Help with stripped weld nut @ sway bar bushing

[Sumi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sumi]

Hi!

So I've decided to change the sway bar bushings for a new one. During this process I've broke one of the weld nuts inside the frame, and stripped the other one. I've then retaped the stripped one for +1 size, but that didn't work either - stripped again.

If I could only get the stripped one to break off, I could make a strip of metal, drill two holes in it, and weld two nuts on it, and feed it through the frame (there is an oval opening not too far away) as a counter support. But that f*cker just doesn't want to break off no matter how hard I'm hitting it from beneath with a screwdriver & hammer..

So any idea is appreciated!

Thanks

[oceanracer Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close oceanracer]

Do you have any pics?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

You could drill it out and use a tapped plate on top. However if you can get to it with a screwdriver try a small cold chisel.

[Sumi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sumi]

On this picture you can see the problem area. The two red lines are where the bolts go into the frame (with the weld nut being on the inside of the frame).

The red circle shows to cutout on the frame where I could insert the metal strap I was refering earlier (with the two nuts welded on it)



This one is from beneath the car. Arrow is pointing in the direction of the front of the car. Left hole is where the weld nut snapped off while undoing the bolt. Then comes the sway bar and then the other whole which still has the nut in it, but the threads are totally stripped. Only access to this nut is from this side, and all my efforts to hammer it out with a screwdriver and hammer failed.



And this one is the weld nut (front) that has snapped off the frame - Had to cut the bolt head off with a dremel to get the seized bolt & nut out of the frame.


So the question is - how do I snapp off the other weld nut inside the frame with access available only from the buttom?

[Clancy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Clancy]

Perhaps using progressively larger taps may resolve the issue, however, in the words of the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance your vehicle's worth has been reduced to the value of that one nut. That's not much help I know, but it happens.
Seriously I would have a go at using bigger taps, slowly and carefully. I was going to suggest that you a couple of sizes too big straight up - that will put the biggest stress on the beggar and perhaps will persuade it to release - but then you would be stuck with your nut on a tap under your car with a loose bar...
Softly softly catchee monkey.
Good luck

[MacroP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MacroP]

How deep is the box chassis member? Can you drill through from underneath to the other side (top of the chassis) and use some extra long (tensile) bolts? Maybe 120-150mm long bolts. If you remove the plastic guard from the first pic, does that reveal the top of the chassis rail so you can slide a long bolt back through?

[Sumi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sumi]

Perhaps using progressively larger taps may resolve the issue, however, in the words of the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance your vehicle's worth has been reduced to the value of that one nut. That's not much help I know, but it happens.
Seriously I would have a go at using bigger taps, slowly and carefully. I was going to suggest that you a couple of sizes too big straight up - that will put the biggest stress on the beggar and perhaps will persuade it to release - but then you would be stuck with your nut on a tap under your car with a loose bar...
Softly softly catchee monkey.
Good luck

The problem with this is, that the hole (pre-)drilled in the frame doesn't seem to take a bigger (M12 for example) tap than an M10 - which is what I've went for already.

[Sumi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sumi]

How deep is the box chassis member? Can you drill through from underneath to the other side (top of the chassis) and use some extra long (tensile) bolts? Maybe 120-150mm long bolts. If you remove the plastic guard from the first pic, does that reveal the top of the chassis rail so you can slide a long bolt back through?

I could do this, but I don't really like the idea of drilling holes in the impact absorbing part of the frame - also I've heard that clamping it this way can weaken or even crush it - which is also a bad idea.

[Sumi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sumi]

Would it work if I'd try to punch it from beneath and sideways (basicly at the threads) with an air hammer?

Can I crack the frame by abusing this nut anyway?

[Sumi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sumi]

Hah! I tried everything but couldn't get the nut to snap off the frame, and then came a bright idea: HELI C o i l! So went to the nearby tool shop, bought a kit of M10 helicoils for around $50, took it home, crawled under the car and a couple minutes (more like an hour) later it's all done, swaybar mounting bolts torqued to spec.

Now to find out why the right front of the car is squeaking like a grinder over bumps.. (at least I know it's not because of the stabilizers.)

[oceanracer Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close oceanracer]

job well done then