Broken bolt extractor.

[BobombETA]

I was replacing my rear shocks with some bilstein sports yesterday and I broke off the bolt holding the shock to the trailing arm on the driver's side. I was trying to beat the weather so instead of using the tried and true PB blaster / torch combo, I pulled out the 18" breaker bar.

Oh snap. Literally.

So I broke out the easy outs, drill, cobalt bits, PB blaster, and the torch. It broke flush with the trailer arm, so grabbing it with vice grips was out of the equation.
First I heated the trailing arm section surrounding the broken bolt. I let it cool then hit it with PB blaster.
I drilled a pilot hole about an inch in, then sized it according to the extractor I was using. More heat, more cooling, then a shit ton of PB blaster and I let it sit until this morning.

This morning I pounded the extractor in and fit the T-handle on. Then I broke the extractor.


What's next? New trailing arm?

[whysimon]

seriously? I guess hind sight is 20/20. @ this point I'd get a new trailing arm. I'm sure with the weather, salt, sand, and everything else your car endures that bolt isn't coming out without persistence

just a thought

[87-325ic]

drill it all out and re-tap, or get a new TA

[Massive Lee]

I guess a long section of the bolt still portrudes from the trailing arm. So, have a shop weld a nut on the portruding section. All the heat will burn the rust that seized the bolt. and the nut will allow you to use a wrench or an air gun...

[b*saint]

Old cars suck dont they?

[BobombETA]

I guess a long section of the bolt still portrudes from the trailing arm. So, have a shop weld a nut on the portruding section. All the heat will burn the rust that seized the bolt. and the nut will allow you to use a wrench or an air gun...

I wish.... but it in fact broke flush with the trailing arm.

[Massive Lee]

You can still lay a nut flat and weld inside the hole, to the broken stud... If it doesn't work, then change the whle trailing arm... Shit happens.

[REVHARD05]

ive cut a slut in a broke bolt via dremel tool, then used flat head impact tool

[browntown]

reverse direction drill bit smaller than the bolt, or is the extractor still in it? take a picture of the carnage.

[BobombETA]

ive cut a slut in a broke bolt via dremel tool, then used flat head impact tool

Cool idea. I haven't heard this one yet.

[Need4Speed1299]

Impact drivers are good stuff.

[e30Matt]

Drilling it most likely won't work, because extractors are hardened steel, harder than most drill bits. I've destroyed more drill bits than it's worth trying to drill one out. Pull the trailing arm and have a machine shop remove it, probably charge you $20.

[Lurker27]

Honestly, it will be cheaper and less annoying to get a new TA.

[e30Matt]

Probably cost about the same, actually. I'd pull them both and do new bushings and bearings while I was in there, though, so the cost difference really becomes negligible at that point.

[Simon S]

+ 2 for cutting a 'slut' in there with a cut-off-wheel-loaded dremel tool.

then yeah- get an impact driver and Mr. Hammer.

Sucks - but the trick has saved me numerous times.