Broke Allen bolt on sway away spring plate

[tobluforu]

In an attempt to raise my 72 a tad this weekend I ended up breaking the Allen bolt that adjusts the height on the spring plates. There is nothing left sticking out of the bottom to grab on to at all. The other side works great. The damn thing was seized I guess. I sprayed pb blaster and I can't believe how much torque I placed on it before it snapped.
Has this happened to anyone else? If so what did you do? Please don't say you had to buy a new set of spring plates. But to be honest, even if I did take the spring plate off of the car, I'm not sure how the hell I will be able to get it out?
Thanks

[goldsc78258]

That happened to me .When you raise the car the whole weight of the car is on that allen bolt . Now I use a jack to relieve the weight before I raise it.

To get it out your best bet is to drill a hole on the bolt and use an extractor

Hope this helps

[tobluforu]

Thanks for the reply. I did the same and jacked it up as well, but the damn thing still would not turn. I was thinking about an extractor, but not sure that will work. My reasoning is because of the amount of force I used to try and get that damn bolt out. It took about 20 different tries before it finally snapped.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by tobluforu

I was thinking about an extractor, but not sure that will work. My reasoning is because of the amount of force I used to try and get that damn bolt out. It took about 20 different tries before it finally snapped.

You might try drilling it out. I would probably do that before an extractor. Extractors are really best used when a fastener has failed in shear. As you noted, since you twisted it off already, I don't see how the extractor is going to be able to apply more torque and get it out. I would start out with a drill size that is smaller than the minor diameter and work your way up. Once you get close to the minor diameter of the bolt, it will typically come out at that point. BTDT.

[Rich Lambert]

Forget the bolt extractor. If you think you've got a problem now, imagine a hard-as-freakin'-diamonds, drill bit eating, broken extractor tip imbedded in your bolt. Been there recently and it's not a happy place.

It sounds like your bolt is seriously stuck. Drill it out.

[Nine9six]

Originally Posted by Rich Lambert

Forget the bolt extractor. If you think you've got a problem now, imagine a hard-as-freakin'-diamonds, drill bit eating, broken extractor tip imbedded in your bolt. Been there recently and it's not a happy place.
It sounds like your bolt is seriously stuck. Drill it out.

Rich has a point here...The key is to have some "feel" prior to breaking the extractor off in the drilled out bolt.

You would want to use the largest=strongest extractor possible for your bolt size. This in conjunction with PB blaster and heat around (not on) the bolt, should do the trick.

Another key to being successful in all this, is drilling through the "center" of the broken stud. This way, if the extractor does not work, you will be drilling to the next size smaller than the internal threads, and "picking" out the remainder of the bolt threads.

P.S. If you do break an extractor, you will be using (needing) a carbide drill. (Not your typical high speed steel, or titanium, tyrillium, bryilliam, or flux capicator driven and or coated drill bits. )

Best of luck...

[tobluforu]

Thanks all. I Think I will try to drill it out. I think of myself as a pretty strong guy.
Before it broke I went through 2 Allen wrenches. What I mean is that I bent the Allen wrenches which is not easy. That is how stuck that damn thing is.

[Nine9six]

Originally Posted by tobluforu

Thanks all. I Think I will try to drill it out. I think of myself as a pretty strong guy.
Before it broke I went through 2 Allen wrenches. What I mean is that I bent the Allen wrenches which is not easy. That is how stuck that damn thing is.

Sometimes strength between the ears, will result in a more favorable outcome
Going straight to the drilling out method is preferable, just exercise plenty of patients, as it is somewhat of a tedious task. A thread chaser (not tap) afterwards, will clean up the nicks and dings.