Snapped a bolt in a thread. Help!

[Paul1985]

Hey,
Ive had the worst day and this just topped it off!

I was installing my brake upgrade and one of the two bolts from the rear upper arm snapped into the chassis of the car. The thread and bolt on the other one are shit too, so that will need to be re-tapped with a new bolt aswell.

I cant even seem to remove the head of the bolt but i can feel that its snapped.

I dont have a tap set or even drill bits. Even if i did i dont have enough confidence in myself for tapping and drilling an important hole like this. I may even need a helicoil...

So does anyone know what i can do about this issue? Its stressing me out.

Im thinking of paying a proffesional to just come around and drill/tap/helicoil the two holes.. that way it will be done correctly. If im doing this who should i contact?? I know a mechanic would do it but im thinking that there would be better tradesman to get than a mechanic for this.

Anyone have any advice? surely theres been a few of you who've snapped bolts.

[90xsi]

you will only need a helicoil if you have stripped the thread bad enough.

if you can just get a smaller drill bit (couple of sizes smaller) and drill
through the centre of the snapped bolt, it should crumble and you can get it
out. Even if you get the sides a little, just re tap it so the new bolt will go in \
smooth.

if you have the confidence to do the brake upgrade you should be
capable of this. Even go to you local auto store and ask for advice.
hopefully they might have a better answer.

good luck :D

[[[d a n n y]]]

paul u idiot. lol
show us some pics.

[JasonGilholme]

picsorban.

Bad luck man. I know how you feel, its even more painful after a long day that hasn't been goin well... :/

goodluck champ.

[Zilli]

like mentioned above

get a smaller-than-bolt drill bit and drill through it, then smack it up a bit with a hammer and pick until it crumbles up

wose comes to worst there are people who come to you to retap

[Drew]

go to a hardware shop and get an easyout...

While you're there pick me up a sky hook and 4L of Tartan paint will ya...

But really an easyout should do it without much drilling if any, and a very very good change of the thread being intact

Here's a link if you have absolutely no idea what the **** I'm talking about

http://www.crustyquinns.com/tech/easyout.html

[ECU-MAN]

if your brave, you can drill a hole dead centre of the broken bolt, then use an easy out as mentioned above.

or if your even braver, you can drill a hole dead center and then use a drill bit the size of the bolt and drill it all out, then clean up the thread or helicoil it if ness.

I sucks doesnt it

[aaronng]

Supercheap sells a set of easyouts for $20 for 4 sizes. If you buy it from bunnings, it's $10 each. (but I think the bunnings one is of better quality).

Also, if you have a cordless drill/screwdriver, you can use the easyout with it set to reverse with less chance of snapping the easyout.

[Paul1985]

i had a look at it today.
The bolt isnt snapped. The welded nut on the other side has broken off..
You may think that that makes things easy. Hell no. You cant get to the welded nut because its inside the chassis. I was thinking drill a hole through the frame soi can get a tool in there to undo it and then id be able to put another nut on it. So far ive drilled about a 10mm hole but im gonna have to drill a huge hole in order to be able to get the nut out as it looks to be about 22mm in size. I cant seem to drill a hole where i need it aswell so i dont know how im going to be able to get the nut off and out let alone trying to install another one. I dont know what to do! One problem is just leading to another.

I might pay someone to do it before i mess the job up.

[BlitZ]

u can either drill it out or dremel a groove so u can use a flat head.. good luck...

atleast it isnt threaded ;)

[Drew]

Why not just use pliers to hold the turning nut?

[Drew]

Yeah but those are always tack welded into place and if its snapped in there that means that the tacks haven't broken?

[aStRooo]

i snaped the bolt holding the shift linkage to the GB once. just used good old superglue on the bolt head and let it bond again. then slowly unscrewed it... ghetto styles

[Drew]

oh lol my bad ^_^

My opinion is that you're screwed :P

Probably take it to an engineering workshop, get them to cut it out and put some fresh steel in its place with a hole and tacked on nut on the end of it to replace it...

Not really something you can fix yourself as such

From this point on I would really recommend someone that knows what they are doing to fix it...

[Paul1985]

OK it sounds like your at the desperation stage by now. What I would do is cut the head of the bolt off using a dremel tool, hacksaw, grinder, chisel or whatever cutting tool you have at hand. Then just push the rest of the bolt and the broken off nut INTO the frame so now you can get the part off.

Next problem will be how to get a regular nut back inside the frame??? Instead of trying to drill one large hole in the frame for access mark out a box or circle that you figure has enough room to insert a new nut and your finger or box wrench. Then drill a series of SMALL drill holes around the outside of the circle or box you drew on the frame. Drill the small holes close together so there is only a small bit of metal between the holes. When you get holes drilled around 2/3 or 3/4 of your circle or box grab a chisel or screwdriver you don't care about and bang it into a hole so all the little bits of metal connecting the holes break and then either bang the "Door" you just made into or pry it outward of the frame so the door is now open and you have your access point.

While you have the door open fish out the cut off bolt and nut and toss them.

If you have access to a welder position a new nut inside the frame and weld it in place then weld the door shut after banging it back into position.

If you don't have access to a welder then put in the new bolt and proper nut on the backside and use a box wrench to hold the nut while you tighten it but then you will have to just close the door but not weld it because you may have to get access to that nut again. good luck.

Great advice. Something to consider. Ive been asking around n trying to think up a resolution to this problem. This is a great idea, but i dont have a welder n id have to cut a pretty big hole. Its still in quuiet a difficult area to get a tool on even with a big door.

Ive already drilled a bit of a hole. One of the mechanics from work come up with an idea that im going to try first, and if this fails then im going to have to cut a big door and go as you mentioned.

As the welded nuts and bolts from both holes are in shithouse condition, the other bolt and nut are going to do the same thing as what happened to the already snapped one, i can feel it in the nut and bolt. So im going to knock that welded nut off aswell as removing the already broken off nut. Then im going to make up a plate at work, drill and tap 2 threads in it and get 2 new bolts. With the hole ive drilled in the frame i will be able to slide this plate into it and start the bolts on each thread and then do them up evenly. This should work good i think. I will just need to be aware of it if ever needing to remove this component.

I have the upper arm as a template for creating this plate at work. Im also going to put some welding wire around it when first putting it in the hole so i dont lose it!

Thanks for the info claymore, that pin trick is gold! i think i might have to use that one. Thats definately a trick ill remember :D +rep

I think ill be able to fix it up drew, im not screwed as yet. Im a 2nd year motor mechanic apprentice. I should be doing these things myself, what sort of mechanic will i make if i send my jobs off all the time lol.