Another Rounded Bolt...

[Toms306]

Makes a change...

So these 2 bolts are stupidly tight, like bending a 3ft bar that takes hub nuts off tight!!

Anyway, I broke an extension and an adapter trying to get them lose. Eventually the socket started slipping so I tried hammering on smaller ones which eventually all slipped. Then used an Irwin bolt extractor which took any remaining lumps off and has just left it smooth now.

Neither bolt will move but I concentrated on just one so as not the f*ck them both up.

So what needs to happen here? Can't be cut off as the shank would still be stuck in the chassis. Only thing I can think is have a larger nut welded onto them and then try removing, but I don't have tools for that.

What do you reckon a garage would charge to remove them?

Shock is leaking badly so needs doing as soon as possible. Would've been such an easy job if they'd just made the hole in the boot big enough to fit a socket in. ?

[Danny Wideboy]

I would drill the head off, remove the shock, heat up whatever it bolts into red hot and try mole grips, if that failed i would get the welder out and weld a new nut on, hope the heat from welding did something and try again.
If none of the above worked i would get the drill back out and drill it out completely and re tap it.


Massive ballache basically.

[procta]

research what replacement bolts are needed before you even go any further then
I would drill the heads off, remove the shock, and drill them out completely and re tap.

[Toms306]

I don't have any decent drill bits, corded drill or tap & dye set... Gonna have to be a garage job but I've got no idea what they'll charge or even if they'd attempt it.

[Danny Wideboy]

A cheap drill, some bits and taps will most likely be the cheaper option.

[Toms306]

Surely cheap drill bits and taps will be shit and make it worse though?

[Dum-Dum]

If you can't use fire or weld then definitely drill and tap. It'll definitely take a while if you have shit bits but it's probably the best way unless you want to pay for it to be done.


I reckon 2-54 hours labor if you pay a garage to do it.

[C2K]

Looks a crap design but then it's a Ford.id smash a 6 sided impact on there or find a friend with a welder to weld a nut onto it.

[Toms306]

It is a crap design, can't even see the need for it. There's a hole in the arch I'm the boot tovaccomodate the top of the shock...but it's not big enough to get the 13mm nut off...if they'd just made the hole bigger it wouldve been a 10minute job and they'd have saved on metal...not much per car but the Fiesta is the biggest selling car in the uk iirc!

[bashbarnard]

The more i think about this the more i think ive never had to remove those bolts. Ive got sockets that fit in there for this exact reason.

[Toms306]

The hole is smaller than the nut, not just the socket.

[bashbarnard]

just run it up to purlings during the week between 12 and 1 when im on lunch and ill take a quick look for you

[Toms306]

Ok cheers, will do!

[bashbarnard]

yeah just drop me a message and let me know what day is good for you and ill work round it