stripped control arm bolt

[chrisw 0]

Hi all,

 

I am currently replacing all the bushes, balljoints and bearings on my vr6. The problem is that the front bolt for the passengers side control arm is stripped and is just turning and turning with about 40Nm. It didn't crack off or loosen at all when it was undone. Makes me think somebody tightened it up, realised it was threaded and just left it. :mad: The other side had a replacement front bolt covered in threadlock.

 

What are my chances of drilling this bolt out and cleaning up the captive nut succesfully? I am planning on taking the subframe off and mounting it in a proper drill press but I've never drilled out a bolt before. I was thinking of hacksawing the bolt and bush out to leave a stub, then drilling this till there is about a mill of bolt left round the outside and then trying to pick/chisel the remains out .

 

Any suggestions? If I mangle my subframe how much will one from a breaker's be?

 

 

Thanks,

 

Chris W

[h100vw 0]

I think you are talikng about the bolt that runs front to back in the wishbone.

 

What I would do is try and get something behind the head of the bolt, this will allow you to lever some pressure on it and while turning the bolt it may catch and wind out. Something like a thin flat blade screwdriver you don't care about.

 

The bad news is if the threads on the bolt are OK, then the captive will be damaged.

 

Best of British

 

Gavin

[chrisw 0]

Thanks for your reply. I've taken the subframe off now and it is not cross-threaded. You can see the captive nut through a small hole and it has obviously detached from the subframe and is just spinning with the bolt. I reckon I can now remove the nut but it will then be loose and trapped inside the frame.

 

Any suggestions?

[h100vw 0]

Cut open the subframe carefully to get to the nut and weld the nut back in place. Then weld up the subframe again. Or get another subframe.

 

As a consolation, you should be glad its this one and not the rear wishbone mounting bolt. Getting to that is much, much worse. You would need to cut a hole in the footwell to access that one!!

 

Gavin

[chrisw 0]

I've just found a subframe for £50+VAT so that will be easier than getting someone else to repair it for me. Thanks for your help.

 

Yeah I was holding my breath doing the 6 subframe bolts, they were very easy to undo though. Toughest were the caliper carrier bolts. Especially after you have removed the hub assembly and only have a B&D workmate to hold it in. doh.

 

So far I've sheared two BJ bolts, sheared a little splash shield bolt and rounded two more, snapped an engine mount bolt, and rounded a caliper carrier bolt. Some of these were unavoidable, a couple were incompetence :oops:. All off now though, except this one bolt, and I have learnt a lot as I have never really worked on my car before. I realised if I wanted a Corrado, I couldn't afford to not do. Just can't wait to see how it drives after new engine mounts, control arms, ball joints, tie rod ends, ARB bushes and bearings.

 

 

Chris