Big Dan Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I ran into some issues while attempting to install krusty's hitch. Bolts on the driver's side came out of the frame with no issues. All of the bolts on the passenger side broke off, sub flush to the frame. Any ideas on removal? Ive tried using a dremel to make a new notch, but I can't get any grip. Its exacerbated by the fact that there is no room to maneuver . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 I purchased a right angle drill. Hopefully that will allow me to get in there and drill it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1992EliminatorSWB4x4 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Tough news on the broken bolts. Next warm day I will install my Krusty hitch. I think I will PB Blaster them now and several more times before I remove them. Lessons learned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hopefully it will go smoother for you. I've worked on and off for an hour and havent gotten the first bolt complete yet. It's really difficult to see what you are doing and then make progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 has anyone successfully punched the old nuts out? I think I will PB Blaster them now and several more times before I remove them. Lessons learned. get the spray inside the frame to the exposed threads. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 has anyone successfully punched the old nuts out? No, I may just weld the hitch on instead of messing with these bolts that I can't get to cleanly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Opinion on this.. And I'll take it somewhere to get welded if this won't cut it. I was thinking about installing the hitch with the new bolts on the driver's side and then welding the hitch the to the frame in place of the broken bolts on the passenger side. Do you all feel a fluxcore welder would be strong enough for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 No . Punch the old nuts out , make a steel plate that sits inside the frame rail , drill holes in the plate and weld the nuts to that plate that has the same bolt pattern as the hitch . The hitch and plate will sandwich the frame rail and will allow you to unbolt the hitch if you need to . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 The frame rails aren't the usual kind where it's a solid single piece, it's a couple layers of sheet metal pressed together. If you weld it on, you'll just stick it to the outer layer, which will want to tear off when you put load onto it. Not what you want. Also, given that the hitch sits over the bumper brackets, you'd be welding the bumper bracket to the frame, and then the hitch to the bumper bracket. I'd want both these things removable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Well, that answers that.. I'll just keep working on getting these boogers out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdwillys Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Here's one way that works for me , generally for broken studs flush to the surface. Drill the center of the broken bolt using a step drill bit. The step drill bit should be the size, where the largest step of the bit is the same or very close to the same size of the diameter of the broken bolt. Continue to spray threads with your choice of breaker solution. Drill as deep as you can, however, stop before the larger steps touch the threads. The idea is to try to get as close as you can without touching down on the threads, which is at the top where you can see. Then try taking a small chisel and pry the thin bolt wall and expose the frame threads. Soak, and let that chemical mature. Then put the largest size extraction bit into the hole you drilled and try turning it out. If that dose not work, then use regular drill bits. Start with smaller diameter and gradually workup. If it's a total wreck, start working it out with a small chisel. Heat helps. If you can drill completely through the bolt, that helps. Be aware of anything on the other side, you don't want to drill through something like a fuel or brake line... Also be careful using the regular drill bits, after a hole is created by the step drill. The regular bit will tend to suddenly catch and snap.Pull out a broken bit with needle nose in the same spiral direction it wants to go. I know in your situation it's a tough loction. If needed Clean up the threads with a tap when you are done. Good luck. Works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 has anyone successfully punched the old nuts out? Yup. When I went to install a hitch on my rusty 86, all but two bolts broke. I studied the available space I had to work with and deemed it impossible to drill out the broken bolts without removing the bed. Then I studied the nuts on the inside of the frame and noticed each nut was only tack welded to the frame in two spots. I hit each nut with a long chisel attached to an air hammer and they popped off no problem. I bought new Grade 8 hardware for reassembly. On the inside of the frame I put a large washer followed by a lock washer then the nut. I'll be honest here, getting the nuts attached to the bolt while tucked inside the frame rail is a pain. I had success using a long breaker bar and socket holding the nut inside the frame while I torqued on the bolt head itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustyballer16 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I'm sure I could come up with some sort of "nut strip" for these. You'd still have to get the broken bolt out and drill through the nut but with the nut strip you wouldn't have to knock the "weld nut" out of the frame... I should have thought about this at the beginning so they were available for all the hitches I've sold... Just an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 And a good idea at that. I would have gladly paid the extra for that. I got my hitch painted but haven't had opportunity to put it on yet. I know I've got a few broken bolts to contend with, and I've had near as makes no difference -50F windchills in my "garage" the last couple weekends so I wasn't too keen on messing around with them. It's supposed to get up into the 20's this weekend so hopefully it'll finally happen... Got a small stack of parts piling up already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 has anyone successfully punched the old nuts out? Yup. When I went to install a hitch on my rusty 86, all but two bolts broke. I studied the available space I had to work with and deemed it impossible to drill out the broken bolts without removing the bed. Then I studied the nuts on the inside of the frame and noticed each nut was only tack welded to the frame in two spots. I hit each nut with a long chisel attached to an air hammer and they popped off no problem. I bought new Grade 8 hardware for reassembly. On the inside of the frame I put a large washer followed by a lock washer then the nut. I'll be honest here, getting the nuts attached to the bolt while tucked inside the frame rail is a pain. I had success using a long breaker bar and socket holding the nut inside the frame while I torqued on the bolt head itself. How did you get to the nut on the other side of the frame without cutting into anything? Edit - Or are you saying you took the bed off to do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Take the bumper off the brackets. You should be able to look into the end of the frame. You might even be able to do that with the bumper installed if you've got mad skills. The bumper brackets sit on the outside and bottom of the frame, but you should still be able to get at the the open end of the frame if you go from the inside/top, i.e. from between the bumper brackets. Edit:: Just went outside to take a pic to illustrate this, but was thwarted by the darkness and my camera's inability to white balance when it's dark and there's snow. But taking off your tailgate will be helpful for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustyballer16 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 And a good idea at that. I would have gladly paid the extra for that. I got my hitch painted but haven't had opportunity to put it on yet. I know I've got a few broken bolts to contend with, and I've had near as makes no difference -50F windchills in my "garage" the last couple weekends so I wasn't too keen on messing around with them. It's supposed to get up into the 20's this weekend so hopefully it'll finally happen... Got a small stack of parts piling up already. Thanks. And it would be pretty easy to do. 2 pieces of 1/4 with the bolt pattern cut out in both of them the same. But with one plate with 1/2" holes for the 1/2" nuts to be welded on and the other plate has the holes drilled out to like 5/8 or 3/4 to go over/around the 14mm nuts. Both plates welded together of course and long enough to hold onto and place during installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 Ill give that a try. I was under the assumption that the hole for the bolt was threaded. Is that incorrect? IE - if I knock off the retaining nut in the frame, the bolt should come out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 yes, the hole is not threaded. the frame is just sheetmetal. the threaded part is simply a nut welded to the inside surface. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 How did you get to the nut on the other side of the frame without cutting into anything? Edit - Or are you saying you took the bed off to do this? You have full access to the inner frame rail from the back of the truck. Lots of room with the bumper pulled. I used a combination of a short socket on a long breaker bar to hold the nut and small piece of tape to hold the washers to said socket to reach the far bolts. The front couple of bolts are easily accessed. Trust me, with the bumper removed this is quite easy. When I pulled the bumper/ hitch combo to install a JCR rear bumper it was far more challenging since the bumper and brackets are welded together....yet still doable through the small gap left between the bumper and bed. I have never removed the bed on this truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Awesome, Ill give it a try this weekend and see what I can do. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dan Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Am I correct in saying that it's just the four bolts on either side that hold the bumper bracket on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Am I correct in saying that it's just the four bolts on either side that hold the bumper bracket on? 4 on each side , one on the bottom . 5 total on each side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustyballer16 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 And you have to take the shackle bolt out to mount my hitch on too... Or you can just cut that hole out of the hitch plate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Only on the short wheel base. I left the hole on mine which is going onto a long wheelbase. Figure it might be useful for something some day, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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