Posted by Joe Lorenzino on Sunday, March 02, 2003 at 10:28AM :
In Reply to: Wife with heavy right foot posted by Ron in Indiana on Sunday, March 02, 2003 at 8:34AM :
I would be Thankful that it didn't let go at the Axle End, which causes WAY more damage if the driver doesn't "Lift" quickly.
When bolts break under that type of load, they usually come out quite easily. If there is any bolt left sticking out, first try to grab it with visegrips or plyers, and it may just turn out. If not, use plyers to hold a next size larger nut centered over the bolt, and weld the nut to the bolt through the center. Spray with WD40 while still hot.(watch out for fire) LET IT COOL With good weld quality,the bolt can now be Carefully removed: many times by turning out with fingers. If the nut breaks off, hand wire brush the stub, and repeat the weld-spray-cool process. It sometimes takes a couple of heat cycles to break things loose, and helps if you try working it back and forth rather than applying brute force.(Isn't that what broke it off in the first place??) This method is what we use at work, and has always been sucessful. It is the way we remove broken Easy-outs, and f#&%@d up drilled out bolts as well. If you Must try drilling out a bolt, GET SOME LEFT HAND TWIST DRILLS (they will often back a broken bolt out while drilling) and be careful to drill Centered and Straight. my 1 1/4 cents (2 cents CDN) Joe L.
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