Baystate Jeepers

Broke an upper shock bolt when I was going to replace my rear shocks

Or maybe I should say "I broke 1 so far"

I stopped after the first one, I couldn't believe they'd seize like that after only a year (this was before my Permatex Anti Seize revelation that all wrenchers get)

So that's my project for Saturday, fix the mess and get new shocks on. Found this on the JP magazine forum...

"you can take a punch and knock the broken bolt/nut up, it has a small spot weld on it, another way is to put a wrench on it and twist it off from between the body and the crossmember... it's a PITA, without a body lift, tho it'll come off, replace it with a new bolt and nut."

What do you think? Would you recommend that or you have another idea? I read that drilling them out is just about impossible, between the angle and hardened steel

Very easy fix with an air hammer. Use a pointy tip and BAH BAH BAH it'll pop right out. There should be an access hole to stick a nut through taped to a box wrench.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/ ... 95801.html

I feel your pain. When installing the lift I broke 2. Found out it is another jeep thin, very common. I don't remember what I did for the fix.

Sounds like a PITA I'll be dealing with when my TJ goes under the wrench over the next few weeks.

I assume the rear shocks on a TJ have the same kind of mount that XJ's use? One bolt on each side of the shock?

If so, You-do-it + 1/2" air hammer = no more borken bolt. I remember working in the suspension dept. and having to do rear shocks on Ford/Merc full size wagons. I had a bit for my 1/2" CP that was 30" long. It cut the upper shock bolt like butter.

For my XJ I ended up drilling out the broken bolts and retapping the hole for a larger size (I think I went from 5/16 to 3/8) bolt. I haven't tried to take them out since I did the lift, so who knows what would happen now... The shocks I've got are really old, so I'll find out one of these days...

I've seen some shock mount "extensions" which you can use that bolt to the body, and then the shock bolts to that. The idea is, with these extensions, you can get to the back of the shock bolts with a wrench and avoid these sorts of problems in the future... I think I saw them in JP a while ago, but I can't recall who made them / what they were named.

JW

ZAEDOCK wrote:I assume the rear shocks on a TJ have the same kind of mount that XJ's use? One bolt on each side of the shock?

If so, You-do-it + 1/2" air hammer = no more borken bolt. I remember working in the suspension dept. and having to do rear shocks on Ford/Merc full size wagons. I had a bit for my 1/2" CP that was 30" long. It cut the upper shock bolt like butter.

Yup, a bolt on either side. Definitely taking the air hammer approach, tx guys

Now if I could only get the broken tap out of one of those holes....

beaker wrote:Now if I could only get the broken tap out of one of those holes....

ouch! I'll be in Nashua Saturday morning working on my rig, if you want to swing by, maybe we could try to tackle yours. I mean, if you're OK with the air hammer approach

Carl McFly wrote:ouch! I'll be in Nashua Saturday morning working on my rig, if you want to swing by, maybe we could try to tackle yours. I mean, if you're OK with the air hammer approach

Hey Carl... I'll probably be in there also... Got 2 snow tires to mount & balance.

Maybe I'll see you there.

JW

Carl McFly wrote:

beaker wrote:Now if I could only get the broken tap out of one of those holes....

ouch! I'll be in Nashua Saturday morning working on my rig, if you want to swing by, maybe we could try to tackle yours. I mean, if you're OK with the air hammer approach

I've tried the air hammer approach with no luck. Carbide burrs are on the shelf for the next time I get motivated. Its been 4 years with one (old) shock in the rear, so I've gotten used to it.

-mike

beaker wrote:I've tried the air hammer approach with no luck.

Did you use a 1/2" or 3/8" hammer? The 1/2" should have shot the old bolt out pretty easily.

I used an air chisel, pounded out 2 (yes, 2!) broken bolts, pretty quick. Used a nut / bolt instead, with beefy washers on each side. Think it will hold up, guess I'll find out soon enough

ZAEDOCK wrote:

beaker wrote:I've tried the air hammer approach with no luck.

Did you use a 1/2" or 3/8" hammer? The 1/2" should have shot the old bolt out pretty easily.

Yeah, but its not a bolt, its a broken tap.

-mike

beaker wrote:....Yeah, but its not a bolt, its a broken tap. -mike

Have you tried a tap extractor?

Kurt wrote:Sounds like a PITA I'll be dealing with when my TJ goes under the wrench over the next few weeks.

Got to tearing into my TJ this week. Looks like a PO already snapped those bolts off.
The old bolt remains were alreaday chiseled up out of the way and had been replaced with bolts and nuts.
Thank goodness I have the gas tank out so I could get a wrench up on the spinning bolt heads

Probably going to weld some stainless bolts in so it'll be easier to take apart in the future.