Broken shock stud

[RobE30]

I was out enjoying this past weekend cruising around in my bug when I began to notice a metallic clunking noise. I figured it was the sway bar bushings and pressed on. When I got home, I crawled under the front and confirmed the sway bar bushings were indeed toast. No big deal.... Then, I noticed the shock was pointing the wrong way. In my haste, I thought it was a bolt that sheared off. So, I drilled it and tried and easy out which shattered. As I hung my head in shame, I looked at the other side and realized it's a nut on a stud which brings me to my question;

What's my next step here? I have a feeling I'm going to be attending to quite a few things in the near future.

[zerotofifty]

Drill it out is the fix, easy peasy. you may then try a bolt extractor. you can heat her up with an oxy acetylene torch to assist. You can run a tap if you nick the threads.

Dont worry this is not too bad.
_________________
Sorry About That Chief.

Give Peace a Chance.

Words to live by.

[Schnitzelfuss]

Yes the repair must be made but just as important, do you know why it failed? That bolt may have just been old and fatigued- but it also may have been experiencing a high stress load that if not addressed will cause the replacement bolt to fail prematurely as well.

[wagen19]

[RobE30]

[KTPhil]

I had this happen when I was young. It was frustrating but I made it through.

1. Use a sharp center punch to make a divot dead center of the sheared off bolt/extractor. This is crucial. I have seen a suggestion to use a metal or plastic tube in the area whose OD fits the hole, and whose ID fits your sharpest drill; this helps it stay centered.
2. Buy some new expensive drill bits. Those extractors are hardened and you will need the best.
3. Start with a small bit and keep it straight and centered. Take your time. Getting this right makes the later steps easier.
4. Gradually step up the drill size until you have started to "daylight" the mounting threads inside the mount.
5. Try using a pick to get out the little slivers still in the threads.
6. But a correct size tap, also a good one.
7. Using lots of oil and working half a turn at a time (then backing out and flushing with more oil), work your way through to clean out the threads.
8. Dry, then apply some anti-seize to the new bolt threads, and do not overtorque.
9. Dribble some penetrating oil on the other side and let it work over time to make inevitable removal in the future easier.
_________________
Current Fleet:
- '71 Fastback
- '69 Westfalia
Retired:
- '67 Beetle
- '65 Beetle (x2)
- '65 Bus
- '71 Squareback

[Cusser]

I have left-hand drill bits to use for such occurrences.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[zerotofifty]

A correct sized transfer punch is excellent for assuring a center for drilling. The transfer punch is lightly tapped to leave a small mark, then folliw up with a regular centerpunch. Dont hit the transfer punch resl hard as they are delicate and cant readily be resharpened, unlike a regular center punch

Getting the drilled hole dead centered is key for successful busted stud extraction.


https://www.harborfreight.com/28-piece-transfer-punch-set-3577.html
_________________
Sorry About That Chief.

Give Peace a Chance.

Words to live by.

[RobE30]

[RWK]

Pull the beam, then drill from other side so as not to be drilling the EZ out you will know when to stop when you hit it, then use a small punch to drive EZ out
back through hole. In my off road days we drilled that hole out to 1/2 in and used a through bolt and nut, stock bolt wouldn't hold up.
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73 Type 181
63 Type 113
63 Type 261- 428 071
62 Type 241-378 025 178 530

[Cusser]

[RWK]

What we did for top bolt.

_________________
73 Type 181
63 Type 113
63 Type 261- 428 071
62 Type 241-378 025 178 530

[glutamodo]

Yep, drill it through, put a nut on the backside. I've done it too.
_________________
Andy T.

"What is Glutamodo, Horror of Toyko, besides total, fiendish, quality-a-you brain!"

[RobE30]