(Bed Related) Conversion Question

[VanLyfe]

So I decided to remove the fold out bed in my '86 E150 in favor of a custom set-up and I am having some issues. The seats themselves came out with ease but the four bolts holding the folding frame in place are just spinning (with various degrees of resistance) without actually unthreading at all. Anybody have any idea what's going? I've checked underneath the body for a nut or something holding bolts in place but to no avail....any help at all would be appreciated. 

 

[caseyc]

You are absolutely correct. I had exactly the same problem taking out the rear folding bench seat/bed from my 1995 E150 Ford conversion van. I had to freakin take the van to my mechanic who charged me to take out the seat/bed.  My mechanic said it's a 2 person job to take that out.  It's also nearly a 2 person job to take out the two freakin metal plates off the floor that holds the middle captain chairs in place.  By the way, that rear seat/bed is pretty heavy!

 

[coultergeist]

I had a similar van years ago and it was nuts spinning underneath.&nbsp; Sometimes they can be hidden under or behind obstructions.&nbsp; If it ends up being that, vice grips on the&nbsp;nuts underneath is the easiest way to do it by yourself. &nbsp;If you're certain that's not the case, then this is what I'd recommend.&nbsp; <br><br>Get a prybar and pry up between the bolt head and the floor of the van.&nbsp; As you're holding pressure like that, try to unscrew the bolt.&nbsp; That may keep enough pressure on whatever is holding it underneath to be able to get them the rest of the way out.&nbsp; <br><br>If that doesn't work, you can get a dremel tool with metal cutting blade and cut the head off of the bolt.&nbsp; It will take a good bit of time, but it will definitely work.&nbsp; Just make sure to go slow and take breaks.&nbsp; The bolt will get really hot and could burn the carpet if you try to do it all at once.&nbsp; I'd also recommend having a small cup of water to cool it off quickly if needed.

 

[VanLyfe]

Any idea what your mechanic did to get it out? I'd rather not have to pay to get it done and acquiring a second set of hands to assist me wouldn't be an issue. At this point I'm considering just grinding off the metal brackets that hold that bars in place and calling it a day.

 

[VanLyfe]

I've tried the pry bar method, still not finding anything underneath but I'll do a better search tomorrow when the sun comes up. If worse comes to worse I'll just use the tried and true method of cutting my way through. Thanks for the insights guys.&nbsp;

 

[caseyc]

I don't know what my mechanic did, as it was awhile ago. I seem to recall him telling me it took a bit of effort, and he charged me something like $130+ for labor to take off that seat/bed.&nbsp; I later went to a different mechanic to have the 2 middle floor plates taken off, and one guy was underneath the van taking out screws and metal plates, while another guy on top was doing something else to take off the stupid plates.&nbsp; What a pain.

 

[bpeck]

The bolts and nuts holding the rear seat in on my '94 E150 conversion were pretty damn rusted. &nbsp;Even with lots of penetrating oil I couldn't get them free with a wrench. &nbsp;Luckily my exgirlfriend's dad was willing to help me, we ended up using his pneumatic impact wrench (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_wrench) to break 'em loose. &nbsp;It was still a two-person job, I went under the van with a wrench to hold the nut in place while he loosened the bolts with the impact wrench from inside the van. &nbsp;The seat is super heavy and took me and my brother to get it out of the van. &nbsp;<br><br>All that work made me realize how important it would be to keep my replacement bed frame simple, light and easy to disassemble by one person!

 

[ickkii]

Just throwing this idea out there: Bolt cutters are called bolt cutters for a reasons, they aren't just for cutting locks <img src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>I'd opt for a pair of bolt cutters and then a hammer to pound the thread out. But then again I'm a little less patient of a fellow.

 

[bpeck]

Here's a suggestion that might be easier than bolt cutters: use a Dremel or a similar style cutting tool to basically cut the nut in half. &nbsp;Once the nut is off, bolt removal is easy!