Crap. I broke the head off a bolt and I need help getting it out

[sixstringsteve]

Really good point, I hadn't thought about it having no torque (other than friction) now that the bold head is gone. That gives me hope.

 

[bryson]

Really good point, I hadn't thought about it having no torque (other than friction) now that the bold head is gone. That gives me hope.

I added this to my post after you read it:

Trying to weld a nut to the exposed bottom of the bolt means you would be threading the broken portion all the way through the threads, likely effing them up in the process (bolts never break off clean...)

 

[DaveB]

I don't have great luck with extractors. Second to welding a nut on it I would heat it and use a left-hand drill bit. I've had to remove my share of broken bolts in the past and lefty bits are my personal go-to for stuff out in the field.

Heat plus the left handed drill bits have taken out many bolts on my fix it jobs. I have also welded MIG stalagmites onto broken bolts down in holes with good success (when you can't weld a nut on). You do have to be very careful not to over do it on the trigger or get off center.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Good news. It's not nearly as bad as I thought. When I removed the steering arm, there was a good 3/8" sticking up. Shouldn't be a problem. Thanks everyone, I was really starting to stress having to take that knuckle off again.

 

[Gravy]

Bolt extractors work great when you do the prep well. I just did broken steering arm studs on a yota. Propane torch to soften up the loctite.

 

[I Lean]

3/4" head is usually 1/2" threads, unless it's one of the smaller-head flanged bolts. That might explain why it broke at 130 ft-lbs too.

I'll second (or ninth) the weld-the-nut-on solution. That is ALWAYS my go-to method, because it works so well and is faster and easier than drilling. Since you have some threads sticking up, just thread a nut on, plug-weld the top of the nut (inside the hole), and turn it out with a wrench. If the bolt were broken off flush, then I'd say use a jam nut so you don't have to try to fill such a deep hole. In that scenario, you can even use a nut smaller than the threads you're trying to remove, to make sure you don't damage the end of the threads.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Once I pulled the steering arm off, I realized there's a lot more sticking out than I thought. It should be zero problem welding a nut onto that.

 

[Tonkaman]

Side note:

Where are you guys buying jam nuts? Last time I looked for some they were impossible to find the right size

 

[I Lean]

Side note:

Where are you guys buying jam nuts? Last time I looked for some they were impossible to find the right size

Bolt and Nut Supply.

 

[skippy]

I second that

 

[sixstringsteve]

Got it out, thanks everyone. It was such a clean break, and so much of the bolt was sticking out that I was able to thread a 1/2" nut on there about 1/2 turn. Welded her up and she popped right out. I was expecting the worst bolt extraction of my life, and it turned out to be the easiest.

 

[idahoyj]

Luck favors the prepared!

 

[Bart]

There was a lot of great suggestions and advice in this thread. Glad you got it out Steve. Good luck with the Fred build this weekend.

 

[Gravy]

While we are on the subject, the stronger setup would be studs and a high steer arm that has countersunk holes for cone washers or acorn style lug nuts.

I can think of 3 or 4 individual trail breaks I've seen with standard bolted high steer arms.