I managed to snap the head of the bolt clamping the suspension strut onto the front hub. Ive managed to get the strut out and the hub off the car, but
im left with the bolt stuck in the hub.
Whats the best way of removing the bolt with out having to re thread it, if thats possible?
Thanks
Presumably the reason the bolt snapped was that it was seized and/or effing tight. In which case whatever you do don't use those reverse threaded
screw extraction thingies. All you'll be left with is a seized bolt with a snapped off bit of 'harder than any drill' steel permanantly
locked inside it - making any attempt at drilling the bolt out impossible.
If theres any bolt sticking out, you can try either cutting a slot and using a big screwdriver (likely to just mangle the bolt end), or hammering a
very tight fitting socket onto the end of the bolt.
A good technique if you have a welder is to clean the top of the snapped bolt off really well with a grinder / dremel and then weld a nut onto it as a
new head. The heat of the welding should help break the seal of the bolt, but extra heat from a blow torch and liberal application of penetrating oil
will always help.
Hopefully others will have some alternative ideas.
Good luck,
Matt.
I'm thinking of drilling the thread out of mine so as I can use a nut and bolt to mount the mud guard stays on. Any thoughts on this one. Would
also cure your problem.
Dave
[Edited on 4/9/03 by westdown]
Funnily enough exactly the same thing happened to me last night. The nearside one came off no probs, the offside was tight and wouldnt budge, despite
a copious amount of penetrating oil. So I did what any self-repsecting mechanic would do, got a longer bar to put the socket on, half a turn later and
snap. Cue quietly muttered swear words!
I was either going to drill it out to the root diameter of the thread and either prise out the remainder or tap it out, or I might be able to helicoil
it if we have a suitable kit at work. If not, your nut & bolt route will be perfectly satisfactory Dave. Bloody Loctite
I have a similar problem with a bleed nipple on one of my calipers.
It broke about 3mm above the caliper, so there is nothing much to grab onto. I didnt fancy heating with a blow torch, as that will shag the seals.
Welding a bolt head on from the local heat point of view is good, but I recon it will just snap off - if its tight so it breaks the nipple, it will
probably shear a little bit of welding on the circumference.
Slotting will probably just mash it.
For your hubs, I cant see why you cant just drill the whole damn thing out, and just use a nut and bolt afterwards - I cant see having one end tapped
is vital........
You may want to do what I may have to do re my caliper - visit a breakers for another one!
atb
steve
[Edited on 4/9/03 by stephen_gusterson]
I suffered exactly the same problem with one of my hubs! After much shouting of the obligatory obscenities I ended up drilling the bolt out, starting
with a tiny pilot hole and then progressively larger bits until the carcass of the bolt fell out. Remember to use lots of lubrication (
) if you go
this route.
I will be using bolt + nylock to put it back together.
It was the off side that gave me grief, i didnt quietly mutter swear words though, they were pretty loud!
I will have to drill it out and use a nut and bolt then.
Thanks
One tip I've heard about (but not tried )
Take a length of steel rod with a large-as-possible diameter that you can put against the remains of the bolt.
Heat the tip of the rod to as high a temp as you can manage, then put it against the broken bolt. Take it away after a while and allow it to cool,
then repeat as necessary.
This can break the rust/sealant, without putting too much heat into the work.
Apparently, this is very good for releasing ancient jammed-in wood screws as well, esp, when the slot has just about had it.
cheers,
David
Someone recommended me to weld a new head onto a bummed bolt (sump plug actually) and it worked wonders. Only an old rusty nut as well....
well, rescued my caliper!
welded on bolt just sheared, as I expected, but the weld crud was great for mole grips, after the weld heat loosened it up.
atb
steve
quote:
It was the off side that gave me grief, i didnt quietly mutter swear words though, they were pretty loud!
I have often noticed that one side of a car gets more corrosion than the other - like the uprights from my donor.
Imm guessing that there must be more water / salt / whatever in certain areas of the road than others. I recon the passenger side is usually
worse....
atb
steve
quote:
Originally posted by stephen_gusterson
I have often noticed that one side of a car gets more corrosion than the other - like the uprights from my donor.
Imm guessing that there must be more water / salt / whatever in certain areas of the road than others. I recon the passenger side is usually worse....
atb
steve
Damned Romans, what did they ever do for us...
Well, there's the aqueduct....
orgies
Hadrians wall........ (putting flak jacket on!!!!!)
I have always found it was the offside that gets more corrosion.
It has always been the right hand side that needed new wings or welding first.
I'd have thought that logically the nearside would rot first due to more water collecting there!
Maybe it is due to the spray thrown up by passing vehicles, or possibly that the salt is more concentrated in centre of road where there is less
water!
Terry
quote:
Originally posted by timf
orgies
quote:
I stripped my donor ('85 MR2) and found nothing stripped, siezed or over-tight....could it be no salt/mild winters here, or good Toyota quality?
quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
quote:
Originally posted by timf
orgies
I love the way you think...
Very much on my wavelength...
Anyway, back to topic:
I stripped my donor ('85 MR2) and found nothing stripped, siezed or over-tight....could it be no salt/mild winters here, or good Toyota quality?
Ive tried drilling the bolt out, but getting no where. What sort of place would drill it out for me? I havent a clue where to start or what to look for in the yellow pages.
would it not be a lot easier and cheaper to get a new upright from a breakers for less than a tenner?
atb
steve
If i get one off a non abs car, will it be the same as my abs hub, except without the sensor?
I just wondered if the dimensions are different.
Thanks
id take it with you to the scrappy and compare....
atb
steve