Broken upper shackle bolt

[d10shun]

I was working on my buddies XJ trying to put a budget boost on it. He just bought the truck from a family from New York so rust was everywhere. We were removing the upper shackle bolt when it snapped off. How can we remove the rest of the bolt?

We were thinking that we could weld a nut to the end of this bolt but we do not have a welder. Anyone in Az willing to help us out?

 

[Thayer]

You could try grinding 2 flat edges on what's left of the bolt...or try using bolt-outs on the stub...but your idea of welding a nut is probably best since it will hold the best. From doing mine, I know they're on really tight. I had to use a 24" breaker bar and all my strength. Before that I broke a wrench and turned a 3/8" socket into a twizler.

 

[gjxj]

PB blaster it good and cross your fingers. If the blaster frees it up, it looks
like you have just enough to get a vice grip on there.

Also as a last resort you may end up drilling it out. I did that on one that broke flush.

 

[d10shun]

What about putting a right angle air drill with a hole saw attachment and drill out the nut. Then drilling a smaller hole throught the rest of the frame and hold the shackle all together with a mega long bolt. Has anyone tried this? We are very frustrated at this problem!

 

[Thayer]

If you're willing to go that far, I would just cut into the blind nut box on the frame and then just break the welded nut off with a chisel and hammer. You might have to do some grinding and cutting to get the bolt and nut out though.

Here's a pic, not my pic and of the front leaf eye, but you get the idea...

 

[d10shun]

Thanks for the idea Thayer!

 

[PstrKd4BrthCntrll]

If you're willing to go that far, I would just cut into the blind nut box on the frame and then just break the welded nut off with a chisel and hammer. You might have to do some grinding and cutting to get the bolt and nut out though.

Here's a pic, not my pic and of the front leaf eye, but you get the idea...

This is what I had to do for one of my front ones too. The weld that held the nut to the frame let go. I used a grinder and ground away at the blind nut box just enough to get a 24mm? open end wrench on the nut.

 

[Thayer]

I've seen people cut it differently, so they could open it like a box, then weld the cover back on when they're done. Does that make sense? Cut on 3 sides, bend the tab out to gain access to the blind nut, then bend the tab back, and weld it shut if you choose to.

 

[dwebb944t]

Thayer, thanks for the help (my jeep that has the problem)!

Dan

 

[zfinger]

The same thing happened to me last weekend when I tried to put a BB in my friends Jeep. We just stuffed the broken bolt back in and he drove on it for a week. His uncle was planning on dropping the gas tank and taking a hole-saw to the backside of the frame rail, and drilling it out from there. That was supposed to happen today, I'm gonna give him a call and find out what they did.

My 97' nothing broke, but the 95 I'm doing next weekend worries me

 

[gjxj]

You will really have a hard time getting that nut out with the bolt still in it.
Think about that, if you must drill the bolt out it will be far easier to do it before you
break the nut free.

 

[dwebb944t]

Thanks ZFinger, please let me know what you find out...

 

[zfinger]

Well I found out they didnt have time to do it, so he still has the broken bolt in there. But I think the best idea is to soak it in PB for a few days, then file 2 flat sides on the leftover nub. Then get some vicegrips locked on it and try that for a while. If that dosent work, drop tank, holesaw, torch.

 

[d10shun]

You will really have a hard time getting that nut out with the bolt still in it.
Think about that, if you must drill the bolt out it will be far easier to do it before you
break the nut free.

If I chisel off the nut the bolt will come off with it. We may not be able to pull out the offending bolt/nut but can't push it though the internal hole of the frame and just let it rattle around within the frame. I suppose we could JB weld out of the way if the rattling will bother Dan. Dan is a fag like that and wants his stuff perfect.

 

[dwebb944t]

Right... And you were the one that spent how many hours painting your rocker panels!? At least when I am done fixing mine I will have four wheel drive!

OH, and weren't you the one trying to steal the lighted visor mirrors off my old truck because yours doesn't have them and it's hard for you to fix your makeup without them...?

 

[d10shun]

Right... And you were the one that spent how many hours painting your rocker panels!? At least when I am done fixing mine I will have four wheel drive!

OH, and weren't you the one trying to steal the lighted visor mirrors off my old truck because yours doesn't have them and it's hard for you to fix your makeup without them...?

Hey, if painting lilacs and roses on my rockers is gay then call me Richard Simmons.

If I recall correctly you haven't had a 944 turbo for about 3 years yet your user name is dwebb944t. You joined Naxja March of 04. Holding on to the glory days? dwebb - yes that is original!

Wasn't there two tiny little bolt holes in your current POS 944 where rear lights used to be? Dan's anal obsession requires him to fill these holes in his rear.

 

[dwebb944t]

OK Richard.

 

[d10shun]

OK Richard.

So witty! How about Thursday night to work on your junk? 4pm?

 

[Thayer]

If I chisel off the nut the bolt will come off with it. We may not be able to pull out the offending bolt/nut but can't push it though the internal hole of the frame and just let it rattle around within the frame. I suppose we could JB weld out of the way if the rattling will bother Dan. Dan is a fag like that and wants his stuff perfect.

You could always just stick a saw up there before the nut is broken off and go at it. I'm sure if you saw off what's left of the bolt on either side of the nut, the thing will scoot over and fall out once the nut is broken.

 

[dwebb944t]

Yea maybe. The good thing with this rig is I am not too worried about things coming loose, most everything is got a nice coating of rust to keep things from coming apart.