A&E Awning Brace Knob Frozen '99 Safari

[Soyboy]

I have one of the later model A&E awnings on my Safari. This weekend, the knob on one of the awning braces stopped turning. Fortunately I was able to open and close the awning, as it froze in a semi loose postion. I blasted it all weeking with Liquid Wrench to no avail. The nut, which usually is held in place by the brace channel "pops" around as you turn the knob (BTW, unlike some of the replacement parts I have seen, the nut is hexigonal not square). I say "pop" vs. spin as I think if it wasn't frozen, that the channel would shill hold it, but with it frozen, I can exert enough force on it to have it move around. I tried squeezeing the channel to hold the nut that seemed to work, but it was still frozen. Kind of weird as I haven't had any indication that the knob was tighening up from corrosion (it doesn't seem rusty, but rather corroded, perhaps it's aluminum. In any event, after all that, my question is, would it be problematic to heat up the bolt that resides in the aluminum channel, I am concerned that perhaps the channel might deform etc. Anyone have any thoughts on that or perhaps other ways of loosening the knob fro the bolt?

Thanks

[Jim Foster]

Sometimes a couple of heat and cool cycles will loosen that situation as the bolt and nut are most likely of slightly different composition and may have slightly different expansion rates. You might heat and let cool two or three times, then while still hot, use the Liquid Wrench. It may penetrate while everything if fairly hot.
In situations like this the most important and difficult tool to use is patience. Work with it, don't rush it.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[featherbedder]

Try tightening slitely then loosening back and forth, some times this will break loose may try pb every try, they have come free this way for me. I would not use heat, and be patience as noted by Jim Fosters post

[Soyboy]

Thanks, good advice. Featherbedder, one problem is that the knob isn't moving at all in the nut so I might have to try heat. I will try to restrain myself from getting it to hot. Funny as when I got back from the trip yesterday, I went around the trailer and nailed everything I could with spray white lithium grease LOL. Wish I had thought of these knobs earlier. I did give the one on the other arm a good dose!

[Soyboy]

Just an update. I took my MAPP Bernzomatic with me when we went camping this weekend as I knew I would have the awning open (it's a bit of a tight spot to open it at home). I squeezed the frame with a screw clamp to keep the nut from turning (why it has a hexagon nut and not a square one is beyond me), hit is with a couple of short blasts, and gave it a good twist and it freed up. I then lubed it (and the rest of the awning - past due) and hopefully won't have the problem again. Thans again for the advice.