dneace0012
Active LVC Member
Found a broken bolt in the garage this morning. What's the best way to get this out guys? Thanks!
Broken Bolt
- Thread starter dneace0012
- Start date
roncoinc
Well-Known LVC Member
I thought it was one of those pix that if you stare long enough you can see something ???
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
looks to me like the rear subframe
it is kinda misleading because the bolt in the center of the picture looks to not be broken
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
I think he will be in for a really bad time if he drives it like that.
theophile
Well-Known LVC Member
^ This
dneace0012
Active LVC Member
Sorry about that. Yes, it's the subframe.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
The one at the lower right looks really messed up.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
that's the one I figured he was talking about!
dneace0012
Active LVC Member
Will probably take it in and let a local mechanic fix it. Don't even know where I would get the bolt. I'm assuming the subframe would have to be removed?
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
I tried tracking down where that bolt might be on the Deneau site but was unable to isolate it. No matter. It'll probably be expensive but if you visit the dealer they can probably get it for you. If not, a salvage yard might be able to provide it. On yours, soak it down hard with penetrating oil for a couple of nights. A shop with a welder, like an exhaust shop, should be able to get that out for you after that. They will weld another bolt to that one, then they can turn it out and install the new bolt you provide.
Anyone know why that might not work? If so, speak up before he tries this. The only thing I can think of that might cause a problem is if that bolt passes through a rubber mount. If so, the rubber mount might need to be replaced.
Anyone know why that might not work? If so, speak up before he tries this. The only thing I can think of that might cause a problem is if that bolt passes through a rubber mount. If so, the rubber mount might need to be replaced.
milehighmikey
Dedicated LVC Member
Been there, done that, got the Tee shirt.
In my situation, the threads in the body rotted away, and this bolt just pulled out. It's easy enough to figure out with a piece of threaded rod or similar, to see if it will pass through to around 5 or 6 inches without hitting anything. One thing that can mess you up is that there is a void space that is not a good guide for the probing bolt above the subframe bushing. What seems to be routine is anything but that, and can be a good game of hunting for the right spot and angle of the probe. I do not believe that the bolt is anywhere low strength enough to be able to stretch and break, which is why I think it simply pulled through the factory threads. What I ended up doing to mine is that I took measurements and plotted where inside the car that bolt goes. You have to lift up the rear seat and peel away the sound deadening mat to begin the job. One cool way to try it would be to send a small long drill bit right through the center of the factory threaded bushing that the bolt normally threads into, and drill through the floor panel under the seat to locate the area to open up. I missed on mine by around 2-1/2 inches when I took measurements to locate the approximate area of that bolt's built in nut. Once you have the hole lined up, use a 2" hole saw to make an access hole to repair this. Buy a hard grade bolt that's long enough to reach from the bottom of the bushing under the car, to the top of the built in threaded bushing inside the body plus an inch. Use a 1/2" diameter bolt for this or the metric equivalent, then drill out the threaded bushing with a 1/2" drill, 12" bit. Then you are almost done. In my case, I found a CV axle half shaft nut that fit perfectly over the threaded bushing and allowed the use of a couple of thick 3/4" hole washers along with a thick 1/2" hole washer, then a lock washer and nut to tighten the new bolt onto. The reason for this is that the threaded bushing resides in a void under the finished floor under the back end of the rear seat bottom cushion, and protrudes around an inch above the floor of that void, so adding a nut to a new bolt that protrudes from that old bushing would be bad practice, placing a lot of tension against a small area of the nut for the half inch bolt, so you have to shim that up to provide total contact surface for the new nut and lock washer. I can grab a photo of mine and post here if this is unclear.
So to recap: Verify that the bolt came out of its threads, drill out those threads, expose the area by cutting a hole inside the car under the seat, then build up the surrounding area of the factory threads to make a new bolt and nut take over the job.
One thing to watch for is the soundness of the cast aluminum or pot metal that the bushing on the subframe is made of. I have seen two of mine shatter or just fall apart. If this happens, then the bushing is most likely a total loss and your subframe will have to come down and have new bushings pressed in. They are available for the Jaguar S type for around $50 USD each. Count on spending a few bucks if you have someone drop the subframe. It seems pretty modular and pretty much is, but you need to drop the exhaust, then the driveshaft, to get that unit down for service. To press in new bushings, unless someone has a portable press, the components may have to be removed, meaning all rear suspension parts and axles, and differential must come off. Big job. Been there. Hated it. SO lets hope that your inner subframe bushing structure is intact and that you only need a bolt installed with minor surgery.
One thing I tried that ended up being a FAIL is using a large helicoil to repair the factory threaded bushing. Total waste of time, and the repair failed in 2 months. Ended up doing my plan A eventually, which is described above. No problems since.
One last thing about this: If the bushing metal pieces fell apart in the subframe bushing, and you really can't afford the down time or the repair, you can have a heavy plate made up to cover the bottom of the subframe bushing and bolt that to the car using a new nut inside. I drove that way for a while, and there was virtually no noticeable impact on NVH while driving.
Let me know if you need a photo of my inner repair for this bolt.
In my situation, the threads in the body rotted away, and this bolt just pulled out. It's easy enough to figure out with a piece of threaded rod or similar, to see if it will pass through to around 5 or 6 inches without hitting anything. One thing that can mess you up is that there is a void space that is not a good guide for the probing bolt above the subframe bushing. What seems to be routine is anything but that, and can be a good game of hunting for the right spot and angle of the probe. I do not believe that the bolt is anywhere low strength enough to be able to stretch and break, which is why I think it simply pulled through the factory threads. What I ended up doing to mine is that I took measurements and plotted where inside the car that bolt goes. You have to lift up the rear seat and peel away the sound deadening mat to begin the job. One cool way to try it would be to send a small long drill bit right through the center of the factory threaded bushing that the bolt normally threads into, and drill through the floor panel under the seat to locate the area to open up. I missed on mine by around 2-1/2 inches when I took measurements to locate the approximate area of that bolt's built in nut. Once you have the hole lined up, use a 2" hole saw to make an access hole to repair this. Buy a hard grade bolt that's long enough to reach from the bottom of the bushing under the car, to the top of the built in threaded bushing inside the body plus an inch. Use a 1/2" diameter bolt for this or the metric equivalent, then drill out the threaded bushing with a 1/2" drill, 12" bit. Then you are almost done. In my case, I found a CV axle half shaft nut that fit perfectly over the threaded bushing and allowed the use of a couple of thick 3/4" hole washers along with a thick 1/2" hole washer, then a lock washer and nut to tighten the new bolt onto. The reason for this is that the threaded bushing resides in a void under the finished floor under the back end of the rear seat bottom cushion, and protrudes around an inch above the floor of that void, so adding a nut to a new bolt that protrudes from that old bushing would be bad practice, placing a lot of tension against a small area of the nut for the half inch bolt, so you have to shim that up to provide total contact surface for the new nut and lock washer. I can grab a photo of mine and post here if this is unclear.
So to recap: Verify that the bolt came out of its threads, drill out those threads, expose the area by cutting a hole inside the car under the seat, then build up the surrounding area of the factory threads to make a new bolt and nut take over the job.
One thing to watch for is the soundness of the cast aluminum or pot metal that the bushing on the subframe is made of. I have seen two of mine shatter or just fall apart. If this happens, then the bushing is most likely a total loss and your subframe will have to come down and have new bushings pressed in. They are available for the Jaguar S type for around $50 USD each. Count on spending a few bucks if you have someone drop the subframe. It seems pretty modular and pretty much is, but you need to drop the exhaust, then the driveshaft, to get that unit down for service. To press in new bushings, unless someone has a portable press, the components may have to be removed, meaning all rear suspension parts and axles, and differential must come off. Big job. Been there. Hated it. SO lets hope that your inner subframe bushing structure is intact and that you only need a bolt installed with minor surgery.
One thing I tried that ended up being a FAIL is using a large helicoil to repair the factory threaded bushing. Total waste of time, and the repair failed in 2 months. Ended up doing my plan A eventually, which is described above. No problems since.
One last thing about this: If the bushing metal pieces fell apart in the subframe bushing, and you really can't afford the down time or the repair, you can have a heavy plate made up to cover the bottom of the subframe bushing and bolt that to the car using a new nut inside. I drove that way for a while, and there was virtually no noticeable impact on NVH while driving.
Let me know if you need a photo of my inner repair for this bolt.