How screwed am I?

[poomasta]

Just as i could see the light at the end of the tunnel on my suspension upgrade effort, i end up snapping the bolt on the rear top shock mount after i got it about halfway out. I was so careful using rust penetrant repeatedly and using a breakerbar with the ratchet to remove it slowly, but it snapped anyway.

So what do I do now? I assume I have to drill and tap, but I've never done that. Is that something a novice can do or should i take it into a shop? Any advice is appreciated...

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Romer]

Not sure what year you have, on my 97. The rear top shock bolts into a plate that is removable with two bolts. You remove the bottom part of the shock, then you take the two bolts out of the top plate and pull the plate out with the top part of the shock attached. Then you remove the shock from the plate.

Which Bolt is broken?

 

[Photo_Cruiser]

I've read everything from using an easy out...or dremelling a big fat slot into it and trying a flathead bit in a ratchet. Search broken shock bolt...usually it is the lower bolt, and you'll find all kinds of solutions

 

[Romer]

BTW - I have found using a reverse dril bit (Threads reversed) one of the most effective ways to do this. They are hard to find though.

 

[PKP80]

BTW - I have found using a reverse dril bit (Threads reversed) one of the most effective ways to do this. They are hard to find though.

Reverse bits you say:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SCREW-EXTRACTOR...ryZ50383QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


happy bidding and best of luck.
Sam

 

[Doc]

Take it to a shop. I did the same thing and tried tapping it. No luck. As a novice, sometimes you have to know when to say 'when'.

 

[poomasta]

Thanks for the responses. Do i risk doing more damage if i try to drill & tap it myself? I was still having to use the breaker bar to even turn the bolt when it snapped...it's in there good. these are the bolts in the shock plate by the way. i got the first one out after working on it for a very uncomfortable half an hour.

Any idea what a shop will charge to drill / tap? Doc, Is that the route you ended up going?

 

[Jason Andrews]

Can you remove the plate at the top? Is that which one it is? Edit} take the plate out and make it much easier then lying under the truck

Been there done that! I snapped off three when doing mine, they were the sway bars and bump stop that went into the frame. I had good luck drilling them out with a equal size drill bit. Maybe it was a little smaller cause I didnt strip the threads, maybe I got lucky but it worked.

If you try just be careful not to get too much in a hurry and end up brakin off the drill bit in there too!!!!

 

[Doc]

Any idea what a shop will charge to drill / tap? Doc, Is that the route you ended up going?

It was about $60 IIRC.

 

[DuManchu]

BTW - I have found using a reverse dril bit (Threads reversed) one of the most effective ways to do this. They are hard to find though.

I have had success with reverse drill bits as well.

But as Doc says, just take it to a shop, they can do it no prob, and probably at a reasonable price.