Busted control arm bolt. DIY or not?

[FatOrangeCat]

Do the mechanic a favor (if you take to a competent shop), soak that fastener with penatrating oil a few times before taking it in.

 

[D60]

IME every extraction scenario requires 4x more tools than anticipated. I love this kind of work, but only in my shop, well-equipped.

 

[supton]

I’m concerned that there is more there wrong than we see in that photo. That shoulder shouldn’t be gone, and it shouldn’t be broken in the first place. and what else is wrong now, now that it has been slamming around?

 

[D60]

I’m concerned that there is more there wrong than we see in that photo. That shoulder shouldn’t be gone, and it shouldn’t be broken in the first place. and what else is wrong now, now that it has been slamming around?

Actually excellent point. And if it IS working fine as-is, then just lay a bead around it and call it good. Faster than extraction

 

[paulo57509]

I would take it to a shop before messing with it. If you fail at any kind of attempt to remove it, you'll just make it harder for the person that has the skills/methods to remove it.

 

[CarLuver]

if it was my car and i wanted to diy it, i would remove the whole control arm . looks pretty easy. depending on what is left you might be able to get vise grips in there .

or take it to a shop. i don't think it will be too expensive

 

[Timmastertech]

Speaking as a professional, I have a lot better chance of getting it out if you dont screw with it first. As it sits I have the most methods available to me. If you start drilling and drill off centered or crooked or mangle the end or break off an extractor my options become very limited very fast and it becomes far more expensive for you very quickly.

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

Unless you have a fairly well-equipped shop, I wouldn't DIY that job. If you break off an easy out in that bolt, you will turn that job into a nightmare for the mechanic. I learned that one from experience. I found welding a nut to the broken bolt works the best for me.

 

[GMBoy]

I say go ahead and give it a try - since it is already snapped off you are not fighting 100 ft lbs of torque - you only have to overcome any corrosion in the threads. Soak it down good, tap around it with a hammer and extract it by any means you choose.

 

[Trav]

Once the plastic shields are out of the way it looks like plenty is left to get a nut on to weld to. IMO as others have said that is probably your best shot.

 

[Jetronic]

I am afraid cause this thing is torqued to 101 foot pounds. I am skeptical that an extractor will be able to survive it. Maybe I’ll ask the shop what they did after they finish.

The head is gone, so there's 0 torque on it now, just rust or thread locker holding it in. If it got overtorqued by someone at some point it could be deformed.

 

[D60]

Yeah I wish people would never use EZ-outs. On more delicate stuff where welding isn't practical you almost guarantee yourself wire EDM territory if you snap an extractor ‐‐ and they're VERY brittle.

If progressive drilling with LH bits won't get it, it's unlikely a spiral flute extractor will, either.

This scenario is not delicate and I agree welding a nut is probably the first thing I'd do

 

[Yourhomiematt]

I am afraid cause this thing is torqued to 101 foot pounds. I am skeptical that an extractor will be able to survive it. Maybe I’ll ask the shop what they did after they finish.

Seeing as the head is missing its not really torqued to any value. Pending thread damage, it should back right out. Now if someone cross threaded it and beat it in with the Ole uggaa dugga, then you may have problems(this may also be how the head snapped off in the first palce)

 

[Yourhomiematt]

The issue won’t be the installed torque, because, without the head, that torque is effectively zero.

But the fact that it is still there, and really rusted, suggests that it is rusted in place. It’s been broken for a while.

So, take it to a shop. A large diameter bolt like that, rusted in place, will take a lot of torque to overcome the rust. The heat from welding a nut on there will help with breaking it free.

"Really rusted" you must be from down south

 

[Astro14]

"Really rusted" you must be from down south

I’m from Connecticut. They salted the roads in the winter. Lived in Massachusetts, Canada, Vermont and Colorado where salt was also used. My cars get driven through salt water (coastal flooding) quite frequently.

I know rust.

That bolt has been broken off, and then sat there for a while. When he pulls the plastic cladding off the bottom, the threads above the captured nut will likely be rusted as well.

 

[Yourhomiematt]

That bolt has been broken off, and then sat there for a while. When he pulls the plastic cladding off the bottom, the threads above the captured nut will likely be rusted as wewell.

I think what caused the head to snap off in the first place may be a bigger issue. For some reason I feel that someone had that arm off and cross threaded that bolt and beat it in with an impact till it snapped. 9 times outta 10 suspension bolts don't just break

 

[Astro14]

I think what caused the head to snap off in the first place may be a bigger issue. For some reason I feel that someone had that arm off and cross threaded that bolt and beat it in with an impact till it snapped. 9 times outta 10 suspension bolts don't just break

Yeah, that occurred to me after I posted - I’ve done a lot of bolts like that, and they go in easy, assuming they’re lined up.

They’re usually 10.9 grade, so they don’t break easy.

So, if it was hammered in with an impact, his “EZ Out” doesn’t have a prayer. Take it to a shop.

 

[ls1mike]

I have had my kid successfully weld heads onto a few broken bolts and get them out, but you need to time to soak this, heat and a welder. I would take it somewhere.

 

[Astro14]

And when this buggered thing comes out - you may well need a new captured nut welded in place, or a TimeSert, to restore the threads in the subframe.

 

[Kurtatron]

I really hope this problem doesn’t expose a web of disaster. I have a theory that someone tightened this thing with an impact wrench or something. By the way, there is no plastic covering. The picture shows the crossmember.

I’m taking this thing to a shop tomorrow.