When removing my passenger side rear upper shock bolts the threaded part broke off or was rusted off. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to repair to keep the stock look ? Thanks for your consideration.
Printable View
When removing my passenger side rear upper shock bolts the threaded part broke off or was rusted off. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to repair to keep the stock look ? Thanks for your consideration.
Is the threaded part of the bolt still in the frame of the truck? I am guessing yes, but your post is not clear.
How to do this depends on how the bolt broke, and what tools you have.
First things first, on the way home tonight, stop at your FLAPS and get some PB BLASTER. 2 spray cans worth. If you don't have one, also buy a MAPP torch. Finally, if you don't have them, buy a set of vice grips - big ones.
Okay. Now spray the bolt really good with PB Blaster. Now, let it sit, nad look at it. is the bolt broken flush with the frame, or is part of the bolt extended out?
If the bolt is extended out, hit it with some more PB. Then start heating the metal AROUND the bolt (but not the bolt itself) with the MAPP torch.
Get the vice grips out, and clamp on TIGHT to the bolt shank. While the metal is still really hot, try and turn the bolt loose. If it does not come, spray some more PB on it. Heat up the metal again. Turn the bolt tighter, and then loose with the vice grips.
Keep doing this until the bolt turns out. it will take time but it will come.
Zach
Now, if the bolt is broken flush with the frame, you are going to need some more parts.
Go find a left hand twist drill bit, just a tad smaller then the stuck bolt. You may need to order one. PITA, but maybe worth it.
Hit it with the PB and the heat, as above. LOTS of PB. You are still hoping that the bolt will turn out.
With the metal nice and hot, start drilling with the LHT drill bit. Go in straight and smooth, right through the center of the bolt. If you are lucky, the drilling will loosen the bolt to the point where it turns out of the hole. This is why you used the LHT bit.
If you are not lucky, drill all the way through the bolt anyhow. You are going to need to re-drill it with a standard bit. You will need to go oversized and either tap it for a step-stud or install a time-cert for a new bolt.
Good luck!
Zach
I thought that it was a solid shank not a bolt and I just broke off the threads on the end. I will take a better look at it. Thanks for the insite
Thanks, I will give it a shot.
One more thing. Don't bother with a broken bolt extractor, like you will find at Home Depot or Lowes. They never ever work. And if they brake and snap off in the bolt, you are doubly screwed. Those bits are made over very hard metal, and are very difficult to drill out.
Zach
SO it is a bolt that runs through the bracket not just a post with threaded ends. Im trying to picture it.
okay, I went out to look, and it is just a shank, not a bolt like I thought.
Cut the old one flush, and drill out where it went through the frame. Thread a new piece of solid rod the same size as the old shank. put it through the hole, and weld it in, on both sides of the frame.
This was way easier then a stuck bolt (so long as you have a welder).
:)
Zach
a few weeks ago, I had a similar problem with gaumed up stud on the shock mount for my M101A2 trailer. Cut it flush to the mount, center punched and drilled it out (this was the axle-end, and I had to cut it off the axle anyway for a swap, so could do on the drill press), dropped in a new 5/8" bolt, and welded the bolt head. It would have looked 100% stock if I had cut off the bolt head and just welded the cut-off end of the bolt to the mount (on the back-side).
Fire up the "blue wrench"!!!
The bolt idea is really good, and a worthwhile point, because that way you will have the threads you need to put a nut on, that you wouldn't using just rod. Make sure you use a Grade 5 bolt, not Grade 8. The problem with grade 8 is that by the time you put enough heat to it to weld it in, you make the metal brittle because of it already being hardened, . .not to mention how difficult it will be to cut the head off of to start with.
On another note, . .the bolt extractors will work if needed, but the key to them is that they will only REMOVE the broken piece, they won't BREAK IT LOOSE, so unless you get the rust broken loose with the heat so that the bolt will come out. . you just end up breaking the extractor, which as Zach said, . .is worse than where you started at.
Shocks that fit the front of most GM full-size pickups used to come with a replacement mount that bolted in the frame. It had a threaded stud for the frame side and then a shoulder for the shock bushings to ride on, and a smaller stud/nut to retain the shock. That should make a good repair and be replaceable in the future. I'd bet its exactly the same bushing size as the M715 shock.
As mentioned above stay away from the e-z out screw extractors too. They seem to be fine if you break off a bolt that is still being tightened, but anything cross-threaded, or rusted in place generally won't move and results in a broken extractor. The only thing I have found to get those out then, it to grind them up with a carbide burr if you can get to them, or drill from the opposite side and knock out the piece with a small punch.
If one can put a nut on the end of the broken off part...just set it on the end not screw it on...then fill the hole in the middle of the nut with weld so the nut is one with the broken shaft. Put a socket or wrench on the nut and turn it out. Having welded on it, the heat usually helps break loose stubborn fasteners too.
Thanks to all the help, I will be able to make the repair easily now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy