missing spring plate cover bolt

[shamrok]

Bought this car about 15k miles ago and hadn't really poked around the area. Last week I started doing a suspension refresh and when I went to take apart the rear suspension I saw that I only had 3 of 4 bolts in place. I tried installing a bolt in there with the suspension apart, but it's totally cross-threaded after about 4 full turns and eventually binds. I tried lightly chasing the threads with a tap, but because of the location, I can't get a good angle at it.

For now, this is where it sits, but I'm wondering how much load there is on these bolts? I was driving on it with 3 bolts the entire time I've had it, and who knows how long before me (car is over 200k miles). Any ideas how to clean this up?

[Lyle O]

Surprised you can’t get a thread chaser or tap in there in-situ. If not, you will have to take the spring plate and cover off and do it then. I would not drive around on it with only three bolts in place (though it’s probably not a big deal, as it’s not doing much beyond holding everything in place and there isn’t much lateral force in play right there. But I am OCD about these things).

[deckard]

the way i see it is that under load from the engine the tire,through the hub, pushes on the springplate. the springplate, through those four bolts on each side, then pushes on the body of the car which then moves the car forward.
the forward push of the engine is on those bolts.

[RWebb]

^ further to the point just above - search up the photos posted on here of the mounts cracking where they are welded to the body

the torque is non-negligible

[shamrok]

Thanks all, I only had a tap on hand and the oil lines just got in the way to really getting at the hole. Picked up a thread chaser and did the best I could and while it’s probably still cross-threaded, at least I now have a bolt in there nice and snug.