Sway Bar Bolt Stripped

[flyinfish]

Why can't he just peek in the hole where the nut is/was and see if it is thicker than the .150 that the frame is?

Looking in the hole to see if the nut is present or not, that's a given. My thought was maybe the nut could be badly rusted and not enough material left for drilling & threading or still attached by one side at 90 degrees causing issues with nutsert. Taking a look down the frame wouldn't have hurt, more than needed maybe.

 

[Longwhitejeep]

Drill and tap like @mrblaine suggested. Some winch mounts use that bolt as well as the tow hook bolts. I know my warn mount does, Savvy does as well.

You can also see the nut from oval hole on the side of the frame. At least you can on my 05

 

[mrblaine]

Maybe this is a dumb question - but - when I drill it out, what size should I be drilling it to? The 7/16 size?

You already have that problem, don't do it again.

 

[Longwhitejeep]

Maybe this is a dumb question - but - when I drill it out, what size should I be drilling it to? The 7/16 size?

Normally you use a 23/64 bit for a 7/16-14 tap.

Sometimes you can get 2 packs which includes the tap and drill bit. If not tap/drill size charts can be found on the internet.

 

[g.hayduke]

Do you guys think I'll experience any body roll by not having that 1 bolt on the sway bar mount in that location?

I would expect bad shit to happen without that bolt.

 

[Breto31]

I would expect bad shit to happen without that bolt.

Define “bad”…. The winch mount itself covers the sway bar mount hole, and the winch mount also has 2 bolts (the bumper bolts) that attach it to the frame as well. Feels fine when I drive it on the road so far, but I’ve only put about 20 miles on it since then.

I’m planning to go have someone tap it for me as soon as I have a chance. My local shop I typically use told me I needed to drop it off and they’d get to it when they could, and I couldn’t drop it off that day.

 

[g.hayduke]

Define “bad”

If it's still OK and you aren't driving it, you should be fine.

If you keep driving it, bad would be as follows. The retainer/bracket on the single-bolt side will almost surely start to bend upward. When it bends enough, it might rip the bracket right off the bolt or the sway bar bushing might just escape from the retainer. Either way, the sway bar is now free to bash your grill from the side or wreak other havoc as it flops around uncontained on that side.

That is my definition of bad in this context.

Does that meet your criteria?

 

[LONGJP2]

Feels fine when I drive it on the road so far, but I’ve only put about 20 miles on it since then.

IMO, if you want to drive it; I would disconnect one (or both) links and tie it up to take the pressure off of it.
A little more lean, but no worse than an Anti-rock.

 

[Pvt Hudson]

I was installing my winch this past weekend, and the mount that I used required that you reuse the factory bolts for the sway bar up front to attach the mount to the frame. Anyway, when I was reattaching the sway bar bolt (that goes into the frame), it looks like the frame-end that the bolt goes into has stripped out. I was tightening the bolt down, and all of a sudden it broke free and started spinning, and I can just drop the bolt in/out of the hole.

Is this something I should try to have fixed? Or will it not cause any issues. 1 of the 2 bolts are on, and both bolts on the other side are on.

If I need to get it fixed, would a mechanic be able to do that?

View attachment 322021

Can you drill through the bottom of the frame and get a longer bolt?

 

[LONGJP2]

the mount that I used required that you reuse the factory bolts for the sway bar up front to attach the mount to the frame.

IIRC, my winch mount came with longer bolts (and a spacer) to replace the front swaybar bracket bolt.
Maybe it stripped because there wasn't enough engagement.
You might want to replace the other side too.

 

[Breto31]

IIRC, my winch mount came with longer bolts (and a spacer) to replace the front swaybar bracket bolt.
Maybe it stripped because there wasn't enough engagement.
You might want to replace the other side too.

It’s possible, but the directions that came with the mount said not to discard any of the factory hardware because it is reused.

 

[mrblaine]

It’s possible, but the directions that came with the mount said not to discard any of the factory hardware because it is reused.

Is there some reason you haven't purchased the bit and tap to fix this yet?

 

[Breto31]

Is there some reason you haven't purchased the bit and tap to fix this yet?

I have no clue how to do that - never used a tap before, and I don't want to mess it up any further. I'm taking it to a shop tomorrow to have it done.

 

[mrblaine]

I have no clue how to do that - never used a tap before, and I don't want to mess it up any further. I'm taking it to a shop tomorrow to have it done.

No danger of learning anything that way.

 

[Breto31]

I was able to get a longer bolt and it worked fine. I assume the original bolt was just too short. If any threads were damaged, I guess they were at the very top. Thanks for the help.

 

[Ramona Wrangler]

I was able to get a longer bolt and it worked fine. I assume the original bolt was just too short. If any threads were damaged, I guess they were at the very top. Thanks for the help.

ok, now put her in 4lo and go!!!