Topic

Suggestions please.

Looking to remove the rear ARB on my TF but I've found that one of the M8 studs that holds one of the bush clamps in place has sheared off at some time:( .

I'm guessing, looking at the amount of corrosion on the other stud nuts, that previous owner has sheared this nut/stud off trying to remove it.

Any ideas on how to replace the stud?

Squashman

You really have to have a go at trying to get the broken stud out first, drill the sheared off bolt out and use a helical stud extractor and heat to see if you can crack the thread. If the thread is really tight and will not move, then its a drill and tap out job. Try to drill the hole exactly in the center of the stud and keep the drill as vertical as possible. Drill out at tapping size, then re-tap the new hole using a three stage tap kit. You may find that the tap brings out the rest of the old bolt and you get a reasonable tapped hole. If the new tapped hole is not good, due to thread interference from the new and old threads, or because the hole is not drilled accurately, then the hole needs tapping for a helicoil insert. Drill and tap out for a helicoil, usually a helicoil kit has the correct taps and drills with it. If the thread was a crimped in one, then you can get hankbush kits to just simply drill out and re-crimp in a new insert.
Finally if your thread can be accessed from the other side, you can use a simple nut and bolt.
Make sure you can torque up the new bolt to the correct setting before you are happy with the result.

Helicoil kit


Tapping a hole for a helicoil


Helicoil


And fitting one


Sundance

Thanks Sundance,

I'm not sure how the stud is attached to the subframe. I'm hoping that I can just drill the M8 stud out and then open it upto M10 as long as there's enough metal thickness for a decent number of threads.

Otherwise, as you say, a helicoil would be a solution but this means buying a kit just for the sake (hopefully) of repairing one stud.

I'll see how we get on.

Do we know if all the ARB bush brackets are on studs or are some captive nuts and bolts?

Squashman.

The rear ARB bracket are all studs.

I removed the rear ARB this winter as part of changing the suspension from hydragas spheres to MS' coilover kit and I snapped off a stud on each side. I took off the brackets, drilled out the remaining bit of studs and welded new bolts in.

Must have been my lucky day as only one of the studs sheared off!

Managed to drill it out and then re-tap it as there seems enough metal in the bracket + frame to get enough thread for the new bolt.

Just hope my luck holds when I come to re-place the subframe mounts which is the next task on the (ever expanding) 'to do' list.

Squashman