Cuda911

Busted this suspension tophat bolt on the Boxste'. It's pressed into the plate. I asked three respected people for opinions as to whether I can bash it out from the top. Two said, "why not give it a try?" The third said "are you crazy?" and said all sorts of collateral damage could result. [He liked even less my idea of just drilling a new hole next to the bolt and putting in a new bolt.]

So, I put this out to the masses: Is the bolt also spot welded onto the plate? (I don't think so). If not, any idea whether a good smack with a punch will push it out? Or will I just end up bending the tophat plate?

Yeah, I know, I should just replace the part, but if I can punch it out and put in a new bolt, that would be a lot easier.

I tried drilling it out, but progress is so slow that it will take forever.

VA951

I would try to punch it out but first i would support it from the bottom with something substantial (long steel rod, etc). if you don't you will probably just bend the plate.

Cuda911

83 views and finally an opinion! Yeah, I was thinking the same.... try to support it from the bottom somehow. Maybe a piece of rebar. Still, someone must have an idea as to how tightly that bolt is press-fit into the plate, and if it is possible to punch it out.

Slakker

Sometimes you just have to whack it and see what comes out.

Spinout

Support the plate with a beefy socket from the underside and whack away

dporto

Why not remove the top hat first so you can put it in a vise or press? Sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and do it right...

DBJoe996

My opinion differs. Those are hardened bolts and are made to basically never move given that they are the only three bolts holding the top of the suspension to the car. Given the difficulty of trying to punch that out, drill it out or taking a grinder to it, for the same amount of time it would take, I would remove the strut tower and replace with new.

DTMiller

I think step one is remove, then see if you can remove the bolt by hook or by crook and then realize you've wasted an afternoon and buy a replacement part.

alpine003

x2 but if you can remove the assembly first, that would be better.

IIRC, these bolts are splined on the other end and pressed in to the plate. I've removed these types before on other cars by smacking it. Just make sure to reinforce the bottom as others said.

OKB

how did you break it with 19 lbs torque

DTMiller

I suspect it's his mad cornering skillz.

jj1

Buy a new top hat. Imagine if your mechanic busted that bolt and fixed it the way your suggesting. You'd never go back there (hopefully).

Cuda911

Yeah, I know. Even so, can't help thinking that with a couple smacks, and in 30 seconds I'm good to go with a new bolt.

Yeah, I figured ith was splined. If I go to the trouble of taking the assembly out, I will just replace the part.

Jeez, didn't even get to 10 ft-lb... the bolt never eve got tight at all.... suddenly the top just popped off as I was tightening it.... #$#!@. This car has seen a lot of abuse by prior owners, so I suspect that it was cracked.

Yeah, but I was teaching MacGyver how to MacGyver before he was even named MacGyver.

5CHN3LL

Try to tap it out - it's already busted, so what difference does it make? Those can't be anywhere near as evil as the studs on the cats, and I knocked those suckers out.

Youri Ko

I would say, wiggle it out from underneath using the strut as leverage.
Or punch it out from the top using an impact hammer with punch on it. Will take 2-3 shots and will be out, will do less damage then bashing on it with a regular hammer