Backing out rusted up Torx bolts ??????

kebo · Mar 15, 2010

I had a thread sometime ago about repainting my 16ft trailer that I use to haul my tractor on. My plan was to pull the deck boards off and take it to a guy who paints them on the side. He was going to sandblast, prime, and paint it for about $400. After that, I was going to put new deck boards back on.

So, last weekend I went to Lowes to start the process. I bought 15 pieces of PT 2x6x16, which is what's on the deck now, total came to $140 bucks. This evening I took a hard look at getting the old boards off. Wish I had done that last week!! I might be changing my direction if I had. The boards are held in place with #27 TORX screws. They staggered them on opposite sides from end to end (of the boards). Not every board has the same number of screws drilled into the angle joists. Some have 4, some have 5, & some have 6. (NOTE: The ends of the 16' boards are tucked under a 2" wide metal strip). I tried backing out a few screws with a #27 bit in my Dewalt 18v drill and it would not even budge the first one.

They are all rusted solid. Looking at the bottom, there is about 1" of screw sticking through the bottom of the angle iron, all of it nice and rusty too. I guess they are 3" long screws. Most of the screws you can't even get the TORX bit into the screw because of dirt, rust, and corrosion. I did find a few screws that were broken off.

I had hoped to reuse these boards on a foot bridge across the creek at my hunt club, but that's looking pretty doubtful now. I'm thinking I will pretty much have to destroy these boards with a combination of pry bars and sawzall to get them off.

I'm also thinking now that I could have probably sold this trailer for $800 (which is what I paid for it 10 years ago), add about $500-700 to that and buy one already looking much nicer. You think Lowes will take the lumber back?

I see trailers on CL all the time in that price range, but I really like this trailer. It has a sturdy drive on ramp with spring loaded assist, tongue jack, 12" high sides filled in with expanded metal, and brakes on one axle. The trailer nameplate indicates it was made in '98 though.

Any thoughts on the best way to get the screws out,and maybe salvage some of the boards??

DK35vince · Mar 15, 2010

Good luck saving the boards.
Every time I've redecked a trailer I ended up using a cutting torch to cut the heads off the screws, pry off boards. Take a hammer and bust off what is left of the deck screws. Install new boards. Drill new holes and install new deck screws.

Matt_Jr · Mar 15, 2010

Put a floor jack under your trailer. You may need to put some blocks of wood on your jack depending on how high your trailer is. Jack up the trailer by the boards so that the screws pull through the board as you jack up on the board. After jacking up all the boards causing them to pull away from the frame of the trailer, cut off all the screws with a cut of wheel or break them off with a pair vise grips by bending them back and forth a couple times. Don't bother trying to remove the old ones. Just use new self tapping screws for the new boards. Good luck. This project is not the kind I call fun

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dex3361 · Mar 15, 2010

I second using a cut off wheel to cut the screws so you can get the deck boards off. The last one I did I flipped the trailer over onto its top and it was much easier to work on from there. Did all of my cutting and then flipped it back over and popped the boards off and drove the screw back out of the boards. It worked for me.

tommu56 · Mar 15, 2010

I'm third on the cut off tool the screws are hardened and are really hard to drill you might try and drill heads off and jack boards up off them.

tom

carpenter383 · Mar 15, 2010

I agree with the others, even if you could get the old screws out, how likely is it that you can drill holes in the new boards in just the right spot?

kebo · Mar 15, 2010

Some good idea's I hadn't thought of!! I knew I came to the right place to ask!

The cutoff saw will definitely do the trick. Can I get a 4.5" blade that will fit my angle grinder and use that to cut/grind off the screw heads?? If so, what kind of blade would work the best for this??

I think if I can get the screw heads off, the boards will pry up pretty easily. I may have to cut about 1" off of one end of each board (where it's tucked under the metal lip) before I can start prying on them.

I think that as bad a shape as these boards are in, the screws will pull right through the boards with a good prybar, or by using a jack underneath the boards like Matt suggested. That will probably do the least damage to the boards, but will probably be a time consuming deal.

I really had hoped to re-use those existing holes in the angle joists but it will probably be easiest just to break them off (after I get the boards off) and re-drill new holes like DK35vince suggested. After I get the boards off, and break the top portion of the screws off, I might be able to use a visegrip wrench and clamp down on the screws on the bottom side and screw them on through the bottom. Will try one to see if that works or not.

Thanks for the suggestions!!

greasemonkeyok · Mar 15, 2010

I had the same problem with a shipping container, only with phillips-head self tapping bolts that were so hard they stripped the impact driver phillips inserts (I was using the manual impact driver with a hammer at first). Also, the shipping container floor is 1 inch thick on channel, so no pulling up the deck with a pry bar. With a little info from an aircraft mechanic, I learned the following method which works.

First, use spray Aero Kroil, or just the plain Kroil, (orange can - hardware store or gun store) to dissolve the rust and crud on the bolts. It works much better than penetrating oils. Let it sit for a while, maybe even a day. Then if you have access to a small air-impact (1/4th drive) butterfly driver, use it with your torks drive and you will be amazed at how easily the bolts/screws come loose. The vibration and Kroil make it mostly effortless, and most of the threads were reuse-able. If your situation was like mine, it might be difficult to cut all the bolts, but you can easily spray them.

tommu56 · Mar 15, 2010

If you really want to use those holes put the boards in place drill up through hole from underneath and put carriage bolts in.

I think you will have a heck of a time getting them out drilling or spinning them some how.

You might try cut and pry routine and weld a nut on them and spin them out with the nut.

tom

PILOON · Mar 15, 2010

Angle grinder with small cutting disks and cut flush.
The heat from cutting will help loosen the self tapping screws and a good whack with a 3 pound ball peen will also help loosen them up.
Also some sprayed on lube (WD40 or such).
You would then probably be able to back off the screws.
A good quality torx bit and an impact type drill should do the trick.

Another thought might be to tap with light blows a spare torx bit into the drive hole to kinda clean it up before attempting to unscrew the fasteners.

Good luck, I don't envy U the job.

PS; I re decked my trailer last year, so I know the chore!
(used same holes drilling from below and 1/4" carriage bolts and pneumatic driver to tighten them snug,I now plan to re-treat the wood annually as I do not wish to repeat the chore.)