Guy at a parts store in Decatur showed me this trick for seized bolts

I was stuck on a lower control arm bolt for two hours until the old timer behind the counter told me to heat the nut with a torch then hit it with a wax candle, and it came right out in 10 seconds - has anyone else tried that candle trick on rusty suspension parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimmurphy7d ago

Heat the nut, let the wax wick in. Works every time on rusty suspension bolts.

-1

karenh567d agoMost Upvoted

Heat the nut up good and hot, then drip that paraffin wax in. It'll suck right down into the threads like you wouldn't believe. I've done it on control arm bolts that were seized for twenty years, worked like a charm every time. Just don't let the thing cool off before you try turning it or you're back to square one. Better than any penetrating oil I've ever wasted money on.

daniel1406d ago

I'm not saying you're wrong, but is it really that serious? I've had bolts so rusted I had to cut them out with a torch, and a little wax never did much for me. It always felt like a gimmick, like pouring soda on a battery terminal. Maybe I'm not heating it hot enough, but I've tried it on a few dozen jobs and still ended up with a snapped bolt half the time. What kind of heat are you using, a propane torch or one of those little butane things?