Broke off suspension bolt?????

[nsx24]

Ok, I have been working on putting TopSpeed headers on, so in the process of taking off the "boomerang" suspension brace the bolt that bolts up to the lower A-arm support broke. Dont ask me how, I was just running along gunning off each bolt and that happened to be the last one, the gun didnt budge it so I got out the old trusty ratchet and breaker bar and WHAM, it snaps off. I am just looking for advice on fixing it. I am thinking of drilling out the bolt, starting small and getting bigger and then trying an easy out, or also thinking of trying to colapse the bolt within and pulling it out. Its aluminum so I am worried.
HELP!!!!!!!!!

 

[grybrd]

As far as I know, your suggested procedure to start with a small hole in the bolt, gradually enlarged to accept the largest possible easy-out is the right thing to do. Key is to stay as centered on the bolt as possible.
I am not sure if some modest heat (propane vs acetylene) and some tapping to break the corrosion is not also helpful.
Another possibility is to use a left hand drill bit. Same procedure of enlarging the hole incrementally, but with luck the bolt backs out when the bit grabs it vs. needing an easy-out. No, I do not know a source for left hand drill bits but I know they are out there.

Isn't it always the last fastener that is the SOB of the job?
Good Luck.

 

[Grimeas]

Heat, PB blaster.. do it a few times let it expand and contract and work PB blaster into it. Get a set of easy outs heat it up try to back it out

 

[Daedalus]

This is why you break torque on all bolts before removing them. When you removed all the bolts but the last one, it became more stressed from gravity pulling on the brace, acting like a lever over the very small footprint under the bolt head. Same thing if the part doesn't have the same profile as the thing it's bolting to, and both are rigid. The last bolt suffers a prying force.

I don't know which bolt exactly you broke, but I'm guessing it threads into steel threads, not aluminum. If the bolt is large enough, maybe use a dremel to slot the shank and then unscrew it with a screwdriver. With the head broken off it's no longer stressed and should unscrew fairly easily. I'm assuming the brace came off when the head broke.

 

[NSXclear]

It sounds like the bolt might have been cross-threaded when the last person installed that bolt. If cross-threaded, removing the remaining bolt will not always come out easily.

Get the beer ready and keep small childern from the work area -- I suspect plenty of foul and vulgar language will be used

 

[Timeless1]

Agree, drilling the hole is your best option then heat & PB blasting multiple times to loosing it. Once pilot hole is drill, use a 4 point or 6 point self tapper screw to thread it in there, unloosen the self tapper, clean the screw & hole, then use super glue or gorilla glue in the self tapper thread & drill/thread it back into the hole, let dry/bond for an hr or so if using super glue, or overnight if using the latter. Should be able to tap it out, if not repeat the process, or get slightly bigger self tapper & repeat process accordindly.

 

[EdinKali]

Worse comes to worse you can always drill it out and go with a time-sert thread insert. The repair will be stronger than the original threads.