So, I went to replace the rear shocks on my new '68 Fury project car. One of the nuts gave me a lot of trouble. When I finally got it off, I was greeted with this unhappy sight: a completely stripped bracket bolt. The bolt appears to be securely welded to the bracket. What's the best way to approach this issue? Drill out the old bolt? Get somebody with a torch to cut it out? Try to find a complete replacement bracket off a junker somewhere?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

IF YOU DRILL FROM THE BACK SIDE. You then can install a replacement stud that can be obtained at a parts store.. The new one will be a stud and nut that will go through the housing and look just like what you have on the shock side...Bring the stripped stud with you so they can see what you are trying to do...Just as a note alot of chevrolet use this same set up....Bill

 

Great! Thank you for the advice. I've never had to drill a bolt before ... Do I just get a big metal-cutting bit and go to town on it, or is there a specific way to do it?

 

Center punch it, use cutting oil, safety glasses, and quality bits. I wonder if you could just rethread the stud with an appropriate (next size smaller) die though. Good luck either way.

 

You could re thread it to the next undersized. No a high stress part

 

Thanks for the additional option. Rethreading does sound appealing. I have not used a tap & die before, so forgive the newbie question, but would the additional material at the front of the bolt cause problems, or would it just get cut off in the process?

 

you DO put anti-seize compound on ALL threads on the bottom of the truck. hu?

 

No worries, the leading edge of the die is tapered. If it gives you trouble you could always just dress it with a file first.

 

Got it ... Thank you! I'll try rethreading first, and if that doesn't work, I'll drill it out the way you've advised.

Not sure about anti-seize compound, but I did spray it with Liquid Wrench first.

This is my first project car, so I have a lot to learn. Restoring an old car is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid, and I'm 36 now, so I've decided not to wait any longer. This '68 Fury is in very good shape mechanically, so it's mostly a matter of changing out worn-out parts and cosmetic work. With what I learn on this, I hope to be able to tackle more involved projects later.

Thanks for being so helpful and understanding!

 

To drill the bolt out start with an 1/8" drill bit and work up from there. For what your going to pay for a die to rethread that you wil have half the money in the new part...Also there is alot of material missing from where the threads doubled up and stripped...Bill

 

All true, but rethreading is less labor and if you go a size smaller there's plenty of meat. Drilling it out will work just fine too. I don't think there's nessisarily a "best" way to repair this.

 

Quick update: I paid $20 for a tap & die set from Autozone, filed down the excess material at the front of the bolt, and cut new threads with the 1/2"x20 die. Worked like a charm! The threads probably aren't as deep as they would be in a perfect world, but they look pretty good, and the nut grabbed on nice and tight. I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it stays secure. If I have any reason to feel nervous, I'll re-cut it with the 7/16" die.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice. I really appreciate it!