Anybody ever break off a shock stud bolt?

[KK]

I'm trying to replace the shocks on my 94 ranger for the first time. I started on the driver side front and snapped the lower bolt, took all the treads off with the nut. Now the stud bolt is welded to the radius arm. I found this site that mentions just cutting off the bolt flush then punching the stud out then using this Shock bolt kit. I ran down to the store and picked a kit up, but now I need to run to the tool store to pick up a new hand grinder or cut off tool. That'll have to wait til tomorrow, but in the mean time has any body had to do this before, if so, any points you can share.

 

[iamwiz82]

When you say you took off all the threads, do you mean it broke flush with the surface?

 

[KK]

picture the bolt having a smooth collar, this is where the actual shock seats when put on the bolt, then you have the threads for the nut. it broke off right where the threads start.

I just found this site which has some pictures of whats going on.

The fourth picture shows the whole bolt.

 

[iamwiz82]

Is there enough of the shaft there to got a pair of vice grips on it? Get some heat on it first.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Is there enough of the shaft there to got a pair of vice grips on it? Get some heat on it first.

Theres plenty of shaft there to vice grips on it, but I guess I don't understand what you are leaning toward. If be nice if I hit the shaft and the weld would just snap off, but I'm not that lucky.

 

[boomerang]

You're going to have to grind the head/weld off and pop it through as the instructions say in the link in your first post.

You'll have to buy a disk grinder as you said, but you'll find uses for that tool as life goes on. If you're willing to tackle this job, others will follow.

My advice is, that you may need a bigger hammer than you'd think.

 

[AMCRambler]

What a crappy design. Why go through the trouble of welding a friggin stud to the radius arm when they could just use a bolt to begin with?

Anyway, yeah it sounds like you need to grind the head off the thing and then wail on it with a sledge to pop the remaining piece through. I don't actually have a grinder, but I do have a dremel so when I need to cut off a bolt head I usually grab that with the carbon cut off wheels. It takes a little longer because it's not as big and doesn't have as much power as a grinder, but it will fit places a grinder won't.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: AMCRambler
What a crappy design. Why go through the trouble of welding a friggin stud to the radius arm when they could just use a bolt to begin with?

Anyway, yeah it sounds like you need to grind the head off the thing and then wail on it with a sledge to pop the remaining piece through. I don't actually have a grinder, but I do have a dremel so when I need to cut off a bolt head I usually grab that with the carbon cut off wheels. It takes a little longer because it's not as big and doesn't have as much power as a grinder, but it will fit places a grinder won't.

Yeah, I tried a dremel last night but it was wearing out my cut off disk. I'm thinking that once I grind it flat, to maybe drill the hole out.

 

[boomerang]

to maybe drill the hole out

You're setting yourself up for fail on that one. Beat it out with a hammer.

At this point, you might want to weigh the purchase of the tools you need to do the job versus taking it somewhere and having it done.

I guess I'm going to come off as an ass, but this is a simple task. The directions in the link you provided in your first post tell the simplest way to do the job.

Why are you ignoring those directions and turning this into a major project?

If you don't want to spend the money for the tools, that's fine. Take it in and have it done. It will cost less than purchasing a grinder and a small sledge hammer.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: boomerang

to maybe drill the hole out

You're setting yourself up for fail on that one. Beat it out with a hammer.

At this point, you might want to weigh the purchase of the tools you need to do the job versus taking it somewhere and having it done.

I guess I'm going to come off as an ass, but this is a simple task. The directions in the link you provided in your first post tell the simplest way to do the job.

Why are you ignoring those directions and turning this into a major project?

If you don't want to spend the money for the tools, that's fine. Take it in and have it done. It will cost less than purchasing a grinder and a small sledge hammer.

I have no issues with acquiring tools, the more the merrier. I just thought it might be easier to drill it out after grinding it down plus make a cleaner looking hole.

Taking it somewhere is probably out of the question, how would I transport the vehicle without a shock, would that be safe? Taking the radius arm off would be a pita.

 

[boomerang]

Drilling it out is going to be difficult. That bolt is hardened. Not hard enough to where you can't drill it, but hard enough to require the drill bit to have to be repeatedly sharpened. This is without taking into consideration the issues involved with lining up to it perfectly square.

After grinding, four or five whacks with a maul and it should pop right out.

You could drive it with one shock off the car. How far, well, I wouldn't want to go 50 miles. But 5 miles down the road to a repair shop should be fine. The back end is going to bounce up and down a lot. Slow driving and careful cornering for a short distance - I wouldn't give it a second thought.

I agree, no way would I remove the radius arm for a job of this nature.

 

[radioouman]

I've done this before on a '75 Plymouth Duster, and I broke another stud off on my '93 Dodge Dakota. I had the problem with the Duster in the rear, and I knocked out the stud and just put a bolt through. On the Dakota, the bold threads into the lower control arm, and I broke off the head of the bolt. I took this one to a mechanic who drilled it out and re-tapped it. He may have installed a heli-coil, not sure.

 

[KK]

Well I finished the little project. Went and bought a dewalt grinder from lowes, along with a 4lb mallet and some pointy thing to whack the hammer on. I ground the bolt/stud down to the radius arm and then tried the 4lb hammer. this didn't budge it at all, although the pointy thing did put a dimple or two on the surface. Figured I'd give the drill a try, it went thru pretty easily with a small 3/16 bit and was pretty much dead center of the bolt/stud from looking at the inside of the radius arm. Worked my way up to 1/2 inch drill bit and bolted that little bolt kit stud in and was good to go.

Doing the passenger side shock I didn't think the nut wasn't going to come off, but once I put the impact wrench to it, it gave loose and didn't break the bolt.

 

[boomerang]

Glad to hear it worked out for you! :thumbsup:

 

[OrganizedChaos]

I did the exact same thing on my 92 explorer. (same suspension as your ranger). i cut/ground down the stud with an angle grinder, drilled a hole and bolted in a new stud. theres a 'help!' kit for it.