Advice removing sheared off bolt

[TimJM]

Well after the success of refitting my diff I tried to plough ahead with the rebuild to try and get back the car on the road. All was going well, the prop-shaft when back in easily, I torqued up all the diff bolts and mounts to the correct levels, put in the new handbrake cable and I really felt like progress was being made:


After all the work sanding, treating and repainting the chassis and wishbones, drive-shafts, prop-shaft, uprights etc. I couldn't face using the old bolts so I got a set of new HT bolts for the rear end, nice:


The only bolts I haven't replaced were the anti roll bar bracket ones. I forgot to get any new ones and wanted to get on with the rebuild. Well it bit me in the ass using the old bolts - as I added the last of the four bolts whilst tightening the head sheared off:


I tried grabbing it with grips but there just isn't enough bolt out to grip it. I then tried cutting a slot into the head to screw it out but it is way to tight to unscrew even with loads of plusgas and a spanner on a draper screwdriver it won't budge:


When I set off on this rebuild it was to learn about cars. Well I suppose I have now learnt to always buy new bolts and hopefully I will learn how to remove a sheared bolt.

Does anyone have any ideas?

[camel_landy]

Have you tried smacking it a few times with the hammer?? It can help free the thread but failing that, the stress relief can be a bonus.

If you have enough space to get a drill in there, centre punch, drill a pilot hole, open it out a touch and then get an 'easy out' onto it (a tapered self tapper, with a LH thread).

M

[Vee8ight]

Heat will help

[ridds]

Weld a nut on the end before you do any more damage to the remaining thread.

Then lots of heat.

Mine did exactly the same thing but when removing it.

[Wacky Racer]

ridds said:

Weld a nut on the end before you do any more damage to the remaining thread.

Then lots of heat.

This.

[aide]

I sheared a bolt on the steering rack of my xjr a while ago.

I just drilled a 10mm deep hole in the bit of the bolt I could see and then gently hammered in a torx socket that was just slightly bigger than the hole.

I heated it up with a torch and it came out with a ratchet.

[TimJM]

I don't have and welding equipment so I may have to try an easy out or one of the other suggestions. It is quite a small bolt so I am worried an easy out won't have enough material to grip.

Maybe I should invest in a welder, seems quite costly though to remove a bolt.

[Byff]

If you can get a drill in there, then drill it out and re-tap it. EZ outs have a tendancy to snap then you'll have a major pita.

[WinstonWolf]

Centre punch and a hammer. You'd be amazed at what you can shift with the right technique.

[Ireland]

Does your ARB go under the car or is it one of the ones that's higher up?

Can you get it off the car with the broken bit still in it?

If you can get it off the car you should be able to get the broken bit out easier with a bit of space to work in at the bench.

If you heat and cool it a few times that should loosen for you.

[pmessling]

Had the very same. Although had enough for mole grips. I heated it up and come out easy. Right angle drilling head and an easy out with some heat should work.

[TimJM]

Ireland said:

Does your ARB go under the car or is it one of the ones that's higher up?
Can you get it off the car with the broken bit still in it?
...

Mine is the later over one and the bolt is snapped off in the chassis. I do have some room to work though as I have the wishbones and everything removed.

I will try heat tonight. I will have to re-paint the area anyway after the mole grips scratched the paint up so I may as well try heat now.

[gerradiuk]

Tim if you have no access to decent heat then the freeze sprays can work, I would start with some pilot drills & build up,then apply the freeze & try chisel into the husk & turn it out. Have used similar , this stuff is magnetic so stays where its put . Good Luck & watch those knuckles
http://www.amazon.com/Blaster-16-PB-Penetrating-Ca...

[Tanguero]

Be warned - an easyout will not help if it is barely more than finger tight. If you snap the easyout in the hole (and you probably will if it is tight) then you are in a world of pain because they are hardened and almost impossible to drill out. I have never heard of anyone successfully using an easyout on a bolt that is properly seized.

Heat, penetrating oil and a parallel punch and percussion, or preferably an air hammer are the way to go. Or centre drilling and working your way up the drill sizes until you break through the side of the bolt will work if you have access.

[TimJM]

Tanguero said:

Be warned - an easyout will not help if it is barely more than finger tight. If you snap the easyout in the hole (and you probably will if it is tight) then you are in a world of pain because they are hardened and almost impossible to drill out. I have never heard of anyone successfully using an easyout on a bolt that is properly seized.

Heat, penetrating oil and a parallel punch and percussion, or preferably an air hammer are the way to go. Or centre drilling and working your way up the drill sizes until you break through the side of the bolt will work if you have access.

This is my worry - it is properly seized. The slot I cut in is nice and deep and was well cut (square neat sides). I managed to hammer in a large good quality screwdriver and attach a 19mm spanner to the screwdriver for leverage. I couldn't budge it.

I am looking into welders at the moment to weld on a nut - as this project is about learning why not learn to weld. So far I have figured out you have arc, mig and tig welders...at this rate I'll be an expert by lunchtime.

[Byff]

Just get the bugger drilled out and stop fannying on with welders

[Tanguero]

TimJM said:

Tanguero said:

Be warned - an easyout will not help if it is barely more than finger tight. If you snap the easyout in the hole (and you probably will if it is tight) then you are in a world of pain because they are hardened and almost impossible to drill out. I have never heard of anyone successfully using an easyout on a bolt that is properly seized.

Heat, penetrating oil and a parallel punch and percussion, or preferably an air hammer are the way to go. Or centre drilling and working your way up the drill sizes until you break through the side of the bolt will work if you have access.

This is my worry - it is properly seized. The slot I cut in is nice and deep and was well cut (square neat sides). I managed to hammer in a large good quality screwdriver and attach a 19mm spanner to the screwdriver for leverage. I couldn't budge it.

I am looking into welders at the moment to weld on a nut - as this project is about learning why not learn to weld. So far I have figured out you have arc, mig and tig welders...at this rate I'll be an expert by lunchtime.

If you sheared the bolt when it was in one piece then welding a nut on will not be as strong as the original. The heat from welding may very well help and the nut gives you something to grip but you wont be able to spanner it out unless its freed up.

Try heat and plenty of it. I use a mini blow torch so as not to cause too much collateral damage. Repeated heat and cold cycles can help free it. I would be looking at either drilling or serious percussion in combination with heat.

ETA
If you are going to drill it, you can make life a lot easier by annealing the steel of the bolt by heating it as close to red hot as you can get for a minute or so then letting it cool slowly back down. If it was a high tensile bolt it will make it a lot easier to drill.

Edited by Tanguero on Tuesday 22 October 12:15

[AceOfHearts]

I hate stuck bolts. Welding does make things easier, however there is not much metal there to play with. I would probably drill it out if you have access.

If you fancy a welder though i would recommend one of these:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

And do some reading on here:

http://mig-welding.co.uk/

[TimJM]

You're right - I have been doing some more research into removing bolts and 9/10 most people end up drilling them out. Welding on a nut to something this small and tight will probably just result in the nut snapping off. So I am going to try heat and drilling, worse case I suppose I can helicoil it.

I'm not too worried about it being HT when drilling it as I will drill the pilot hole with the dremel. I have a small tungsten carbide drill bit that on high speed should have no problems even with a HT bolt.

Once the pilot hole is cut I can then move onto larger bits in my standard drill and see if I can keep central and avoid damaging the thread.

This car just keeps fighting me - it's like it doesn't want to get back on the road.

[FarmyardPants]

I would grind it flush, drill and tap.