Broken bolt on driveshaft crossmember.

Okay, so putting on my rock sliders and even after PB Blaster and blue tip wrench this bolt that you have to take out to install the sliders was not budging a bit. Eventually it completely broke. Then the bolt extractor broke.

So...is there really any need to fix this? The crossmember seems to be held on by 4 huge rivets so I don't see how a little M10 or M12 (I don't remember) is going to be much help for holding this on.

I don't know what else I could really do to fix it other than weld it shut.

The other side came out fine.

 

I forget where the nut is but cut the nut off and use a normal bolt / washer

 

I would fix it. Just drill it out and through bolt it with a nut and bolt. You should be able to access the backside to get a wrench on it.

 

Impossible it's inside the crossmember and you can't get to it.

 

Nope it's inaccessible.

 

Does yours look like mine? Seems pretty accessible to me.

 

The bottom of the frame rail definitely pulls up when u tighten that bolt. It'd be worth it to me, to fix it.

 

I can't get a cut off wheel in there, let alone at the right angle to remove the nut.

 

I drilled the front and put a bolt through there.

 

Me too. Would not leave that. I'd weld on a nut and use an impact if there is enough room left on the bolt, otherwise drill it out.

Or I guess you could just weld it to the frame.

 

Drill through the nut, get a longer bolt.

 

The nut on the backside is just a nut that's tack welded in place. You should be able to cut off the head of the bolt, and the nut on the backside will just come out.

edit: I just saw that the bolt itself broke. Weld a washer onto the remaining bolt. Then weld a nut on that. Then try again to get it out. The heat should be enough to crack it free.

 

I literally just went through this a few weeks back. Save yourself the time and just hog it out with a drill bit. Took me maybe 20 minutes.

 

Ok if the nut is just tack welded maybe I can use a punch and beat it after drilling the bolt out.

 

The bolt is broken recessed in... can't weld to it. Already took a torch to it when initially trying to get it out.

 

Wouldn't even bother. Drill one size up, take the threads out of the nut, put a new nut on the inside with the longer bolt. Done.

 

Update: After drilling the bolt mostly out, I used a punch and a BFH and was able to beat the tack welded nut off and put a new washer and nut inside. Finally finished the last few bolts on these sliders today.

 

Nice. Definitely what I would have done

 

just did the same thing