I had a look at the pinch bolt I replaced with a new one. It has a flat surface at the tip. I suppose a person could start drilling from the tip end if need be.
Subaru Pinch Bolt - Tips in Advance?
- Thread starter Clarkbug
- Start date
To the OP: I have seen others use a nut and bolt to replace the OE pinch bolt, especially if the threads get wrecked during the drill out. You can even get stainless steel with enough lead time.
That's what I did on my friend's Impreza.
I have read that also.
At this point it's going to head to the shop. I tried to swap struts this weekend, since those also needed to be done. But it turns out my spring compressor wasn't able to get me enough squeeze to free the spring from the strut assembly. So I had to put the old ones back on, but my alignment is not correct. Sigh.
As much as I would love to tackle all of this myself, my driveway coupled with the rainy weather and family/work stuff is going to make this more trouble than I can bother with.
I'll take it to my local guy and ask him to bail me out of my woes and see if he can just blast the pinch bolts outta there. And if he snaps it, it's a lot easier to drill when you can have it on a lift or easily pull the whole knuckle.
Will post back if he tells me how it went. Thank you for all of the info here everyone, I do hope it helps someone in the future.
Sounds reasonable. Let us know what he did and if he used an impact wrench, which model. Thanks.
To finish off some of the discussion, to do a job where plan B might have to be enacted if the bolt snaps, I’ve assembled a few things.
In the middle is a M12 1.75 Pinch bolt for a 2005 For Taurus like the one I snapped 5 years ago. On the far right is a 3/8 inch cobalt bit that could be used to try drill out the M12 pinch bolt. It’s part of my set of Cobalt bits. Next to it is a left hand 3/8 inch Cobalt bit to try get the bolt to back out as it drills.
Over to the far left is a 1/2” Cobalt bit that could be used to totally take out the threads and all if the 3/8” bit could not stay in the middle, aborting the idea of saving the threads. Once the threads were completely drilled out, the item next to it is a M10 1.5 stainless steel bolt that could be inserted through the 1/2 inch hole and tightened up. It’s longer than necessary but is all I could find. The extra length does not interfere with anything.
Ford does not sell the pinch bolts anymore, and Rock Auto does not have them. I still need to get some M12 1.75 bolts in case I successfully drilled out the original pinch bolt like my mechanic did five years ago. Hope that concludes some of the great ideas that were presented here. Snag.
In the middle is a M12 1.75 Pinch bolt for a 2005 For Taurus like the one I snapped 5 years ago. On the far right is a 3/8 inch cobalt bit that could be used to try drill out the M12 pinch bolt. It’s part of my set of Cobalt bits. Next to it is a left hand 3/8 inch Cobalt bit to try get the bolt to back out as it drills.
Over to the far left is a 1/2” Cobalt bit that could be used to totally take out the threads and all if the 3/8” bit could not stay in the middle, aborting the idea of saving the threads. Once the threads were completely drilled out, the item next to it is a M10 1.5 stainless steel bolt that could be inserted through the 1/2 inch hole and tightened up. It’s longer than necessary but is all I could find. The extra length does not interfere with anything.
Ford does not sell the pinch bolts anymore, and Rock Auto does not have them. I still need to get some M12 1.75 bolts in case I successfully drilled out the original pinch bolt like my mechanic did five years ago. Hope that concludes some of the great ideas that were presented here. Snag.
This thing is a lifesaver. Especially if you have a stout hammer like I do. (Aircat 2520).
But vibration can work even if not applied directly. Find a safe place to bash that's near the the stuck item. Grab the heaviest ball peen you can find and pound the every loving snot out of it.
I'll never forget wrestling with the ball joints on my 2002 Ram 2500 at the on-base hobby shop. After a half hour, I was exhausted. I went to the main desk and asked to check out a different BJ puller. Old timer behind the counter said "Ball joint stuck"?
He reached into the large tool box behind him, pulled out a small sledge/drilling hammer and followed me over to my truck on the lift.
He proceeded to pound near the ball joint until it fell (under gravity) off the truck and onto the floor. I was stunned.
Since they I almost never bother with heat or any special rusty bolt tricks. There's no substitute for the effectiveness of high-amplitude vibration.
Got it the Amazon wish list. Thanks for the reminder.
a little heat followed by water
Last edited:
The M12 1.75 Stainless steel bolts arrived from Amazon. This is in case I’m successful getting the originals out but they’re too damaged to reuse. Ford no longer sells the original pinch bolt.
And here are 3 extra 3/8 inch right hand cobalt drill bits to augment the one in my set. Even though the set is cobalt I wouldn’t think one bit would be sufficient.
Have you ever tried Freeze off? I worked for a guy building race cars and this stuff will wick its way into threads and spaces.
Picking the Subie up from the shop today. Will try to talk to my mechanic about what he did and will see if I should have just bought more tools instead of paying him 
(I am seriously considering trying to find a used Branick strut compressor to stick in the barn for the next time I need to do struts...)
(I am seriously considering trying to find a used Branick strut compressor to stick in the barn for the next time I need to do struts...)
Confirmed that I should have found myself a good spring compressor instead of paying the shop. Im going to start the hunt for next time....Picking the Subie up from the shop today. Will try to talk to my mechanic about what he did and will see if I should have just bought more tools instead of paying him
(I am seriously considering trying to find a used Branick strut compressor to stick in the barn for the next time I need to do struts...)
Apparently the pinch bolts came out without too much fuss. Im going to credit that to me having soaked and heated them a few weeks prior, but he probably just got after it with an impact where I wussed out. Front end of the Forester feels much better now, need to really take it on a ride to see how it does but for the short ride home today feels a lot more planted.
Thanks for all the input and advice here everyone. Ill have to get some more cobalt bits (have the set, need a place to find singles) and maybe some freeze off ahead of the next replacement. Which is hopefully several years and thousands of miles away.
Similar threads
