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While it's great that you are getting all this help, does it not make sense to get this into the hands of someone with experience. the creative solutions are great, but it sounds like you'll be spending plenty of money on tools/rentals and have already spent plenty of time.
You don't want a crooked or off center hole, do maybe time for a pro.
Since your drilling has drifted off and likely pooched the threads, a timesert looks like the most professional way to do the repair. You still need location accuracy. Using the sub frame is risky. The holes are probably clearanced and the frame itself is aluminium, soft.
If this was my car looking like yours does this is how I would fix it. Caveat- my skill level is likely different than yours:
Source a timesert kit in the size you need
Source an end mill that suits the timesert you will use.
Source a drill bushing that suits the end mill you will use.
Make a drill fixture as described below.
If you decide to go this way we can discuss locating and tacking in place the drill fixture.
Cheers.
Interesting...In looking at the first photo, the image gives me the impression that the fastener hole had been welded up previously, drilled and tapped.
Note the silver crescent shaped material to the right of the broken bolt shank. This looks to have been weld repaired previously, and can certainly explain why all the banging with the punch and easy-out produced nada!
And now, looking at the bushing shell, is this an eliptically encased mount point for positioning purposed? Bill Verburg!?
Hmm, now there is the best method for fixing this!
I support a more logical/methodical way of redrilling the hole than the thinking that its close enough, or that there is 5mm of play (thats almost .200"). Also, a time-sert is not stronger than parent material, drilled and tapped.
Its hard to see in the picture what this all looks like three-dimensionally and this is a part that most have probably never pulled to expose and see this fitting.
The round protruding cylinder you see in the picture is what fits down into the cylindrical hole of the bushing. This is a loose fit and has room to move back and forth by at least 5mm. The bolt hole in the bushing is similarly loose, with lots of play. It is much larger than the bolt that fits through here. The bolt then feeds into the hole in the car for about .5inch before hitting threads. So when you are looking into this hole you are seeing first a blank area where there are no threads by design. Then you are seeing the end of the shank with several diameter holes drilled into it. The hole that is most obvious and in the center is the 1/4" drilled hole. The larger one that nearly touches the rim of the original mounting hole is the 3/8". The 3/8" hole is now drilled through to the end so that nearly half of the original shank is gone and the other half is still embedded in the threads on the other side.
There is no welding or any other signs of damage previous to the bolt getting stuck. Length of bolt is 110mm, part number: 999-072-003-09
While it's great that you are getting all this help, does it not make sense to get this into the hands of someone with experience. the creative solutions are great, but it sounds like you'll be spending plenty of money on tools/rentals and have already spent plenty of time.
You don't want a crooked or off center hole, do maybe time for a pro.
Yes, I agree. At this point the proposed solutions are outside my comfort zone given my experience and skill level. I want to hear them because they will give me the information necessary to talk with my mechanic and evaluate the appropriate response. But given the fact that all of the techniques used so far have not budged the bolt, I think its time to bring in the heavy guns and get this in the hands of an expert with better tools and more experience.
Looking at my hole it is straight and true through the length of the shank, which in retrospect is quite the accomplishment with a hand drill. I'm disappointed that the original pilot was off center. I used a guide that was the exact size of this hole to get it started with the 1/8 but it must have been slightly off or must have drifted slightly when the larger bits were used. It was not obvious until the 3/8 was in play.
I'm hoping that what's left is not too hard to get out by a pro and that he can finish what I've started with a minimum of blood, sweat and tears. The mechanic I use is very, very good so the car will be in good hands.
I'd much rather pay the money to ensure a good outcome vs. spending more time on a problem that I feel is getting over my head.
I'll put this side back together. I'm going to tighten but use less than full torque so that its easy for him to take back apart and then put back together again with all new fasteners.
I'll finish the other corners on my own, also with all new fasteners.
When everything is done, I'm going to really enjoy my new suspension with PSS10 and sport hardness bushings!
Stunning 10 pages devoted to a broken bolt! For all our sakes don't post anything related to Q-Tips and cleaning our cars as it may unleash the dogs of madness!
Stunning 10 pages devoted to a broken bolt! For all our sakes don't post anything related to Q-Tips and cleaning our cars as it may unleash the dogs of madness!
LOL
I can't properly express how appreciative I am for these 10 pages though. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has helped or offered their support!
I think if the bolt hadn't been stuck so hard that one of these techniques would have gotten it free. If nothing else, this is a long and detailed manual for future broken-bolt sufferers to refer to.
I'll definitely update the thread as the project progresses from here.
Made some progress today. New driver side axle, subframe and a-arm are all on the car and bolted in - minus the one subframe attachment point with the broken bolt.
In the picture you can see the new parts. The broken bolt is on the bushing attachment point in the upper right.
Stunning 10 pages devoted to a broken bolt! For all our sakes don't post anything related to Q-Tips and cleaning our cars as it may unleash the dogs of madness!
Just goes to show how thirsty some of us are for some technical content, as opposed to what color socks look best when I drive my 993?
01-23-2017, 06:30 AM
