The Stovebolt Forums Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Removing a bolt?

I broke the same bolt on each step when I removed the steps off the bed. I forgot this and the blaster didn't remove it prior to priming.

They look like they were cross threaded when originally assembled. Am I going to have to screw up perfectly good primer with a torch to get it out? Or is there a super secret method that I don't know about. I want to avoid oil as well.

Could you use a cutoff wheel on a right angle grinder? If small or tight area I have used my dremel with tiny cutoff wheel. This is not good for a blind hole.

Can you get a nut buster on it? They work really well!

https://www.amazon.com/Splitter-Dam...hy=9022946&hvtargid=pla-790720269823

Don

That probably would work if there was a nut to bust, but I got the impression he's looking at a broken stub in a weld nut.

Thanks Kevin, I had not thought about it that way.
Sounds like it will need to be drilled out then. If you can get a drill on it.

Don

Something like a broken bolt on a weld nut, drill very slowly. No oil. Use a high quality bit. Same with the tap.

Start with a small bit as close as possible to the center of the bolt, then work up progressively in drill size till the hole JUST touches the inside diameter of the threads. Then take a sharp diamond nose chisel and start tapping the shell of the bolt out, collapsing it to loosen it's grip on the female threads and turning in whichever direction is the closest. If there's a stub sticking out the back side, try grabbing that with vice grips and turning back and forth, possibly after drilling part way through (leave enough solid to keep from snapping off the stub end.

Well I got them although not what I wanted to do. After trying to drill them out and using a rugged form of a easy out the remaining bolt would not budge. I did as suggested and went all the way to the beginning of the threads. Still no luck. I ended up using a zippy wheel and cutting the welded bolt off and welding another one back on. I have a bunch of old square bolts hanging around thanks to my father never throwing anything away. Found the right thread and tacked it back on the bracket. Little grinding, little cleaning, little primer and all is good.

I could definitely see it had been cross threaded from the get go. Must have been a Monday or a Friday truck on the assembly line.

Thanks for the advise. I never have luck with frozen bolts. I should have started with the zippy wheel.

That is known as a south central Tennessee locking nut.
Perhaps someone will be along here soon for further explanation...

Had this truck lived its life in the east I would have blamed it on the rust belt. But it was built in CA,.sold in WY, and lived life on the ranch in MT.