Need help from experienced SawZall owners!

[HDMac07]

I may sound like a complete dummy by asking this, so bear with me here! I am a technician for a Toyota/Lexus and have been wondering lately about some possible usage of a SawZall rather than plasma cutter for a very specific task. Here's the scoop:

We have been doing complete frame swaps on certain trucks, mostly those that spent the majority of their lives to this point in northern/midwest climates and developed rusty corrosion and small holes in some cases. Obviously, as flat rate technicians, there are a few of us who choose to continually search and research new ways to be more efficient. It is much easier to try and take large chunks of the truck apart at once rather than piece by piece to prevent causing further, unnecessary parts replacement in the event of seized bolts and what not. Toyota actually provides us with new lower control arms allowing us to remove a SIGNIFICANT portion of the front end by simply CUTTING OFF the lower control arms rather than fighting the bolts out and cutting off the eccentrics. Now.. this poses an issue when it comes to more than one of us doing a frame swap simultaneously. We chose to save money on Oxy/Acetylene and buy a plasma cutter which has worked pretty much flawlessly, but waiting on another tech to finish cutting while you sit around is about as innefficent as it gets. To make a long story longer, would it be worth it to purchase one of the Milwaukee Torch Blades or another heavy duty blade of some sort for my SawZall and cut the control arms off? Will is cut through iron control arms without taking hours to do so? I am a SawZall rookie when it comes to anything other than wood, PVC, and other less-******** types of piping. Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[redwrench60]

It would work but you'd be burning through sawzall blades left and right. It's also not gonna be as quick as torch or plasma. I keep a heavy duty Milwaukee Super Sawzall at work to cut the occasional exhaust pipe, bracket or bolt in tight quarters but it's not gonna be the most ideal thing for what you describe and it will rattle your teeth out of your head lol. It would "work" though.

 

[HDMac07]

That's what I needed to know! Thanks, bud. Time to try and talk the boss man into a second plasma cutter.

 

[Two Door]

Redwrench has it exactly right.

If none of the aforementioned options are desirable, I would think about a cutoff disk on a grinder. Obviously you would have a thrown sparks issue, though, not to mention noise.

Why not two plasma cutters? (Edit - Never mind )

 

[bcradio]

It would work but you'd be burning through sawzall blades left and right. It's also not gonna be as quick as torch or plasma. I keep a heavy duty Milwaukee Super Sawzall at work to cut the occasional exhaust pipe, bracket or bolt in tight quarters but it's not gonna be the most ideal thing for what you describe and it will rattle your teeth out of your head lol. It would "work" though.

Could'na said it better myself.

Another option if you have the room is to use a portaband. They make smaller versions now that might fit.

 

[HDMac07]

TwoDoor - Two plasma cutters would be ideal, I just need solid proof for the sometimes hard headed folks up front to justify buying another one. The thrown sparks issue wouldn't be a huge problem, the gas take is usually pulled before any cutting is done. The noise, on the other hand, can be a little frustrating to someone trying to focus on a drivability issue in the bay next to you, haha. We have several nice grinders used to grind rivets off of frames when replacing certain parts requiring us to do so.

 

[HDMac07]

BCRadio - I've considered the portaband route as well, but for a decent one it seems like a light duty plasma cutter like we use can be had for about the same price. You are right, though, there are definitely some that would fit and it would certainly work.

 

[Farmall450]

TwoDoor - Two plasma cutters would be ideal, I just need solid proof for the sometimes hard headed folks up front to justify buying another one. The thrown sparks issue wouldn't be a huge problem, the gas take is usually pulled before any cutting is done. The noise, on the other hand, can be a little frustrating to someone trying to focus on a drivability issue in the bay next to you, haha. We have several nice grinders used to grind rivets off of frames when replacing certain parts requiring us to do so.

I was thinking grinder as well, could you just cut the smaller seized bolts rather than the thicker control arms?

 

[HDMac07]

Farmall - we've been down that road as well. Trying to simply cut the eccentrics and bolts and punch them through with an air hammer has proven to take MUCH longer than the plasma cutter. Another plasma cutter would be GREAT, I was just wanted to pick the brains of others since when I show up tomorrow there are absolutely going to be two of us making a dead spring for the sole cutter that we have as soon as we walk in the door! No malicious intent on either of our parts, of course, just two guys needing the same tool at the same time.

 

[Farmall450]

Farmall - we've been down that road as well. Trying to simply cut the eccentrics and bolts and punch them through with an air hammer has proven to take MUCH longer than the plasma cutter. Another plasma cutter would be GREAT, I was just wanted to pick the brains of others since when I show up tomorrow there are absolutely going to be two of us making a dead spring for the sole cutter that we have as soon as we walk in the door! No malicious intent on either of our parts, of course, just two guys needing the same tool at the same time.

Well, in that case, I guess your boss will just have to go Christmas shopping!

 

[Zeke]

Sawzalls cut up to 1/8" metal very easily if you buy good blades, run at a slower speed and lubricate with the correct fluid. They will cut a bolt of any good size in 30 seconds. Useless on cast steel parts and other hardened parts like your eccentrics. If you get the 2nd plasma that would be great but I'd still want a Sawzall handy. Do get a corded one. the cordless die pretty fast, maybe 5 minutes of cutting time depending on the load you place on it.

 

[GuyllFyre]

I'd like to see how you use a plasma cutter to remove the LCA.
The front LCA in the Tacoma is VERY similar to the rear LCA in my Audi.
I just did the rear LCAs in my 2001 B5A4 Audi and they are a completely horrid job to do because the eccentric bolts seize and are in a very limited access area.
I did use a sawzall to cut through the bushing and bolt because I needed to save the LCA but it was extremely time consuming and labor intensive.