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Broken Shackle hanger bolts

8K views 27 replies 9 participants last post by  onisohelio 
#1 ·
Long story short, I broke off one shackle hanger bolt and one steering box bracket bolt while trying to replace my springs.

I tried everything to remove them except for welding on a nut (I don't have a welder). Penetrating oil for weeks, mapp gas, nice vice grips, squaring off the part of the bolt sticking out to get a wrench on it, and finally drilling.

I used craftsman titanium coated drill bits with oil to lubricate, and I ended up breaking 4 bits. So finally I just whacked one with a hammer a few times and knocked the nut off the inside of the frame and pulled it out through one of the access holes. I was then able to use a vice grip and wrench to get the bolt free. Pretty frustrating that I was able to get the bolt out once it was already off the jeep.

Would it be ill advised to reuse the nut(s) if I clean them out? The nice thing is they have a round mounting surface that lines them up perfectly in the bolt holes. Can I find these kinds of nuts anywhere else?

Automotive tire Tire Finger Thumb Nail


1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
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#2 ·
Here's how I fixed mine in a pinch before I rebuild my frame and welded new ones in.
The hole you opened up is now a 1/2" hole. Drill the holes in the shackle hanger, and bracket to 1/2" also.
Get some grade 8 1/2" bolts long enough, and fish them through the holes in the frame with one of these.https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Tow-Ready/80101-1.html
Fish the bolt down through, put the nut on, and hit it with an impact gun, it will tighten down just fine if it's a brand new bolt and nut.

 
#3 ·
skizriz said:
Here's how I fixed mine in a pinch before I rebuild my frame and welded new ones in. The hole you opened up is now a 1/2" hole. Drill the holes in the shackle hanger, and bracket to 1/2" also. Get some grade 8 1/2" bolts long enough, and fish them through the holes in the frame with one of these.https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Tow-Ready/80101-1.html Fish the bolt down through, put the nut on, and hit it with an impact gun, it will tighten down just fine if it's a brand new bolt and nut.
I'd be a little worried about making the shackle hanger holes completely centered because I don't have a drill press. How hard would it be to weld a nut in without cutting an access hole in the frame? I'm thinking I could cut a window in the cross member.

1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#7 ·
skizriz said:
What CSP said. You are going from a 7/16" hole to 1/2". It will barely shave it bigger.
Is that okay for a permanent fix? I have a couple friends that weld but is it worth it to cut a hole in the cross member?

1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#11 ·
I'm with the guys for welding the strip on a nut to keep it from turning. Whatever you do don't cut a hole in the side of the frame. If you insist on welding the nut just drill a couple of small holes through the bottom of the frame and spot weld through them to the nut but the flat bar is really an excellent fix. Oh and get some copper based anti seize to coat all of those bolts with and down the road they bolts will come out much easier.
 
#12 ·
Jim1611 said:
I'm with the guys for welding the strip on a nut to keep it from turning. Whatever you do don't cut a hole in the side of the frame. If you insist on welding the nut just drill a couple of small holes through the bottom of the frame and spot weld through them to the nut but the flat bar is really an excellent fix. Oh and get some copper based anti seize to coat all of those bolts with and down the road they bolts will come out much easier.
Wouldn't I have to cut into the frame or crossmember somewhere to get the nut and flat strip in anyway?

1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#15 ·
Stepped away from the jeep for a while but I started work on it again today. I hammered the second bolt out after failing with heat, penetrating oil, and vice grips and noticed that the holes I opened up are not 1/2", but actually 11/16". Another issue I ran into is since the welds didn't completely come off with the nuts, the surface isn't flat where bolt would sit. I'm thinking at this point I will have to cut through the front cross member. I don't think this will be too detrimental to the structural integrity of the frame. Thoughts?

1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#17 ·
I had the same thing happen to me when I was putting a new steering gearbox in. Broke two nuts loose inside the frame.

I tied a semi stiff wire to a long Grade 8 serrated flange bolt. Fished it into the frame from an access hole, then got it out and down through the hole on the frame where the old bolt broke off. I bought this bolt purposely long thinking I could start the nut by hand, then clamp vice grips to the tip of the bolt while I tightened the nut above it to the hanger and frame (to keep it from spinning when I tightened the nut down). As it turns out, the friction from the flange bolt itself allowed me to tighten the nut down to spec without it spinning in the frame- no vice grips needed. No welding... just fish a bolt, put the nut on, tighten.
 
#19 ·
AlexThePhotoGuy said:
See attached. Really was easy once I fished the bolts in the right spots.
Did you drill out the shackle hanger and steering box brackets or just use the same size bolt and make sure everything was centered?

1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#22 ·
AlexThePhotoGuy said:
Any luck?
I ordered 1/2" weld nuts from fastenal. They were supposed to come in today but nothing yet. I'm going to have a friend tack those in, either through drilled holes in the frame or directly on the bottom where the nut pilot contacts the side of the frame hole.

1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#23 ·
Alright, I finally got everything back together.

I used a couple 3/8ths weld nuts and ground the projections down so the pilots would fit down further in the holes. After smoothing out the holes in the frame with a dremel, I fished the weld nuts in and ran a bolt through to see if they would tighten. Well the bolts tightened up just fine so I was able to get a pretty close to factory repair without cutting into the frame. However, I might drill a small hole in the frame later on and tack weld the nuts in place to make for easier disassembly.

I was finally able to get my new suspension installed. All that's missing is the sway bar (I need to buy new hardware for the new bushings). I'm a little concerned about the angle of the driver side spring plate. I torqued all of the u-bolt nuts down to 70 ft lbs but the plate leans down away from the middle of the axle. The spring plate that was previously on there leaned the same way and the driver side spring was warped because of it. Is there a way to counter this?

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1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#27 ·
M.O.R.E. shackle hangers, Crabtree shackles, prothane bushings, and pro comp 4" yj springs. Oh and bilstein shocks. Hoping to have a decent riding setup once I get the rears installed.

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1985 CJ7, 4.2 I6, Carter BBD, T-176/Dana 300, Dana 30/AMC 20 w/2.73 gears, 33" BFG AT's, YJ Family Style Rollbar
 
#28 · (Edited)
Holder screws are one of the most adaptable latches accessible. They are extremely strong and secure because they combine the characteristics of a machine screw and a wood screw. Hanger bolts ought to be your go-to option if you're looking for a fastener for your project that can be used for everything. Let's take a closer look at hanger bolts, how they work, and why DIYers and professionals alike like them so much.

What are hanger bolts?
A double-ended screw with two distinct threads is known as a hanger bolt. A lag thread-like design can be found on one end, while a machine thread-like design can be found on the other. Because the lag thread can be securely tightened into one piece of material, hanger bolts are ideal for joining two pieces of material, like wood or metal, together. They can also be used in applications where adjustable parts are needed. In contrast, another material can be easily adjusted using the machine thread.

Sizes of Hanger Bolts Hanger bolts are available in a variety of lengths and diameters, ranging from 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch. The bolt's lag thread and machine thread components typically have smaller diameters. It's also important to remember that hanger bolts don't have a head, which means they don't have a part that can be seen to tell you which way to install them. Instead, they have a square shoulder below each threaded end that serves as the head. This shoulder, once installed correctly, stops from turning into dense materials like metals or hardwoods.

How are hanger bolts attached? or how to install the hanger bolts? due to their distinctive double-threaded design, hanger bolts are relatively simple to install; however, there are some precautions you should take when installing them into metal or hardwood. Before attempting to install the two pieces of material that are being joined together with either a wrench or drill driver bit, depending on whether you are utilizing manual tools or power tools, you should first pre-drill holes into the two pieces of material that are being joined together that are slightly larger than the diameter of the lag portion of your hanger bolt. Before inserting each bolt into one side and then threading it through the second side until it has been fully inserted and tightened securely into both pieces of material—without overtightening because this may cause damage to either side due to its hardwood or metal composition—after drilling your holes, begin by lightly lubricating each bolt with wax or oil. Your hanger bolt should sit flush against the surface once it has been installed correctly, with no visible heads on either side. It should only have a square shoulder exposed underneath each threaded end for extra protection against rotation.

Uses for Hanger Bolts Hanger bolts are fasteners that have a thread for a lag screw on one end and a thread for a bare machine bolt on the other. They make it easier and safer to mount hardware like racks, furniture, and other similar items on walls or other surfaces. The speed with which components can be mounted and removed, as well as the sturdiness with which they withstand tension thanks to the lag screw head, are major advantages of using hanger bolts over other types. A simple coat rack installation or the suspension of industrial-weight items like support beams in archways or doorways are just two of the many applications for hanger bolts. Hanger bolts are available in a variety of sizes and grades to meet the requirements of any project, regardless of how big or small.
 
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