Broke upper rear shock bolts!

[fuse]

On my 05, it's an M8 x 30 mm x 1.25 mm pitch flange bolt. A 25 mm bolt will do since the last 5 mm of thread is removed from the OE fastener.

The bolt markings are unusual, but a 10.9 metric grade should be more than enough.

I got some nice replacements from Home Depot, or maybe Lowes.

 

[alexap]

Thanks @fuse!
I found another topic also with all sizes so I'm just going to link it here!

So which one would be best to replace with from ones offered underneath?

Should I just play dumb and go with the most expensive one?
P.S. they are all 10.9 graded.

 

[fuse]

Thanks @fuse!
I found another topic also with all sizes so I'm just going to link it here!

So which one would be best to replace with from ones offered underneath?

Should I just play dumb and go with the most expensive one?
P.S. they are all 10.9 graded.

View attachment 135391

All those choices! I just got the one bolt in stock in the right size.

Get some zinc coated bolts. The yellow zinc probably has the best corrosion resistance.

And put some anti-sieze on it for good measure.

 

[Wingryder]

This is old but... I have not broken mine yet.. however I liked the hole saw idea.. but why cut two holes?. One in the middle should let you chisel or dremel out old nuts and install new ones. You could then patch the hole with a body plug. The very thing the factory should have done.

 

[RiverDawg24]

I only had one bolt break. I followed the advice of some in this thread and cut an access hole.

One thing I did different is welded a 11/16 nut on the broken stud from on top. It came right out with an impact. I am still using the stock nut with plenty of antisieze.

I save the cut out and will weld it back in after Covid leaves and I can use the welder at work. I only have flux core at home.

 

[skrelnik]

I did not have to cut any access holes and I wonder why people choose to cut a hole in their tub.

I used this Dremel extension and all was good.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000302Y8/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[Don A.]

I spent more time trying to not break those bolts than I did cutting the nuts off and dropping bolts down through the holes.

Get the $20 diamond cutoff wheel for the dremal.
Stick dremal up through the hole for the shock
Cut off nut
Drop bolt with lock washer from the top. The lock washer will allow you to get the night tight.

Done.

Dude, I read this today and it completely saved my day. I had spent the whole stinkin day stressing about those bolts breaking and possibly having to cut my floor. Seriously was looking up the best place to cut when I happened to see this comment lol.
Broke 1 bolt out of 3 and did exactly like you said in all of 15 minutes.
Cheers, brother!

 

[MaximusLJR06]

I went through this issue on my 04 a few years ago. I ended up jacking the body off the frame by a couple inches and used a dremel to cutoff the weld nuts from below. There is absolutely no way I'd hack a hole in the floor of my jeep to change the shocks out. I just got new Fox shocks for my 06 and I'm not even going to mess with it. I'm taking it to my mechanic and I'll let them them deal with it. Figured I'd leave a note for them, telling them how I dealt with it years ago, so incase they snap any off.

 

[pwrtstdan]

Getting ready to lift my stock 03 Rubicon. Looks like the bolts and nuts are fused. Heated up nuts with mapp gas torch and let cool, now soaking daily in liquid wrench. Fingers crossed.

 

[HornedToad]

You all need to stop cutting holes in your jeeps. I broke 2 out of the 4 when I changed mine so I just decided to remove all square nuts on that crossmember. Get the nuts hot enough that they glow and then slip in a long cold chisel and after a few really good whacks they'll come right off. Just don't let the hot nuts land on top of anything plastic like a fuel line or your fuel tank. That would be bad.

 

[pwrtstdan]

You all need to stop cutting holes in your jeeps. I broke 2 out of the 4 when I changed mine so I just decided to remove all square nuts on that crossmember. Get the nuts hot enough that they glow and then slip in a long cold chisel and after a few really good whacks they'll come right off. Just don't let the hot nuts land on top of anything plastic like a fuel line or your fuel tank. That would be bad.

How do you get access to the nuts without cutting a hole?

 

[MaximusLJR06]

You all need to stop cutting holes in your jeeps. I broke 2 out of the 4 when I changed mine so I just decided to remove all square nuts on that crossmember. Get the nuts hot enough that they glow and then slip in a long cold chisel and after a few really good whacks they'll come right off. Just don't let the hot nuts land on top of anything plastic like a fuel line or your fuel tank. That would be bad.

This thread actually blew my mind when I saw how many people cut holes in the floor of their jeep.

 

[pwrtstdan]

I did not have to cut any access holes and I wonder why people choose to cut a hole in their tub.

I used this Dremel extension and all was good.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000302Y8/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Did you then jack the body up to gain access the new nuts you installed? Or do you have a body lift already?

 

[MaximusLJR06]

How do you get access to the nuts without cutting a hole?

When I had to do it on my 04, I removed the body mount bolts. Jacked the body off the frame by like 5" at that side of the jeep and used a dremel to cut the welded nuts off. Replaced them with grade 8. Once I figured out what I had to do, it didn't take long at all. Cutting a hole in the floor of my jeep never even crossed my mind and never would, thats gotta be the most ass backwards way to solve the problem

Edit: Think of it this way... if i take my jeep to a mechanic to fix this problem and i get my jeep back with patched holes on the rear floor.... someone is about to have a really bad day.

 

[pwrtstdan]

This thread actually blew my mind when I saw how many people cut holes in the floor of their jeep.

I don't see anything wrong with a little hole in the sheet metal as long its adequately rustproofed and sealed up. I figure it won't be the last time I'm in there so I want to be able to get at it.

I'm a former Honda/Acura mechanic and you could always remove their bolts no matter how bad they looked.
I don't know if Jeep uses low grade steel or if it's the thread class or the loctite but everything I touch breaks.

 

[pwrtstdan]

When I had to do it on my 04, I removed the body mount bolts. Jacked the body off the frame by like 5" at that side of the jeep and used a dremel to cut the welded nuts off. Replaced them with grade 8. Once I figured out what I had to do, it didn't take long at all. Cutting a hole in the floor of my jeep never even crossed my mind and never would, thats gotta be the most ass backwards way to solve the problem

Edit: Think of it this way... if i take my jeep to a mechanic to fix this problem and i get my jeep back with patched holes on the rear floor.... someone is about to have a really bad day.

Did you see my shock bolts? Can you imagine what my body mount bolts look like. That's a whole other project for a different week.

It's not a mall crawler, it's a utilitarian vehicle and my hobby. I'll be in there again and want access. I also want to preserve the factory welded nuts.

 

[MaximusLJR06]

Did you see my shock bolts? Can you imagine what my body mount bolts look like. That's a whole other project for a different week.

It's not a mall crawler, it's a utilitarian vehicle and my hobby. I'll be in there again and want access. I also want to preserve the factory welded nuts.

If you cut off the welded nuts and replace them with grade 8 hardware you'll be able to remove them easier the next time. Preserving the original welding nuts does nothing for you except allow them to rust up again after you reinstall the bolts. I would rather cut off welding nuts on a subframe than cut a big hole in the floor of my jeep. If i were looking to purchase a jeep and saw someone cut a hole in the floor to get to the bolts, i would expect some other shady repairs have happened on that jeep.

I'm not trying to say that what you did was wrong, its just not the professional way to fix the problem. It's the backyard mechanic way.

The way i described to fix the issue is probably an easier and less time consuming fix, than cutting a hole you the floor, as long as your body bolts can be removed.

 

[HornedToad]

I don't see anything wrong with a little hole in the sheet metal as long its adequately rustproofed and sealed up. I figure it won't be the last time I'm in there so I want to be able to get at it.

I'm a former Honda/Acura mechanic and you could always remove their bolts no matter how bad they looked.
I don't know if Jeep uses low grade steel or if it's the thread class or the loctite but everything I touch breaks.

Those four nuts above the crossmember are probably the most vulnerable of all fasteners on the entire Jeep to rust. They get the brunt of salt spray and mist during winter driving and since they sit atop a horizontal surface the salty water just sits there without draining.
I’m sure your hole patching will be just fine and I wouldn’t worry about it. I said what I said for when future readers find this thread and learn that it can be done without cutting holes in the tub. Btw I did not have to jack up the body nor did I have a body lift at the time. I did have to remove the plastic inner fenders though. Hitting off the nuts (after heating them from the bottom with map gas) with a chisel worked well for me.

 

[Hopper]

Definitely need to do this. I broke one on each side. Put some self tapping screws in its place.

 

[SolarColumbia]

Ah, brings back fond memories! I had 2 bolts seized, cut off the fully slagged-on nuts going up through the shock knuckle holes while peering between the frame and wheel well (I have long arms) using about 10 to 12 Dremel wheels (!) And installed grade 8 bolts, washers and nuts. Good times.