Please, be easy on me.. My FSTB just arrived this morning, and I rushed to install it. I was able to get 2 of the nuts off in each side, but 2 of them won't even budge. I read that the car should be on a flat surface when installing a FSTB, and it is. I torqued those nuts so bad they don't even look hexagonal anymore, but rather a strange mix between an octagon and a circle...lol. Any ideas on how I can get those last 2 off? Do I need to jack up the car or something? I'm extremely frustrated as I thought this should be a 5 minute thing, and it's been about an hour now. Please help!

 

you've stripped the bolts....use a vice-grip and some anti-seize or wd40 to get them off....

 

next time make sure you use the right socket - look below

 

14mm 6 point socket for 95 - 98, and 22mm 6 point for the 99.

 

Always get the right tools before working!

You dont have to raise the car. Use penetrating oil. Try hammering the bolt a bit to get some of the rust out. Use a six point wrench or socket. If that fails use a vice grip. If that fails, you have to get a bolt extractor.

You should probalby get replace the bolts when you get the old ones off. Rounded bolts=YUK

Good luck.

 

maan thats the truth, stripped a drain plug trying to get it off, vise-grip couldnt even get it off. . .

yea try WD-40/ some heat/ and/orvise-grip

 

o man if you just would have used a breaker bar and the correct socket you would have had those all off in less than 2 min -Ryan

 

will heating it up help?
Jae

 

Same thing happened to me. Mine stripped and i was even using a 6 point 14mm...those things rust on after being on for ten years....Just goto the dealer and order the nuts they were like .80 cents a piece. I just replaced all 6 of mine even tho only one got stripped. The way I got it off was using a tool i got at sears Its called a craftsman Bolt Out kit. Heres the link http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00952160000

 

I'm real weak. I used penetration oil, the correct MERTIC socket, and a breaker bar. I got the nuts off without any problem.

And then torqued them to 30 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench.

 

Thank you guys for all the helpful replies. I was able to get another one off, but there's still one rounded one left on the driver's side. I went to Sears and got a 55 piece Craftsman socket wrench set, with a load of other goodies for only $29.99. I guess I'll try some WD40 tomorrow, and if that fails I'll try getting that bolt extractor set. Thanks again guys, I'll keep you posted

 

you can also just get the sockets that have groves inside that are specifically for taking out rusted or rounded bolts there AWSOME there at home depot in a little blue container with yellow writing if that helps but it got every round bolt out for me

 

is wd40 a penetrating oil?
Jae

 

it will help break a bolt free but I dont think its a penetrating oil. but I'm not too sure.

 

Penetration oil works a lot better than WD-40. It is made for loosening nuts and bolts, where WD-40 has a lot of uses.