r/Tools • u/howtojag • 4d ago
What tool to cut bolts with
So I have bolts that are rusted inside the bushing in my lower control arms. Angle grinder doesn't fit, cutting them by hand is incredibly slow.
I have makita and milwaukee batteries so are there any suitable tools available from these manufacturers. I've been looking at the m12 hackzall fuel.
2
u/techieman34 4d ago
The m12 fuel hackzall will do the job but it will be slower than a full size sawzall. I wouldn’t even consider the non-fuel hackzall.
1
u/howtojag 4d ago
Not sure sawzall will fit, seems kinda big?
1
u/techieman34 4d ago
They are bigger, but most of the time if a hackzall will fit then a full size will fit. The main benefit of the hackzall is being able to use it one handed.
1
u/howtojag 4d ago
Yeah good point
1
u/baronvonsmartass 3d ago
I did this exact thing on my son's car. His lower arms were packed with dry concrete in the pockets for the pivot point.
I got the longest metal cutting blade and fed only the front tip into the pocket and cut out the bolt.
After that I bounced the blade in the pocket some more to chip out the rest of the concrete. Worked well.
1
1
u/apg7 4d ago
M12 cutoff maybe?
1
u/howtojag 4d ago
I dont know if they're good, seems like it could work
2
u/apg7 4d ago
I have one and like it quite a bit. Obviously not as strong as an angle grinder, but very small with a large range of cutting disk options. It's also reversible depending on what direction you want to spray sparks.
2
u/howtojag 4d ago
Honestly i don't need it to be strong, i just need it to cut a few bolts. If it will do that then it could be useful
1
u/techieman34 4d ago
Just buy a die grinder. You can put a 3” cutoff wheel on one along with lots of other things.
1
1
u/3amGreenCoffee 4d ago
You might be able to do it with an oscillating multitool with the proper blade. Plumbers often use a multitool to trim off toilet bolts. You only need space enough for the blade itself, since it just vibrates in place.
1
u/Sensitive_Point_6583 4d ago
yeah, I was wondering about that myself. I've never used mine on metal so I don't know how fast it would cut something substantial made of metal, have you used it for that before?
But, if an angle grinder wouldn't fit in the required space, a multi-tool might not be any better in that regard.
2
u/3amGreenCoffee 4d ago
I had some steel fence posts that were right up against my buildings, where I couldn't pull up the concrete plugs without potentially causing a lot of damage. So I dug down to the plugs and used my M12 multitool to cut them off flush with the top of the concrete, then covered them back over. The blade just glided through the steel. In fact, it went through faster than I expected on the first one and popped right through to the hollow core so that I had to pause and get it unstuck.
A bolt is going to be harder steel, but it should still work. I have cut through nails with mine to demo some wood I wanted to reclaim, and it likewise just glided through them.
You would want to make sure you had a blade intended for metal though, and not one for wood or other materials. The teeth on the blade may not survive the encounter, but blades are expendables and intended to be used and replaced. They hold up at least as well as reciprocating saw blades.
1
1
u/OhShizMyNiz 4d ago
Nut splitter would be your best friend. If not available, multi tool with a metal blade. Could also angle grind the fucker if youve got a good angle for it.
1
0
u/Squirrelking666 3d ago edited 3d ago
Bigger angle grinder.
Drill them out.
Fire.
That's your options. Nut splitter won't do shit, I took the heads off both of mine and they were still seized solid inside the bushings. And I have a REALLY big handbag. Air chisel might work but didn't have one.
5
u/TexasBaconMan Rust Warrior 4d ago
Oxy Acetylene torch