Broken sway bar bolt fix?
#1
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Broken sway bar bolt fix?
A while ago, upon putting my front sway bar back up, I over-tightened one of the bolts on the frame & snapped it off.
There's nothing sticking out to grab onto & I don't see any way to access the nut or broken bolt?
The only thing I can think of is to cut myself a 'door' on the frame & access it that way? Or cut out the section where the nut is & weld a new section (from another truck) in with the nut..?
The truck is a '95 Ram 1500 4x4 BTW....
There's nothing sticking out to grab onto & I don't see any way to access the nut or broken bolt?
The only thing I can think of is to cut myself a 'door' on the frame & access it that way? Or cut out the section where the nut is & weld a new section (from another truck) in with the nut..?
The truck is a '95 Ram 1500 4x4 BTW....
#4
Thats a cobble job if I ever heard one. I would be beyond ****** if I bought a truck that had been repaired like that.
Did the bolt go in hard, or did you just overtorque it? If it went in easy, there is a good chance you could get it out with a reverse drill bit and some easy outs.
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Thats a cobble job if I ever heard one. I would be beyond ****** if I bought a truck that had been repaired like that.
Did the bolt go in hard, or did you just overtorque it? If it went in easy, there is a good chance you could get it out with a reverse drill bit and some easy outs.
Did the bolt go in hard, or did you just overtorque it? If it went in easy, there is a good chance you could get it out with a reverse drill bit and some easy outs.
the best suggestion was to drill it out and tap in new threads, 20yrs fixing military junk and seeing lots of techs snap off easy outs, has shown me the light, 8 outta ten times they break the easy out cause the bolt is siezed in there, (agreed if not siezed in the easy out likely will work) I've found the best way to remove a broken stud is to weld a nut on the end of it 8out of 10 times the broken bolt/stud is removed
its only a sway bar mount!! something that rarely if ever in the trucks service life will ever be removed
...he, he I'm good at cobbling I guess
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I remember it giving me problems when I tried to thread it in, so I used the 3/4" impact on it & snapped it.
Its' REALLY stuck in there.
For the record I'm really not into grinding off frames or welding unless its' absolutely necessary & there's really no other way out.
After I posted I thought of welding the front part of the sway bar bracket on as the only time that part would be removed is to change a sway bar bushing...& thats' not too often (if ever).
I'll try drilling it, but, I'm about 0 for 3 using easy outs, etc.
The whole front frame sections, basically from the shock forward on the passenger side & the steering box forward on the driver's side has been replaced & re-welded on anyways; maybe it'll match!
Its' REALLY stuck in there.
For the record I'm really not into grinding off frames or welding unless its' absolutely necessary & there's really no other way out.
After I posted I thought of welding the front part of the sway bar bracket on as the only time that part would be removed is to change a sway bar bushing...& thats' not too often (if ever).
I'll try drilling it, but, I'm about 0 for 3 using easy outs, etc.
The whole front frame sections, basically from the shock forward on the passenger side & the steering box forward on the driver's side has been replaced & re-welded on anyways; maybe it'll match!
#7
Buy some left handed bits & drill it out. It may back out on its own or you may end up going to the next size. The left side of my bar came down shortly after I got the truck back from the shop that installed a new box. I ended up drilling & taping. Original size is 10mm (I think). I went up to a 12 MM. Fixing it was easier than driving back to the shop that fubared. I now clean bolt holes and bolt threads &/or use new bolts. They stretch & are easy to cross thread - especially if a shop is trying to make time. I'll have to go back to doing my own work.
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#8
like Junk man..use a left hand drill bit...
without those..
do have a metal cutting torch..cut a hole in the bolt..then drill in slight larger sizes until you're close enough to use tap ( for the existing size)..USE WITH CARE..they also break. the tap will remove the extra frozen steel while it cuts new threads..
if you're really good with a torch you could to what my Uncle did on my tranny..steel bolt in an AL housing..yep..he burned out the steel but left the AL alone..ok I did need to use through bolt..
-dkenny
without those..
do have a metal cutting torch..cut a hole in the bolt..then drill in slight larger sizes until you're close enough to use tap ( for the existing size)..USE WITH CARE..they also break. the tap will remove the extra frozen steel while it cuts new threads..
if you're really good with a torch you could to what my Uncle did on my tranny..steel bolt in an AL housing..yep..he burned out the steel but left the AL alone..ok I did need to use through bolt..
-dkenny
#9
If it broke flush you can hold a nut over the hole and use a wire welder to weld the busted bolt to the inside of the nut and then spin it out just like it was the original bolt. I've done it several times to get twisted of things out.
Just don't weld to the threads or anything around the threads.
Just don't weld to the threads or anything around the threads.
#10
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All of the above are good ideas that can and do work. I have another one you might try along with the others. That is to heat the bolt and hold a candle against the bolt and allow the heat to suck the wax in. I have not done it but others on another forum that have say it works every time. This is usually on rusted bolts so may not work as well on this but maybe worth a try.
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If it broke flush you can hold a nut over the hole and use a wire welder to weld the busted bolt to the inside of the nut and then spin it out just like it was the original bolt. I've done it several times to get twisted of things out.
Just don't weld to the threads or anything around the threads.
Just don't weld to the threads or anything around the threads.
Easy outs? I'm ZERO for many. I almost always end up breaking the easy out off in the hole.
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Quick update; I dropped the bar down so I could try to work w/this broken bolt.
I was going to just weld the swaybar bracket to the frame, so I went to mount the bar back up onto the frame....
I found out both of the nuts (or whatever they are) in the frame on the driver's side have ALSO stripped out...
Reaching the end of my rope, I just pulled the whole sway bar off the truck & said screw it for now.
Thanks for all the ideas though, I appreciate it!!
I was going to just weld the swaybar bracket to the frame, so I went to mount the bar back up onto the frame....
I found out both of the nuts (or whatever they are) in the frame on the driver's side have ALSO stripped out...
Reaching the end of my rope, I just pulled the whole sway bar off the truck & said screw it for now.
Thanks for all the ideas though, I appreciate it!!
#15
Drill & tap to the next size. They are metric 8 or 10 mm. Measure the pitch & match what was in there. Look at the other side if necessary. Buy a thread pitch gauge., the PROPER tap and associated drill if you don't have them.