Managed to Break Steering Rack Bracket Bolt, Need Advice

[Soul Shinobi]

Picture not mine, from here.

OKAY. My car is rather rusty; a '98 with 200,000+ miles and the previous owner let it sit, on a pile of salt, under a waterfall, or something.

I managed to get the first three steering rack bracket bolts out using a ton of PB Blaster over the course of two days. I used the technique of loosening bolts as much as possible (I'm not very strong), spraying PB on the freshly exposed threads, then tightening the bolt to get the PB up in the nut, and repeating that about four times per bolt. I also sprayed PB up on the back side of the bolts. In short: I'm not an idiot.

The Problem:
The last bolt, the rearward driver's side bolt (pictured, top) was the most difficult. After much effort I eventually tried my impact gun, and after about 270 degrees the welded captive nut on the back side of the support that the bracket bolts to broke loose, leaving the bolt 1/3rd loosened and free spinning. Since the bracket on the driver's side is recessed into a groove in the steering rack it's held quite well with only one bolt being tight, in fact I've driven over 50 miles today with it like that and it feel fine, in fact I can still feel the benefits from the passenger side bushing being replaced with the Whiteline one.

My Plan:
Now I know you may be temped to say "Just don't even mess with it further," but I really want to actually fix it and replace the second bushing. After some brainstorming with a friend I decided that the best thing to do would be to remove the screwed up bolt, either with a dremel or cutting torch. Then after replacing the bushing, there are two options, either support the bracket weld it right to surfaces it mates to above it, or, cut a hole where the was then weld a new one in from the bottom. The first of those is easiest I think, but more permanent. I don't know if another friend of mine can get his gasless MIG welder in there, or if I'm better off taking it to a shop. My concern with taking it to a shop is that they might insist on taking way more apart than is needed to replace the bushing.

What do you think?

[evolutionmovement]

I've got a similar issue with the bumper beam. I cut the bolt head off with a Dremel wheel. Luckier for me, I can bring the bumper beam to someone to spot weld a new nut on. I can't completely remember what it looks like under there, but maybe you can jack up the engine to make room to weld a nut in there. Or fit a wrench to hold a loose nut on the back? Would be a PITA to replace again, but when are you really going to do it again?

[Soul Shinobi]

I certainly don't plan on touching it again, which is why welding the bracket back on was an option. I can't really get a wrench in there at all, but I'm considering cutting a hole just for a wrench, among other things.

[evolutionmovement]

Thing with welding would be possibly melting the bushing, I'd think.

[Soul Shinobi]

I considered that, but it's not too close, and the back side of the bushing isn't as important as the top and bottom where the pressure is, if worst came to worst.

[206er]

the way the crossmember is made, water can get up in there and sit on top of where the steering rack bolt threads are. it practically seems like a design feature of the crossmember.

for cutting off that bolt, you want a 4 or 4.5" angle grinder with a cutoff wheel in it. if you dont have one get one. my makita has been going like 5 years with heavy use and are about $50. that is about midrange price for one. that is my go to tool for any small metal cuts. fast, relatively clean, and accurate. a air cutoff would work well too. dremel is super accurate but super slow and you go through like 20 of those wheels to get through an M10. for an angle grinder cutoff wheel the max kerf is like a 16th and you can get 32nd thick wheels too. for tight areas just use a worn down wheel. a cutting torch is too hot for that area imho and not clean enough. if its too tight for the angle grinder go to the air cutoff wheel since those are around 2" and straight instead of 90* like the angle grinder.

one problem though, once you cut through that bolt, will you be able to get the spinning part out of the crossmember? it will probably fit through that gap in the side but the bolt piece may be too long.

i would fish a new nut through the access hole on the side, torque down the nut in place where you want it with a bolt, drill a 1/4" hole right by the nut(maybe 2) then tack weld the nut again through the hole you drilled on the side. but doing all these repairs on a compromised crossmember you are reaching the point of diminishing returns from just swapping another crossmember.

[Soul Shinobi]

So it's not just me.

one idea i had was to drill out the broken bolt in the crossmember and try to put some nuts through the little access hole to where the top of the threads are, and hope you can get a bolt started on them enough to torque down.

Someone on SL-i.net suggested this too, I may try it even though it's a one time fix. I can't really tap it out larger since I broke off the nut on the back side, so there's nothing to tap into but 2mm of sheet steel.

[206er]

whoa you ninja quoted me, i wrote that post without really reading what your problem was. your spinny bolt is another problem.
i dont think putting another nut in there is a one time fix. it is just a really difficult repeatable fix.

[evolutionmovement]

You need the reinforced Dremel wheels if you're going to use them. I cut one of the big bumper beam mounting bolts and only used a little more than one of them. Not that there aren't better tools than a Dremel, but he mentioned having one.

[Soul Shinobi]

Good advice guys. I may borrow my friend's angle grinder, but the space it really tight and I might just wind up using my Dremel. I have a 5-pack of cheap diamond cutting wheels from Harbor Freight, and some of those ceramic discs too.

[n2x4]

I have a 5-pack of cheap diamond cutting wheels from Harbor Freight, and some of those ceramic discs too.

Not to sound like your mom, but wear safety goggles when you use those discs! I can guarantee you'll break a few and the shards will go flying. I've used a lot of HF tools, been very happy with most of it, but the discs seem rather weak to me and brittle.

[Soul Shinobi]

I certainly appreciate the warning, and I don't mess around when it comes to safety. I'll likely wear a full face shield and a respirator so I don't inhale steel and diamond dust.

[n2x4]

I'll likely wear a full face shield and a respirator so I don't inhale steel and diamond dust.

That's how you keep mom happy

[Soul Shinobi]

All that didn't keep the crap out of my ears, there was so much I could feel it move around when I tiled my head.

SO, UPDATE:

I cut the free spinning bolt's head off with my Dremel, which was much easier after my friend educated me about using soft cutters for hard things and vice-versa, switching from the diamond disk to the more consumable ceramic ones helped a lot.

After a lot of power steering line bending I wiggled the bracket off, straight onto my face. Then I tried to removed the old bushing, man what a bitch. I had to loosen the other side of the rack a bit and loosen the steering universal joint (after marking it in case it came all the way off! It was much easier to get to from below btw) to drop the rack enough so that I could get a screwdriver around the inside of the bushing enough to pry it from the heavily oxidized rack. Then it was a royal bitch to slip the new bushing on even though it was greased. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to pull it through once I got it most of the way, the polyurethane seems rather resilient to being tugged on with pliers.

Retightened the other rack bracket then pried the u-joint back into place and secured it to bring the rack back up. Now I had to solve the issue of securing the bracket when there's no captive nut on one side.

Before I put the bracket on I tried to removed the old captive nut with 3/4ths the bolt stuck in it using a magnet through the opening near the top. I could get a hold of it, but the hole was just too small. I slipped the new nut I got through the hole and was able to position it perfectly where the old one used to sit after a lot of work. After a lot of thinking and a couple phone calls I decided that it really couldn't welded in place through the bracket. I applied some JB Weld between the nut and support with a right angle pick.

And that's where I am, that was last night and the JB should be hard now, I just need it to hold the nut long enough for me to get the treads started. I may have to make a tool to hold the nut in place while I try to tighten the bolt. My main concern is how easily I can thread into the bolt, I don't want to break the JB since it may not be holding well, and I don't know if any JB got in the way of the bolts path, impeding threading it in; in which case I'd definitely have to make a tool.

[entirelyturbo]

In addition to the JB Weld, just jam a flathead screwdriver in between the crossmember bracket and the new nut. It'll be at least a little more help in bracing against impact from your gun.

Anyway, you're still better off than I was.

Of course, I was too stupid and impatient to use PB Blaster or any other loosening agent on those bolts, but I just plan broke the head off the bolt, leaving the remnant rusted inside the welded nut.

After a hopeless attempt to remove the remnant with a screw extractor, and realizing there was no other way to remove it at that point...

... I just bought a new crossmember.

[Soul Shinobi]

Alright, we left off with nothing left but to bolt it back together after the JB Weld cured. This afternoon I gently threaded the bolt in until I was sure the first couple thread were in. Then I removed it and put Loctite on the threads; this brand new high quality nut and bolt go together so cleanly that I'd worry about them wiggling apart, and I certainly have no plans to touch the rack again.

I threaded the bolt right up to the bracket and began to tighten it carefully, and it went all the way up without a hitch. Because the nut I got had a serrated flange, and I tightened it when it had tension on it from the bracket pulling on the bolt, the nut dug in and let me tighten it all the way right up to 48 ft-lbs final torque (spec is 43 +/- 9).

I'm so relieved. As for having Whiteline steering rack bushings, I have to say there isn't much more feedback, but my tires are crap so that could change. However, there is definitely a lot more response, the wheels act MUCH quicker to steering input.

And then he drove off happily ever after.
*closes book*
The End.