URGENT HELP PLEASE; Rounded Bolt??!!

[supersamEK]

IM guessing this is the right forum hopefully, at the moment i am installing rear swaybar, but the bolt that holds the rear lower control arm has rounded and now i have no idea how to get it off!! i cant oxy it off cause the bolt goes through welded on nut so if oxy off,,, wont be able to screw stud out. i was thinking of drilling it out, but i think that will be impossible as it is a long bolt. can someone help me please!

[aaronng]

You mean the head of the bolt has rounded off? We need a pic. What do you mean the bolt is welded on to the nut?

[wynode]

I think he means head of the bolt rounded off (ie can't get a socket over it!

[CRXer]

He means its a blind nut,ie nut welded in place.

If its too much for the vice grips,I sometimes use a small grinder to grind flat sections onto the bolt head that a smaller spanner will fit.Just try not to heat the head up too much with the grinder,do it a small bit at a time.

[totti]

try a chisel and hammer, make a groove, then hit the head of the bolt in anti-clockwise direction

[aaronng]

Try CRXer's tip. Best that you keep the shape so that you can get a socket over it.

Last resort is to use a bolt extractor. It's an anti-clockwise drill bit that you use after you drill a small hole in the middle of the bolt. Supercheap sells a set of 3 or 4 for $20. I got mine from bunnings, but it was $10 for 1 extractor!

[BRU51N]

im sure both sides cant be rounded, the otherside must have a nut or something. sounds weird to have two rounded heads, if so how did they put it on?

[EGB18CT]

cold chisel my friend! i had heaps when i swapped my motor...

[ECU-MAN]

vice grips all the way :)

[destrukshn]

vice grips all the way :)
yups, saved my life numerous of times.
lol.

[wynode]

*What Aarong said*


im sure both sides cant be rounded, the otherside must have a nut or something. sounds weird to have two rounded heads, if so how did they put it on?

The other end is usually a nut that is spot welded to the subfram (hence you don't need a socket on the end of that while you do up the bolt)

[Zdster]

I 'believe' that the issue has been sorted :).

[timofytit]

Borrow a set of 'easy outs', drill a small hole in the middle, tap the 'easy out' in with a hammer. Connect the adapter wrench, and remove.

[egSi]

double hex socket wont help?

if not go get an easy out.

[Paul1985]

vice grips and some crc :)

[superR]

vice grips for sure

[fatboyz39]

angle grinder a slot and use a flat head screw driver.

[kraiye]

try vice grips but first grind 2 flat edges on opposing sides of the bolt head to give the vice grips a flat edge to hang on to.
i had three nuts do this too me on my exhaust. i got a hacksaw and cut away two sides of the nut as close to the thread as possible then whacked them with a cold chisel anti clockwise. prolly not a good idea with a bolt though as you may weaken the head too much.

[barefootbonzai]

there's special sockets that you can hammer on to take out rounded bolts. just go to hardware place and ask about it.

[Zdster]

As I stated on the last page, "I 'believe' that the issue has been sorted :)."

[Jomsy]

stillsens are better then vice grips, they are what plumber use, they tighten as you undo the bolt where vice grips lock on with a set pressure so to speak, any mechanic worth his weight should have a set

[supersamEK]

Yeah i worked it out thanks for the sugesstions. I guess this is good info for anyone else who comes across this problem. thanx