someone else. The freezing method can work very well also.
Many, many years ago before they had the rod end heating machine, I used the same principle to assemble pistons and rods.
I would keep or put the wrist pins in the freezer over night, and when assembling the pistons and rods, we would heat the rod end in the shops heater and simply push the pin into the rod end with a stop gauge setup that would set the correct depth for center. Heat used to expand one part and cold to compress the other parts size.
Trying to remember what it was that we grabbed off the shelf of the auto parts that came in a can and we simply hit the parts with it to freeze it,,, I think it was A/C refrigerant as I recall.... (old age)
Old Skool