Broken Upper Rear Shock Bolts

LHC30

LHC30

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
121
Location
Lake Havasu CIty, AZ
Tried to take the upper rear shock bolts out yesterday after soaking them with PB Blaster for a day or so and the all snapped! Tried drilling to use an ez-out but even the new drill bits have barely made a dent. I don’t consider myself a mechanic by any means, but a fair wrench turner. I could use some suggestions on how to remove the broken bolts.
Thanks
 
I went through the same thing, as have many others. I was doing a bunch of maintenance on the Jeep, so I had the gas tank out, which gave me more room to work up there, and I have a Dremel with a flexible extension. I was able to use that with a cutting wheel (see if you can find the HD Dremel cutting wheels if you're going this route), and get up through the hole where the top of the shock goes through the frame and cut the factory nuts off the frame with pieces of broken bolt still in them. Then I just used new nuts and bolts to attach the shocks. I dropped the bolts down through the frame and put the nuts on the shock side, so up-side-down from the current arrangement. It was tight, but I was able to work a wrench in to hold the bolts well enough while I tightened up the nuts. Half of this site will lose their minds, so don't tell them I used stainless steel hardware for the replacements.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fonz54 and Aloha Joe
One option is to forget that mount, drill a hole through the frame right below it, run a M8 lag bolt through the hole and mount the shock to that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: -T.
WallyWest said:
One option is to forget that mount, drill a hole through the frame right below it, run a M8 lag bolt through the hole and mount the shock to that.
Click to expand...

at the cost of lost up travel and the frame would need sleeved.
 
someguysjeep said:
at the cost of lost up travel and the frame would need sleeved.
Click to expand...

Only people who care would probably be lifted, in which case you get the next size down for the shocks.

The vid I watched on YouTube did not sleeve the frame, and used stainless bolts. Checked in a year later and said all was good, even with some off road use. YMMV of course, but it sounded like a good option if you're tired if fighting the factory mounts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: -T.
WallyWest said:
Only people who care would probably be lifted, in which case you get the next size down for the shocks.

The vid I watched on YouTube did not sleeve the frame, and used stainless bolts. Checked in a year later and said all was good, even with some off road use. YMMV of course, but it sounded like a good option if you're tired if fighting the factory mounts.
Click to expand...
The video you’re referring to was discussed on here and most agreed it was a poor hack choice as a fix.
 
  • Like
Reactions: someguysjeep
A lag bolt is designed to hold wood. It is basically a very large wood screw. They aren't made to use a nut. And even using the right type of bolt, it isn't the best plan. You can cut a small hole in the tub above the mount to access the broken bolts.
PB Blaster is a poor penetrating fluid. Use Kroil or Liquid Wrench for better luck with rusty nuts and bolts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fonz54 and taylormade73
Goatman said:
A lag bolt is designed to hold wood. It is basically a very large wood screw. They aren't made to use a nut. And even using the right type of bolt, it isn't the best plan. You can cut a small hole in the tub above the mount to access the broken bolts.
Click to expand...

LoL, the video I watched he called it a carriage bolt and someone was arguing with him saying it was a lag bolt. Whatever it's called, long enough to stick through the frame and then some, with just the end part threaded so the part going through the frame is a solid shaft.

I thought about cutting a hole to access it from the top, the way the front mounts are. Any videos/pics you know of that show right where it should be?
 
LHC30 said:
Tried to take the upper rear shock bolts out yesterday after soaking them with PB Blaster for a day or so and the all snapped! Tried drilling to use an ez-out but even the new drill bits have barely made a dent. I don’t consider myself a mechanic by any means, but a fair wrench turner. I could use some suggestions on how to remove the broken bolts.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I had one break and if was an easy fix...after I watched this video. So simple it will surprise you, but you need a Dremel and a couple attachments.

Others recommend very silly things like cutting your floorboard, but no reason to unless you like cutting things.

 
skrelnik said:
I had one break and if was an easy fix...after I watched this video. So simple it will surprise you, but you need a Dremel and a couple attachments.

Others recommend very silly things like cutting your floorboard, but no reason to unless you like cutting things.
Click to expand...

Super easy, barely an inconvenience.

I mean, once the gas tank is removed and the body jacked up. But glad you didn't have to do anything silly, lol.
 
Get one of the longer chisels to use with your air hammer. Not the typical 4/5” ones get the ones that’s like 10” and just knock the nuts off between the body and frame from the sides of the rear wheels
 
I went 3/4 with the rear bolts today. I used a hybrid of O3D's method and @freebo86 method. I used my dremel with crappy HF discs to cut the inside of the bolt as much as I could. I then used HF chisels and a heavy mini sledge to break out the bolt. Took me longer to research how to do it than to break it free.

Question is, do I simply use a thick washer and bolt on top?
 
kmq102 said:
I went 3/4 with the rear bolts today. I used a hybrid of O3D's method and @freebo86 method. I used my dremel with crappy HF discs to cut the inside of the bolt as much as I could. I then used HF chisels and a heavy mini sledge to break out the bolt. Took me longer to research how to do it than to break it free.

Question is, do I simply use a thick washer and bolt on top?
Click to expand...

I used a washer and lock nut and all has been good for two + years.
 
Top Bottom
Back