CAB support bolt

[MatRacer]

I just removed the CAB support from the chassis. THe chassis is going to to the junk yard, so I don't care, but all the four bolts broke while unscrewing... Is it a common prob? I was using an impact gun. I don't want this to happen next time, cause it will be on my "good" chassis!


I suspect that the bolts had been replace by low grade bolts...What do you think?

[Mike]

That would suck, but out of curiosity, did it leave any threads above the dowels? Sometimes you might get lucky and once the head breaks off, you can take the CAB off, and there wont be any pressure on the threads, and you might be able to spin them out with a set of vise grips. If not, it might need a good set of easy outs (that would suck!)

[FredK]

It can and will happen on cars exposed to a lot of road salt.

The CAB support bolts thread into weld nuts. When you screw the bolt in all the way, the tip of the bolts are exposed to the elements. The tips of the bolts eventually rust. When rust increases the diameter of the bolts, they no longer easily back out of the frame rail. When this happens, the bolts break.

My recommendation is to wax or oil the CAB bolts if you expect the car to be driven a lot in winter, or stored in a humid environment, and to torque them to spec, or replace the bolts every few years as the galvanic coating wears off.

[MatRacer]

Two of them got thread left, I could use vise grips, but the two others are flush with the dowel...

Next time, I will soak the bolt with loose nut a couple a day before doing this.