wear strips

[DougKauer]

I'm replacing my wear strips, but having trouble with the bolts and nuts for the track tension. They are locked up pretty good any idea on how to free them up. put some wd-40 on but that did not work. Could I use heat???   Thanks for any help.

[Tory944]

Heat is always a good choice...   I would also get yourself some PB Blaster or something better than WD40 and let it sit.  Tap the end of the adjusting bolts with a hammer...   it helps in conjunction with Blaster and/or heat.  There have been numerous comparisons on liquid sprays and WD40 was rated as one of the worst for loosening bolts.   Tory

[mswyka]

I laugh every time I see the "as seen on TV" note on the side of the PB Blaster can, but I can attest that it works.  On the bad parts I might give it three or four shots over a couple of days, but they almost always come loose after that.

[DougKauer]

I need the bolts and nuts for the track tensioners  NOS or very excellent ones if anyone has them.  The orig. need to be replaced.  Doug

[mswyka]

I need the bolts and nuts for the track tensioners  NOS or very excellent ones if anyone has them.  The orig. need to be replaced.  Doug

Doug, I am pretty sure they are standard US thread and should be available from other sources like McMaster Carr.  5/16 - 24, 3" long, full thread.

[bryan_damone]

The stock are fine threads, but I  don't see why a regular thread wouldn't work If that is something you can pick up locally.

[mswyka]

Out in the garage over the past few weeks I was struggling with some track adjustment bolts.  Starting with the first one, it was so rusted that it spun the head of the bolt inside the aluminum part that goes around the axel.  So then I resorted to cutting the bolts off with the sawzall. 

After thinking about it a bit, before cutting any more bolts, I ran a thread restorer down the exposed end of the bolt until it hit the nut, then gave it a shot of PB Blaster.  And then used a longer bolt to drive the axle far enough out of the way to  let the bolt come through the axle mount so that I could get a 6 point socket on the bolt head.  Then with the socket on one end and a box wrench on the nut I was able to turn it off.  After that it was easy enough to clean up the bolt to be used again.