Broken bolts, and the owner who wants them out!

[lostissues]

welll i have the 4 bolts that hold on the brackets for the sway bar stuck in the frame,

 

 

This is not my doing, my best guess is that the P.O. broke something on the sway bar and tried to fix it by removeing it with a rock, then sticking with his cave man instincts of "Fire Good", he just welded brackets back on and by the way that the sway bar is still there you can tell he did a good job :nuts:

 

now i have goopy welds and random parts stuck to the frame that i have to even out with a grinder, but I'm kinda stuck on removing the bolts, some will say "build up a weld and weld on a nut" seams like a good idea, i do have a welder, its downstairs sitting in the box, never removed, need to break it out and practice. is this something that any idiot with a welder could do? cause I'm the perfect canadate for any idiot with a welder, or am i going to end up as any idiot with a welder and truck with about 8 pounds of extra metal tacked to the frame?

 

and suggestions will help, i will pb blast the crap out of them before doing anything, then I'm game, I'm not great at brainstorming ways to get the bolts out, if anyone remembers i just ended up swaping the yoke when one of the drive shaft brackets decided to shear off a bolt. :oops:

 

THANK YOU!!

 

Jonathan

[Oizarod115]

i wouldnt let my first welding experience be tacking a nut to a sheared bolt, especially if you REALLY want it out.

 

cause you're SOL if you miss and tac the damn thing to the frame.

[Twisty]

1. Drill

2. Patience

3. Good drill bit

4. Patience

5. Tap

6. Patience

 

 

no...I don't have THAT much patience...but its a tried and true method if you can get a drill to them.

[JeepcoMJ]

try welding the nut to it first.

 

if that doesn't work, you need a hammer and a center punch, punch the center of the bolt, then proceed to drill.

[jackel18]

is this something that any idiot with a welder could do? cause I'm the perfect canadate for any idiot with a welder

 

don't feel so bad, there will be two idiots trying to figure this one out :cheers:

 

by the way....we need some beer when we work on the trucks, then things won't hurt so much

[JeepcoMJ]

is this something that any idiot with a welder could do? cause I'm the perfect canadate for any idiot with a welder

 

don't feel so bad, there will be two idiots trying to figure this one out :cheers:

 

by the way....we need some beer when we work on the trucks, then things won't hurt so much

 

it's not too easy...you have to build up the weld on the bolt w/o welding to the side, and build it up enough to set a nut up then weld the nut to the first weld you made.

 

if you follow.

 

kinda tricky, but if you can weld strong welds then you should be able to accomplish it.

[lostissues]

well, it does look like it would be hard to make a good first try and have it work, i may end up asking the guy who fixed up my rockers and floors to see if he can get them out when i go to get an sticker.

 

Jackel, we will get our practice in by welding rocks to trees or something, and beer will be good, now i just need to get some time off work.

 

Jonathan

[mjcanoe]

JeepcoMJ, I'f I remember correct & my trip to my mj confirmed, Caged nuts are in lower section of frame rail, So, as metioned b-4, the best thing is dead center w/ punch, then slowly drill w/plenty of lube/cutting oil w/either a small drill 1/8th, then move to larger. Bolt is 10mm x 1.5 if I recall. may not matter since your goal is to remove as much of old bolts as you can, then you can retap to your hearts content. If your centering is on the mark, you can use 3/8 or 10mm bolts. I prefer oem 10mm. Other crude option is to drill them out "full" then cut little slots in frame so you can add nuts on top of caged nuts, crude but sometimes needed, then recap cut holes w/plates.

 

mjcanoe

[500 MJ]

I broke one off on my sway bar and there was no way it was gonna come out. So I cut the section of unibody out and drilled and tapped a new piece of steel that I rewelded back in. It is working just fine and I have done the same thing before for broken off XJ rear shock bolts on the unibody. just make sure you use thick enough steel. I used 3/16 and its working just fine.

 

edit: Looking at those pics again, I feel your pain and its oh so familiar. :roll:

[mjcanoe]

lostissues, you don't have anything to weld to based on pics. sometimes a bolt/stud will break off that allows you some purchase, but your pics don't show that. Drill out is probably the best way to go, as mentioned before. Man, I cut my teeth on north country vehicles, I don't envy you. No one down in south seems to know what "firewrench" is.

[lostissues]

so i may be better off drilling them out and then rethreading them and using a little bigger bolt?

that may work for me.

[Oizarod115]

lostissues, you don't have anything to weld to based on pics. sometimes a bolt/stud will break off that allows you some purchase, but your pics don't show that. Drill out is probably the best way to go, as mentioned before. Man, I cut my teeth on north country vehicles, I don't envy you. No one down in south seems to know what "firewrench" is.

 

...fire wrench?

 

you got that right, i don't have a CLUE what he's talkin about.

[JeepcoMJ]

me either.

[mjcanoe]

Oizarod & JeepcoMJ, Sorry guys, based on your profile & mine I guess I'm talking "Old School", a firewrench is slang foran oxy/acetyline torch unit. I grew up in N/E Ohio, worked there & learned my trade as a mecahnic, now I reckon i'm a technician. Anyway, we used torches to heat things up, made it easier to remove in the salt belt. Used them to weld one piece of metal to another, etc.,etc. You can even use them to seperate pieces of metal from another, even without a cutting tip. "old school" I have this equipment in my mobile shop if you like to see a demo.

 

mjcanoe

[JeepcoMJ]

LMAO. i just say "torch" it's easier...but we do basically the same thing w/ our torch.

[DirtyComanche]

That's a fairly common term...

 

 

 

And as to of how I'd get those bolts out.... I'd not. Unless I REALLY had to.

 

 

 

Then I'd probably be drilling them as overhead welding isn't anything I enjoy. Not that I enjoy overhead drilling. Is flopping your truck in the driveway an option?

[JeepcoMJ]

:agree:

[500 MJ]

If you don't own a torch up here, you break alot of bolts off that shouldnt be an issue for breaking, plain as that.

 

Also, you learn to put anti-seize on everything when you put it back together. I :headpop: SALT!

[CWLONGSHOT]

I agree about the drilling. It dosen't appear to be enough there below the frame rail to get a nut on. Besides the great fun of overhead welding Dirty mentions...read SUX BIG TIME!!!

 

Go at it knowing it will be a beoitch and have a number of drills and cold beer ready for the swearing breaks. :roll: :D

 

good luck!!

 

CW

[mjeff87]

I snapped one of each on both sides on mine, and drilled/retapped them.

 

Go slow with the drill bit and use plenty of oil (helps to have a buddy under there with you squirting while you keep drilling).

 

Wear long sleeves or at least cuffed gloves (those little curlies are HOT when they fall!) and eye protection. Not a bad idea to wear earplugs too.)

 

Jeff

[Pete M]

I had the same problem with my 88. Thank goodness I had no intention of putting the swaybar back on. I want to keep the swaybar on my 90 and so I'm just not going to touch it. Ever. :(