Broke the swaybar bolts on my XJ...help!

[trailfiend]

This morning my goal was to simply remove swaybar brackets and put the JCR brace plates on my frame, I've soaked the bolts with PB blaster over the course of a week or so, and went to loosen them.... Pop! The heads snapped off all but 1.

Ok, I can deal with this, got out my ez-out, drilled the first bolt, put it in and the thing started to come loose. Little did I know...... It wasn't the bolt that was breaking free, but the welded in nut inside the frame tube that broke free. :oops:

In trying to get the now stuck ex-out+nut out, we lost grip on the ez-out and that's now in the frame...we're working on getting it w/magnets. But! The real concern for me is: when we finally get all these bolts out, how do I go about reattaching the swaybar brackets to the frame?? In concept I could put another nut in there, but there's no space or tolerance for a wrench!

Please help... I wanted to disconnect my swaybar, but not permanently. Any suggestions?

[RidgeRunner]

You can weld a new nut to the end of a heavy piece of wire and and push the wire in to get the nut over the hole. Bend the wire to get the nut in the right place. Use a heavy enough wire so that it will hold the nut from turning while you put the bolt in.

You could also cut a hole in the side of the frame so you can get to the nuts. Do whatever you need to then weld a patch back in the hole.

Another way is to drill out the mounting holes so that the new nuts will slide up in them. Use a magnet or long bold to hold them flush with the bottom of the frame and weld them in. The drawback is that the strength of the mount is now in your welds.

I can't think of an "easy" way to fix it. The wire method is probably the easiest.

[trailfiend]

Alright... We went with the hole idea, now waiting for the brackets' paint to dry, but it should go back together well now thanks to your suggestion!

[Robert B]

i dont know how your sapace for the bolts is but if its a box frame you can just drill it all the way through and put a nut on the back but i dont know how ur truck is

[Fordguy77]

i dont know how your sapace for the bolts is but if its a box frame you can just drill it all the way through and put a nut on the back but i dont know how ur truck is

Its a Unibody subframe type. PITA at times.

[trailfiend]

Definitely a PITA on this circumstance. A day of breaking bolts, not making progress :bang:

[Popsgarage]

Happens to everyone.

[Brody]

I always love how a simple project can turn into a 4 hour ordeal with a turn of a wrench...

[Popsgarage]

Amen, Pete!

[trailfiend]

Amazingly enough (to me, at least) the nuts inside the frame that were only pressfit somehow into the hole, broke free before the bond of thread-to-nut. Oh well.... It gave me an excuse to get a new set of ez-outs and some new taps. I retapped the resulting buggered up steering box threads, so now that's all set to go to put it back together, I just need to pick up some new sway bar bushings.

Good news is; it looks like I'll likely have the day off tomorrow so I'll wrap up anything that's not finished today, and go start cutting/prepping for the bumper!

[Popsgarage]

Good to hear you got it done and everything went back together. And you need an excuse to buy tools???? Can't wait to see the progress on the bumper!

[trailfiend]

Knowing I'll have most of the day tomorrow to work on it, I'm just going to wait for tomorrow and bust it out. Hopefully everything goes smooth tomorrow and I'll be able to get out and cut the parts of the bumper... even more, I want to see how this plasma table works! I'm certainly going to have pictures of the thing in action!

[Popsgarage]

Saweeeet!!!!:thumb:

[trailfiend]

Steering box: bolted and torqued. Just dandy!
Frame brackets: painted, bolted, done.
Sway bar bushing bracket deal: figured out, waiting for the sway bar paint to dry... I might just deal with having it off for a while longer and get it powdercoated.

:steer: I can drive it again :) (I think I'm gonna miss the turbo in my mom's saab though)

[Popsgarage]

Pics please?

[trailfiend]

I'll get some soon, it was late last night when I wrapped up, and I'll have a lot to share from cutting parts on Saturday!

[Popsgarage]

Coooooollll!!!!!!! Can't wait!!!!!