Last week I removed the Front crossmember from the car, and in the process the 2 bolts that hold the cross member to the space frame sheared off and I can't seem to get them out. To make things worse, I sheared off a Bolt extractor in the first one I was trying to get out. its looking like I may not have much in the way of options besides drilling them out. Will a Helicoil be suitable in this location, or should I use a bigger bolt? Any help someone can give with getting these bolts out unmolested would be appreciated.
My current Idea is to notch out the frame on the outside of the frame where the spring normally is, and attack it from the top where I can hit it with some PB blaster and maybe thread it all the way through the hole. After that I can weld a plate over it to close the hole. Any reason not to do this?
[This message has been edited by ElTee (edited 01-11-2013).]
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06:58 PM
Blacktree Member
Posts: 20770 From: Central Florida Registered: Dec 2001
Personally, I would drill / grind out the broken bolt, and re-thread the holes. That's actually what I did for the front sway bar (which IMO has undersize mounting bolts, but that's a story for another time).
Whether you drill out the bolt and open the thread to the next size or for a Helicoil, you are still making the thread bigger. If the thread is able to be sound enough for a helicoil I would go with that, this way you can use stock style bolt. Use a helicoil that has as much length as possible too. The hard part is removing the entire bolt that is stuck. Good luck, use good drill bits and lots of cutting oil.
Using Helicoil on the frame often won't work now or in long run. Not enough "meat" to bite in.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
It looks like ill be able to tap or helicoil. I cut open the frame to get behind and see if I could get the screws out from the top. Ill take a picture with what I found but there's basically a metal plate with a nut that the bolt screws into. It looks plenty thick enough to tap but I have to wait for some carbide drill bits to come in the mail. The bolt extractor I tried to use broke off.
Welding nuts to sheared bolts has always worked on the front of fiero for me. The heat works to loosen the remains of the bolt, and the new head lets me put a socket on it. I managed to break every single bolt on the front crossmember on a car and save everysingle tapped hole that way.
Tips from my experience: -dont weld plated nuts to the sheared bolt, it wont hold -do nut impact welded nuts, the weld usually breaks -allow to cool from cherry red to still too damn hot, then remove, it comes out like it has just been oiled -dont drop the newly welded nut in oil, in plastic, or on a wooden bench. I did all of those and started a fire each time, haha
Welding nuts to sheared bolts has always worked on the front of fiero for me.
Im thinking about it. Im pretty much out of options other than drill. Im new to welding so im not sure If I can get a good enough weld down to make it not just snap off, but then again I guess at this point I dont have much to lose.
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02:56 PM
DimeMachine Member
Posts: 957 From: Eastern Metro, Minnesota, USA Registered: Sep 2011
Welding nuts to sheared bolts has always worked on the front of fiero for me. The heat works to loosen the remains of the bolt, and the new head lets me put a socket on it. I managed to break every single bolt on the front crossmember on a car and save everysingle tapped hole that way.
Tips from my experience: -dont weld plated nuts to the sheared bolt, it wont hold -do nut impact welded nuts, the weld usually breaks -allow to cool from cherry red to still too damn hot, then remove, it comes out like it has just been oiled -dont drop the newly welded nut in oil, in plastic, or on a wooden bench. I did all of those and started a fire each time, haha
This method has saved me many times. Wirefeed welder works good.
Originally posted by TONY_C: If you don't have enough metal to tap for a helicoil you won't have enough material to tap for the next size thread either.
Yes... Many frame bolts use stamp nuts, some captured, Like rear cradle bolts, others welded to frame. Stamped frame does like or hates any large bolts or Helicoil etc repairs.
Welding nut to left over... Try tighten a bit then removing.
Tighten can loosen rust etc on hidden part of bolts.
Repeat this can do less damage to nut.
When cool... try freeze the bolt. They make freeze spray w/ oil. In section w/ WD40 etc. Cool because spray can catch fire.
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10:53 AM
rourke_87_T-Top Member
Posts: 1347 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jan 2009
I have broke the crossmember bolts, I opened a small hole in the frame just above and as close as I could to the broken crossmember bolt, there is a capture nut, witch hat etc. I used a die grinder with a small grinding stone, ground the upper portion of the hat off ,until it was just the floating plate, the upper portion contains the threads. Took a couple hours, wore out a couple small grinding stones. The broken portion if any, below the threads in the capture nut / floating plate, will fall out, grind it flat, then I added a shouldered nut, I just slipped a box end wrench into the access hole when I mounted the crossmember, pop off the box end wrench, you just have a 2" hole to cover up.
I wouldn't add a helicoil or try retapping it myself, new high grade hardware.
[This message has been edited by rourke_87_T-Top (edited 01-15-2013).]
So I decided to go Caveman on this and do it my way. The Capture nut thingy was cast with a support plate below that rested on the frame and was spot welded to the frame. I took a drill and drilled the welds most of the way out, and used a flat head screw driver and a BFH to get the rest. Removed it, and now I can take it to a machine shop to get drilled out/rethreded. Only one near me wants $80 so I either have to find a futher away but cheaper one, or make something on my own.
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11:18 PM
Jan 16th, 2013
RCR Member
Posts: 4416 From: Shelby Twp Mi Registered: Sep 2002
So I decided to go Caveman on this and do it my way. The Capture nut thingy was cast with a support plate below that rested on the frame and was spot welded to the frame. I took a drill and drilled the welds most of the way out, and used a flat head screw driver and a BFH to get the rest. Removed it, and now I can take it to a machine shop to get drilled out/rethreded. Only one near me wants $80 so I either have to find a futher away but cheaper one, or make something on my own.
If you have access to a welder, just weld a new nut to a plate. Toss the old junk...
