Sleeves not turning, bolts seized on Barbell

[dagdafitness]

Hey guys,

I bought 2x 45lb 7' black oxide barbells for $20 total, knowing that the sleeves did not spin. I was hoping for a quick clean or potentially a bushing / bearing swap but I cannot get the hex bolt off.

1 of the 4 sleeves turn extremely slowly if I try and loosen the bolt with my impact.

Does anyone have any tricks or is anyone able to direct me to a thread that covers this? Is there a safe way to chemical soak an entire sleeve at a time to loosen it up? Any feedback is appreciated.

[sm1ke]

Have you tried PB blaster or WD-40 and letting it penetrate for a few hours? Seems to be what most people try first.

[dagdafitness]

Have you tried PB blaster or WD-40 and letting it penetrate for a few hours? Seems to be what most people try first.

I've should've mentioned that I wd-40'd them and let them sit overnight

[lsi1]

someone will be along shortly to tell you that hex bolt bars are junk. this being said wd40 is not a pennatrant try something like pb blaster and let it sit overnight.

[dagdafitness]

someone will be along shortly to tell you that hex bolt bars are junk. this being said wd40 is not a pennatrant try something like pb blaster and let it sit overnight.

Yeah I know but I couldnt pass up 2 for $20

[lsi1]

Yeah I know but I couldnt pass up 2 for $20

I wouldn't have either. you could always apply heat with a torch and see if that helps.

[Stasher1]

Yeah I know but I couldnt pass up 2 for $20

Honestly, I probably would've passed on that deal even if it was 6 cheapo bars for $20. Most of the time, they're just not worth the time/effort.

[rlundregan]

Honestly, I probably would've passed on that deal even if it was 6 cheapo bars for $20. Most of the time, they're just not worth the time/effort.

I dunno.....the older I get, the more likely I am to pass on "projects" like this too......but I can get at least $45 for a cheap bar in decent shape around here on CL, so I don't think we can fault him for jumping on this, especially if they look good otherwise. It's not like there are a lot of moving parts that require precision work or anything.

I've seen bushings on hex bolted bars, but not very often. The issue is probably entirely related to the rust on the bolt. PB Blast seems to be everyone's go-to in this situation. If that doesn't work, then maybe try heating it GENTLY. I've never tried this, but others have had success with it. Seems like it would be pretty easy to mess things up.

[Redfish225]

Have you tried PB blaster or WD-40 and letting it penetrate for a few hours? Seems to be what most people try first.

PB blaster is way better than WD-40. Hit it with the PB and let it sit for about an hour op, chit will come right off.

[Stasher1]

I dunno.....the older I get, the more likely I am to pass on "projects" like this too......but I can get at least $45 for a cheap bar in decent shape around here on CL, so I don't think we can fault him for jumping on this, especially if they look good otherwise. It's not like there are a lot of moving parts that require precision work or anything.

I've seen bushings on hex bolted bars, but not very often. The issue is probably entirely related to the rust on the bolt. PB Blast seems to be everyone's go-to in this situation. If that doesn't work, then maybe try heating it GENTLY. I've never tried this, but others have had success with it. Seems like it would be pretty easy to mess things up.

Definitely not faulting him for trying to make them work or trying to make a buck, but I still wouldn't bother. Some days it's hard enough to find the time for a decent workout, so I'm just not as likely to get involved in equipment-related projects like this with limited ROI.

With that said, the bolt may have been installed with Loctite. I know I've done it on a handful of bolted bars that have passed thru my hands. This can make the sleeves damn-near impossible to remove without heat, an impact, and a clamp of some type to keep the shaft from spinning. I'd suggest soaking the crap out of it with PB Blaster and whacking it several times with a deadblow hammer to see if you can break up the corrosion.

[LarryPendur]

A real penetrating oil, such as "kroil" or similar.
Time to pentrate
Heat

[Cleveland33]

an impact isn't likely to break it free, you need to apply long steady pressure against it. Back off and repeat.

[Skidmarx]

You might have to put some heat on that bolt. Do you have a torch?