Removing snapped bolts help?

[freebo86]

50/50 Acetone and Transmission Fluid for good penetrant. Exhaust bolts below the headers on the BMW's are notorious for removal as they snap and are a nightmare to remove. This was the only stuff that removed them without snapping a single one!

 

[Flivver250]

Soak in penetrating oil. Drill and Easy-Outs are my go to tools in these cases. Like mentioned above, if you can't save the threads, new nuts and bolts will work. Carefully drilling out the center is key. I usually save the threads. Patience is a virtue. I used to have drill bits that cut counter clockwise. They often did the trick if you can only drill from one direction. Easy outs suck to drill through, don't break one.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

LOL just my hands and wrench!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Soak in penetrating oil. Drill and Easy-Outs are my go to tools in these cases.

Add heat, you'll be surprised just how effective heat can be by itself on loosening seized hardware.

 

[AndyG]

How many times has the ol snapped rear seat bolt saga occurred?

Not poking fun , just seems like Groundhog Day.

I may be next , who knows.

I wonder if we should start a “if this is your first TJ , you need to know ....,” thread . Seriously, hit all the common stuff.

 

[BobK]

Same thing happened to me. Read my thread. In the end, all I can say is cut them off.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/bad-words-were-said.21418/

 

[BobK]

I now have a sign up in my garage that states

"Every 15 minute job is just a broken bolt away from a three day ordeal"

 

[Flivver250]

Working bolts back and forth minutely goes a long way. Experience and patience often avoids snaps. I only have a propane torch, while it helps, I cannot rapidly get a nut cherry red. You want to heat the area around the fastener before the fastener expands if you can. An acetylene torch is nice to have. Fast and hot. Back in the 80's MOPAR used to have heat riser solvent in black and white spray cans that was amazing stuff. It was probably killing baby whales and snail darters, but it cut rust like butter.

 

[chino1969]

A rule of thumb I use is to always apply Never Seize to bolt threads when reassembling or replacing. You will thank yourself many times. Another function I perform on a routine basis is to squirt Kroil on all of the potential problem area bolts like upper rear shock bolts, etc. Use an eye dropper or a aerosol can with a tube. Kroil will actually creep into the threads via capillary action and is, IMO, one of the best. Do this to all of the potential problem area bolts even if not removing them. If you need to ever remove them you are one step ahead.

 

[All 4 Wheelin']

I broke one of those. Easy out would not budge it and I did not want to break the tip of one off, so I quit trying. I started with a very small drill bit and drilled down all the way through the bolt, then stepped up every drill bit size until the last of the threads came out with the bit.

I just did that exact thing this weekend on a rear bumper bolt. Passenger side under the frame. Started with 1/8" bit all the way through. Stepped up each bit size until just before the threads. That last drill bit grabbed the bolt and spun it out. Between penetrating oil and heat from drilling it broke the dreaded rust weld. Chased out the threads on the nut and it's ready for a new bolt.