MMMMalex

This weekend, I installed ST Suspension / KW V1 coilovers on my 987.2. The install itself took a while but went well, sans for stripping one of the 8mm hex bolts that holds my passenger-side half shaft into the transmission. Do you guys have any recommendations on getting this bolt out? Omw home, the coilover bracket holding my endlink snapped, and my coilover slammed onto my axle. I'm going to try to get KW to ship me a new one but in order to do that, I'm going to probably have to ship this one back to them to get it inspected first. The half shaft has to be removed in order to have enough clearance to remove the strut. I'm going to try removing the axle from the hub as opposed to the transmission in order to get the strut out. But I still need to replace the axle as I am sure it is damaged - and for that I need to remove the bolt.

Here is a picture of the bolt, circled in yellow. Again, it takes an 8mm hex.



Things that I've tried:
-Using an 8mm ball joint hex (not catching)
-Torx T50 (not catching)
-Hammering a 9mm hex onto the bolt (too big)
-Drilling into the bolt and using an easy out, but I'm not having luck making a hole, even with high speed bits.

Also, if anyone recommends a particular vendor / site for picking up another half shaft, please mention below. Any help is much appreciated!

extanker

if you have not enlarged the bolt with the drill try hammering an american size allen into the hole [helpful hint...put all the bolts back in too] if no joy use a small cut-off wheel on a high speed grinder and cut the bolt head off

jscott82

I can't recall how much room was in there, I remember it was tight. I assume you cant get vice grips on the outside of the head?

If you can get a cold chisel in there, use it to turn it. Just a few taps to break it loose, then even an ill fitting hex can get it the rest of the way out.

If there really isn't room, use a "female" easy out (one the grabs the exterior of the bolt head)
.

MMMMalex

I couldn't find a standard hex in a close enough size at a brick and mortar (11/32), but just ordered one from Amazon. I'm gonna try chiseling tonight, thanks for the recommendation.

The space is extremely narrow and you can't come in from the side to get a set of vice-grips, pliers or a grinder in. I don't think I can use a female easy-out either because of how close the bolt is to the clam that goes around the boot, but may try that as well.

bkrantz

More drastic: welding a sacraficial long hex bit to the stripped bolt head.

terbiumactivated

If you have enough room you might try cutting a slot in the head and using a flatblade screwdriver as a breaker bar. Brazing onto it as mentioned above is also a decent idea. Once you shear the head off the fun only gets more funner.

yahh

The usual order is strip with hex , hammer a bigger torx in, and then hammer bigger hex back in. You can also try using EZ out bits.

CarlJ

Had that happen to me as well... There's plenty of room to work there. I just clamped on to it with a pair of channel locks/vice grips and gave it a few cranks until it was loose enough to back out by hand. Those bolts are soft... I ordered a few packs online from pelican to stash away last time I had mine out. They're cheap.

MMMMalex

Will try this as one of my last resort options.

What would you recommend using to cut it? Probably a silly question but some of this stuff is not my forte
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This is the path that I'm currently headed down. Trying to widen the seating just enough to fit a 9mm ball-point hex in.

This is very encouraging. I will give this a shot tonight. Was there a particular pair of channel locks / vice grips that worked for you? That space is pretty narrow but I guess it's not as bad as I was thinking.... Thank you man.

daylorb

Ideally your run-of-the-mill vice grip does the trip, but if you can't fit that in, a needle nose version could work. I had to remove a hex from a motorcycle header once - it was recessed so no way to grip it. Used a variety of this and it was super simple:
You can get some pretty long extensions - not sure this would work with it or not, but you get the idea:

CarlJ

just a regular set of vice grips will fit. You’ll need the xtra clamping power to break it loose if you torqued it down tight, so I’d recommend the ones that look like regular pliers, not needle nose. Once you break it loose, some plain old channel locks will finish the job.

User 41221

I’ve never done this on a 987 but have done it plenty of times on 944/951’s and suspect it’s much the same. If you can’t clamp onto it with the channel locks, drilling off the head is pretty easy as the bit only needs to be just a touch larger than the wrench size, so you don’t have to remove too much material to get the head of the bolt off. Once the head is off, you can remove the half shaft and then the remaining part of the bolt should easily unscrew by hand.

Also, assuming that it’s similar to the the 944’s, those bolts are single use items that rely on “stretch torque” for proper tightening. Once tightened down, they shouldn’t be reused as they’ve already been stretched and won’t torque properly (again, assuming it’s the same design as the 944/951’s).

audipwr1

I had to vice grip one out once

It's a bleeding and crying sort of event FYI.

MMMMalex

Tried the vice grips today, no luck. Its tough because I cant grab the bolt from the side. I have to grab it head on (less leverage).

Trying these on Thursday / Friday

Truer words never spoken =/

audipwr1

Get biggest one you can on it and look to basically crush the head with the grips you can get them in perpendicular just have to experiment with the bolt in different positions