Well, for those who have helped or read any of the threads I've started, I've been working on rebuilding my hubs/knuckles, changing the oil pan gasket, completely replacing all the fluids in the truck and a few other things too. It's been quite the process and everything was about to be done. I just bolted the oil pan on and I went back to check where the felt gasket is on the knuckle (rubber gasket in front of it is what I wanted to check) and I removed the screws that hold the brass plates on and it all checked out so I went to put them back on and as I was snugging down the bolts one of them just sheared right off (I wasn't apply excessive pressure b/c the torque specs are pretty lights for these). Here is a pic of it.

Any help/suggestions on this one. Is all I have to do is freakin fix this bolt, put fluids in the truck and bleed the brakes and I can finally be driving it again. I've never dealt with a broken bolt, so anything will help.

 

get a punch and some easy outs the best way to punch it would be with a transfer punch that is the same size as the hole, it will get your drill start mark as centered as possible then drill for your easy out as straight as possible. then try take it out with an easy out. if the easy out does not get it out, dont force it! heat up the area (not the bolt) so the metal will expand and try again.

 

^X2 plus lots of penetrating oil.

 

Might not be a bad idea to chase the threads with a tap or rethreader kit. They are like taps, only they are made to restore the threads rather then cut new threads. I picked up a set from Fleet Farm for $30 (They are a local farm supply chain)

 

Looks like it didn't shear flush so put some penetrating oil on it to lube the threads and then get some pliers on it and twist out.

Otherwise you need some good ez outs and patience.

Me, Id leave it and get it out nxt time I took the knuckle off. Those things break all the time and are a pita.

 

since it didnt shear off flush or inside, take a die grinder or dremel with a thin cutting wheel and make a flat head screw driver notch in it and just take a flathead to it. Me being a machinist this works most of the time. Good luck and have fun.

 

I just did that exact thing on a friend of mines rig with a bolt he busted off similar to this one. I soaked it over night with PB B, took the die grinder, then took a wide flat screw driver to it. Came right out!

 

didnt see that it didnt shear flush, in that case ^x2...... you might not even have to use penetrating oil on it. sometimes people tighten up bolts to a 1/8 turn from snapping and when you go too loosen it, it snaps... don't tried to hard though before using oil and let it sit for a little while.

 

I'm with wabbit I would leave it alone until the next time the knuckle needs to come out. I have had very little success with easy outs. If you try to easy out it, get a quality set, not Harbor freight. use the size drill bit listed for the easy out, drill centered and striaght, and dont turn it very hard. If you break the easy out in it you are really screwed.

 

Got it out, maybe took a half hour. I just couldn't put it on there without the bolt for some reason. It would have bugged the hell out of me. Here's what I did. I first attempted to do the slot with the dremel, but I didn't have a "bit" that was small enough to make this slot across such a small bolt, so I drilled a hole in the middle of the bolt with the smallest bit I had and then took a flat head screw driver that I had and sharpened the end (the driver was slightly bigger than the hold diameter) and I pounded it in there with a hammer and it created its own slot and then I attached a pair of vice grips to the shaft of the screw driver and turned it out. Voila!! I was happy to get past that obstacle so easily this time.

I just read my post. My bad for the three sentence paragraph. Bad grammar. It's getting a little late and i'm tired.

 

Next time you can try taking a punch and backing it out. Often the reason those break off is not due to cross threading or rust, but simply over torque when tightening it down. When you go to back it off, the pressure of the plate pushing on it is too great, and it simply breaks off. Once the pressure is off, the bolt would come out easily.

Btw, it looked to me like the bolt was recessed into the hole? In that case, you wouldn't be able to take a pair of vice grips to it. There would be nothing to grab on to.

 

It was a weak bolt. I was tightening it and it wasn't even that tight, just snug. Good thing everything was clean when I was putting it back together because I'm sure that made it much easier to take apart. I'm not sure what you mean by using a punch.

Yes, the bolt was recessed, so pliers or anything similar would not have worked.

 

By punch I meant chisel

 

Got ya. Not sure if I have one of those laying around. Maybe some really old wood chisels somewhere.

 

yea it looks recessed to me too DC lol..idk what these guys are smokin

 

who knows, but I do know that it was recessed! it's all good though, problem was solved.