Sheared off bolt

[Mr. Leary]

Boogered two bolts this evening. One of the bolts is still stuck in there. These bolts (4 total) attach the wheel assembly to the lower ball joint on my 4Runner, so its not something I feel safe running without.

I have soaked it in wd40. I have drilled it for a while with reverse threaded bits, I have tried an extractor. I will try to weld on a washer, then a nut in the morning and try to turn it. This bolt has never been removed, truck has 200k. Did I say I really need to get that bolt out? I'm running out of options.

Any advice would be appreciated...

 

[TimS]

I have used some heat from a acetlyene torch to get things started. Vise grips at the same time also helped. Also, a impact wrench with heat has worked also for me. Good luck.

 

[corax]

I have used some heat from a acetlyene torch to get things started. Vise grips at the same time also helped. Also, a impact wrench with heat has worked also for me. Good luck.

an alternate method is to apply some heat (Acetylene is quickest, MAPP gas also works) and then cool it rapidly with a squirt bottle. The sudden expansion and contraction causes the threads to break free a bit. This is the method I use with brake lines so they don't round out or twist off.

 

[RusM]

50/50 ATF/Acetone, soak it a couple of times.
Drill out with appropriate bit, insert easy out and back the bolt out.

 

[jim65wagon]

Is it possible to drill it out and install a heli-coil?

 

[granitex1]

WD40 is a waste of time and money. Pb blaster is a much better product, but ATF/acetone is a great mixture for dealing with rust.

If they are already snapped off, drilling them out is really your best option.

 

[BKCowGod]

Yah, I'm gonna second heli-coil. Where's the bolt?

 

[jsmarine]

Got any pictures Leary? Even a couple phone pics? I want to see what you have to work with.

 

[Mr. Leary]

Got the bolt out. It was a scene of carnage. A battlefield strew with the lifeless bodies of tools and dismembered bits of hardware. Anyways...

I drilled out the inside of the bolt a little more with the dremel. Then I welded on a washer by just pouring the weld into the hole and then on the inside of the washer. It was red hot. Then I pinched it with the big pliers into something I could grab with the vice grips. A little tapping with the hammer got it started, then it angrily came out a quater turn at a time.

I guess the heat from the welding was sufficient to break that stubborn sucker loose. Yay for brute force and ignorance.

Now, if that new front axle seal doesn't leak... :snorkel:


Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[BKCowGod]

Got the bolt out. It was a scene of carnage. A battlefield strew with the lifeless bodies of tools and dismembered bits of hardware. Anyways...

I drilled out the inside of the bolt a little more with the dremel. Then I welded on a washer by just pouring the weld into the hole and then on the inside of the washer. It was red hot. Then I pinched it with the big pliers into something I could grab with the vice grips. A little tapping with the hammer got it started, then it angrily came out a quater turn at a time.

I guess the heat from the welding was sufficient to break that stubborn sucker loose. Yay for brute force and ignorance.

Now, if that new front axle seal doesn't leak... :snorkel:


Thanks for the help, guys!

Makes my day sound tame - I had to replace a radiator drain petcock (A $5 plastic part). The old petcock had snapped off its removal tab, so I had to drill it out. Pulled the radiator to do this and both of the brackets for it had come un-welded, so I had to put that back together and I figured that while I had access and if I was gonna be wasting $30 worth of coolant, why not clean everything up.... So a 10min replacement of a small part became a complete r&r of the entire cooling system. Oh well, it's fun and it's good to know that it was done right.